GB2110111A

GB2110111A - Liquid droplet eliminator

Info

Publication number: GB2110111A
Application number: GB08232105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ernest Hilton Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-11-25
Filing date: 1982-11-10
Publication date: 1983-06-15

Abstract

A device for removing water droplets from an air stream, e.g. downstream of a water spray in a coal mine ventilation system, comprises at least one row of baffles extending across a passage through a housing. As shown, two rows of baffles are independently mounted, so as to be slidable out of the housing for cleaning or replacement when a housing cover plate has been removed. The respective baffles of each row are connected together by rods, extending through the baffles and side plates, and spacer sleeves (Fig. 4 not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid droplet eliminator The invention relates to liquid droplet eliminators such as are used to extract droplets of liquid entrained in a flow of air or other gas.

Such apparatus is used for example in coal mines to extract droplets of water entrained in the air flowing through ventilation ducting downstream of dust extraction apparatus including or constituted by water spray jets.

Liquid droplet eliminators of the kind to which the invention relates include a plurality of baffles arranged in such a way that the flow of air or other gas is made to change direction abruptly whilst passing between them. Consequently, droplets of water entrained in the air or other gas are caused to impinge upon the baffles and subsequently run down them to be collected in a space beneath the baffles. The baffles may be formed in such a way as to define so-called phase separating chambers to ensure that a liquid film formed on the baffles does not become re-entrained in the gaseous flow.The construction of this kind of liquid droplet eliminator is generally somewhat expensive, firstly because of the need to form the baffles to the correct shape whereby the flow of air or other gas is made to change direction abruptly whilst passing between them and secondly because of the fact that they need to be mounted in position, closely spaced one from another, by mounting means at their opposite ends. The mounting of the baffles has generally been effected by welding them in position but in this case they cannot easily be removed for replacement when worn or corroded and cannot easily be cleaned. The invention aims to at least alleviate these problems.

According to the invention, there is provided a liquid droplet eliminator including a body part opposite end walls of which are provided with apertures for connection to respective lengths of ducting and a side wall with a cover plate which can be removed to reveal an opening through which at least one gang of baffles can be inserted to extend across a flow passage through said body part.

The or each gang of baffles will preferably be mounted on rods extending between side plate members, the latter forming a slide mounting for said gang of baffles, and in this case the baffles may be spaced apart on the rods by means of tubular spacers. At least on one rod of the gang of baffles, or on one rod of one of two or more gangs of baffles, respective relatively short angle pieces may abut each baffle, so that they form respective phase separating chambers into and down which liquid films formed on the baffles can drain.In this case, depending on their location in relation to the baffles, the relatively short angle pieces forming the phase separating chambers may be "set" at angles in the region of 22 < or 60 . The rods at the downstream side of the or each gang of baffles may be provided with a gang of extender plates arranged to extend in cantilever fashion from the gang of baffles and longitudinally of the flow passage through the body part, the extender plates preferably being angled at their upstream ends at angles in the region of 223" so that in co-operation with adjacent baffles they form phase separating chambers.The baffles of the or each gang of baffles may be flat plates with equal but oppositely angled attachment areas at their upstream and downstream sides, in which case the angle at which the attachment areas of each baffle are "set" relative to the main area of the baffle may be in the region of 45".

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a side view of a liquid droplet eliminator embodying the invention, Figure 2 is an end view, Figure 3 is a plan view thereof with a cover plate removed, Figure 4 is a plan view of gangs of baffles shown removed from the liquid droplet eliminator, and drawn to a somewhat larger scale than Figs. 1 to 3, and Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating a possible modification which will be referred to.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the liquid droplet eliminator there illustrated includes a body part 10 of rectangular shape, opposite end walls of which are provided with apertures leading into cylindrical sections 12 and 14 with respective flanges 16 and 18 for connection to respective lengths of ducting (not shown) for a flow of air or other gas. The underside of the body part is provided with a sump 20 in which is fitted a drain plug 22.

The body part 10 is fitted with a cover plate 24 which can be removed (by means of handles 26) to reveal an opening 28 through which two gangs 30 and 32 of baffles 34 can be inserted to extend across a flow passage through the body part.

Referring now in particular to Fig. 4, the gangs of baffles 34 are mounted on rods 36 extending between side plate members 38 of channel section, the latter forming slide mounting surfaces 40 for the gangs of baffles within the body part 10. (As shown in Fig. 3, the body part has respective pairs of channel members 42 and 44 providing locations for the side plate members of the gangs of baffles). The baffles 34 are spaced apart on the rods 36 by means of tubular spacers 46.

The opposite ends of the rods are screwthreaded and provided with nuts 37. The rods at what are the downstream sides of the gangs of baffles also carry relatively short angle pieces 48 (that is to say relatively short as viewed in Fig. 4, being the same overall width as the baffles 34 to extend across the flow passage through the body part). The angle pieces 48 abut against the baffles as shown.

The baffles 34 are each formed from flat plate with equal but oppositely angled attachment areas. that is to say marginal strips, at their upstream and downstream sides. A pair of holes are provided in each attachment area for the reception of the rods 36. The angle at which the attachment areas of the baffles shown in the drawings are "set" relative to the main areas of the baffles is in the region of 45". Consequently, the main areas of the baffles extend at 45 to the general direction of the flow passage, the baffles of one gang being inclined in one direction and the baffles of the other gang being inclined in the other direction.The relatively short angle pieces 48 on the other hand are set at a slightly different angle, those at the downstream side of the gang 30 being "set" at about 22+ , and those at the downstream side of the gang 32 of baffles being made in two types, one type being "set" at about 22 < = and the other type being "set" at about 60 as shown depending upon which side of the associated baffle the particular angle piece is disposed. The arrangement is such that the angle pieces 48, being angled relative to their adjacent baffles, form respective phase separating chambers 50 into and down which liquid films formed on the baffles can drain into the sump.

Thus there is provided a construction of liquid droplet eliminator which is relatively simple and which significantly reduces production costs. However, various modifications could be made. For example, it would be quite possible to provide but a single gang of baffles slidably mounted in the body part. In this case, the baffles could each be turned through a right angle with angled attachment areas at their upstream and downstream sides, and the upper and lower mountings could conveniently be constituted by respective rows of three rods extending between respective side plate members. On the other hand, three or more gangs of baffles may be used where very high efficiency is required.It will also be understood that whatever the arrangement of baffles the angles of the baffles and angle pieces may be varied to provide an arrangement with either steeper or shallower operative surfaces.

Referring now to Fig. 5, in a further possible modification the two gangs of baffles previously described are shown to have been provided with respective gangs of extender plates 52 arranged to extend in cantilever fashion from the respective gangs of baffles and longitudinally of the flow passage through the body part. The downstream edges of the baffles of the gang 30 are shown to be more in line with the upstream edges of the baffles of the gang 32 so that the extender plates associated with the gang 30 have been able to slide as shown into the respective phase separating chambers at the upstream side of the gang 32. In addition, it will be seen that the upstream ends of the extender plates are angled at angles in the region of 22zF so that in cooperation with the adjacent baffles 34 they form phase separating chambers 50 previously formed by some of the relatively short angle pieces now omitted (but it will be understood that these angles also may be varied in addition to those of the baffles and angle pieces).

Claims

1. A liquid droplet eliminator including a body part opposite end walls of which are provided with apertures for connection to respective lengths of ducting and a side wall with a cover plate which can be removed to reveal an opening through which at least one gang of baffles can be inserted to extend across a flow passage through said body part.

2. A liquid droplet eliminator according to claim 1, in which the or each gang of baffles is mounted on rods extending between side plate members, the latter forming a slide mounting for said gang of baffles.

3. A liquid droplet eliminator according to claim 2, in which the baffles are spaced apart on the rods by means of tubular spacers.

4. A liquid droplet eliminator according to either one of claims 2 and 3, in which at least on one rod of the gang of baffles, or on one rod of one of two or more gangs of baffles, respective relatively short angle pieces abut each baffle, so that they form respective phase separating chambers into and down which liquid films formed on the baffles can drain.

5. A liquid droplet eliminator according to claim 4, in which, depending on their location in relation to the baffles, the relatively short angle pieces forming the phase separating chambers are "set" at angles in the region of 22 > or 60 .

6. A liquid droplet eliminator according to any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the rods at the downstream side of the or each gang of baffles are provided with a gang of extender plates arranged to extend in cantilever fashion from the gang of baffles and longitudinally of the flow passage through the body part.

7. A liquid droplet eliminator according to claim 6, in which the extender plates are angled at their upstream ends at angles in the region of 22i so that in co-operation with adjacent baffles they form phase separating chambers.

8. A liquid droplet eliminator according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the baffles of the or each gang of baffles are flat plates with equal but oppositely angled attachment areas at their upstream and downstream sides.

9. A liquid droplet eliminator according to claim 8, in which the angle at which the attachment areas of each baffle are "set" relative to the main area of the baffle is in the region of 45'.

10. A liquid droplet eliminator constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.