GB2116079A - Hydrocyclone with multiple fastening device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a hydrocyclone, a fastening device simultaneously connects in a pressure-tight manner the hydrocyclone inlet conduit (3) to a feed pipe (4) and the hydrocyclone head (6) to the hydrocyclone body (5). The hydrocyclone head is provided with an annular flexible sealing lip which, under the action of an axially applied pressure, engages against the inner wall of the hydrocyclone body and thus automatically forms a seal therewith. The fastening device consists of a pressure element (1) which is arranged opposite the feed pipe (4) and is spatially rigidly connected to the latter and to the holding elements (7). When the pressure element (1) is actuated and bears against an abutment (2) on the body (5), the feed pipe (4) is fluid-tightly drawn against the inlet conduit (3) and simultaneously by the head (6) is pressed against the body (5) by the holding elements (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for improving the operation of hydrocyclones The invention relates to a hydrocyclone unit with self-sealing properties and a fastening device for the pressure-tight connection of the parts of the hyd rocyclone and for the pressure-tight connection of the hydrocyclone to the connection aperture of a pressure line.

Various connection and fastening elements of hydrocyclones are known. Thus, for instance, the assembly of the hydrocylcone parts is carried out by means of flanges. Flanges are also used to fasten the hydrocyclone to the pressure line. When resilient rubber hydrocyclone materials are used the connection is pushed over the pressure line pipe and held with a screw clamp.

In the case of breakdowns, the hydrocyclone is put out of operation by actuating a shutoff device. In order to be able to overcome blockages of the lower inlet and/or inlet nozzle, the connection and fastening elements must be dismantled which considerably restricts the availability of the hydrocyclone or a group thereof.

It is also known that resilient rubber hydrocyclone parts can be plugged into one another in the manner of a hose and secured so as to be pressure-tight by clamping elements, such as a clamping collar, a hose clamp, a shell-like clamp or the like and can be rigidly connected to one another.

In order to fasten several hydrocyclones in a ring distribution the intake branches are placed on the apertures which are symmetrically arranged on the cylindrical casing of the distributor head and pressed and held by a common clamping device.

It is also known that for the connection of the individual parts of one or several hydrocyclones the latter are held together between two apertured plates through which the delivery apertures project.

The two apertured plates are held against one another by a drawbar. In these multi-hydrocyclone installations, disadvantageously the individual hydrocyclones cannot be operated independently of one another. If one hydrocyclone fails the entire hydrocyclone group must be switched off. On the basis of experience in practice, immediate standstill of a group is dispensed with in the case of a blockage or partial blockage of only one hydrocyclone or a few hydrocyclones. This has the disadvantage that in the case of an intake blockage, the throughput of the multi-hydrocyclone is reduced or, in the case of a lower inlet blockage the sepration efficiency of the group is impaired by defective delivery.

High performance hydrocyclones in groups of up to 100 individual units and above have a high maintenance expenditure for exchanging defectively operating individual hydrocyclones. The maintenance and servicing essentially include the assembly of the connection and fastening elements of the hydrocyclones.

The aim of the invention is to develop a hydrocyclone unit which requires little maintenance in which rapid exchange and actuation of defectively operat ing individual hydrocyclones is possible, and simui taneously the availability and the separation efficien cy of groups thereof can be improved.

The cause of the high maintenance and servicing expenditure of hydrocyclones and multi hydrocyclones arises because, for the assembly of the hydrocyclone parts on the one hand, and the fastening of the hydrocyclone on the other hand connection elements which are independent of one another are used and a considerable assembly expenditure for maintenance results. Assembly tools are required for these maintenance operations.

When handling these tools a certain freedom of assembly is also necessary so that a greater need of space for group arrangements of hydrocyclones results. In other multi-hydrocyclone installations, the connection elements comprise several hydrocyclones so that the individual hydrocyclones are no longer directly accessible. It is therefore an object of the invention to develop a device for improving the operation of hydrocyclones in which the pressing together of all the hydrocyclone parts, the connection of the hydrocyclone with its supply aperture and the fastening of the hydrocyclone with only one clamping element is carried out so that the number of the connection and fastening elements to be released is minimised from the point of view that each hydrocyclone is separately accessible.It should also be achieved that no tools are required during maintenance operations and the hydrocyclones remain individually accessible even within groups and independently of one another.

In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a specially formed hydrocyclone adapted to make a pressure tight connection with a pressure line by means of a fastening device and simultaneously its parts are pressed together so as to be pressure-tight, the fastening device consisting of a pressure element which is arranged opposite a loading aperture at a distance which is independent of the size of the hydrocyclone and is spatially rigidly connected to the latter as well as to the holding elements which are arranged centrally with respect ot the hydrocyclone axis.

Conveniently, a pressure member is arranged on the hydrocyclone opposite the intake branch. Preferably, by actuating a pressure element, a pressure force is initiated and distributed by the action of the device of the invention in two directions which are perpendicular to one another, the intake branch being pressed against the loading aperture and thereby securely connected so as to be pressuretight and excluding deformation of the hydrocyclone body (with the use of resilient materials), the hydrocyclone head and the hydrocyclone body being pressed together. Desirably, the hydrocyclone head and the hydrocyclone body are plugged into one another and one or several sealing surfaces are formed in steps.

For the automatic sealing on the hydrocyclone had an annular flexible sealing lip is arranged which sits on one of the provided steps. The use of the invention makes it possible that by actuating only one pressure element for the purpose of maintenance and servicing the hydrocyclone can be re leased from its fastening and dismantled at the same time. Thereby a rapid exchange of the individual hydrocyclone is made possible which contributes to increasing the availability and improving the separation efficiency of a group. No tools are required to actuate the pressure element so during the operation of groups, space-saving arrangements of the hydrocyclones are possible. The stable multipoint fastening of the hydrocyclone renders the use of further fastening elements superfluous when using self-supporting hydrocyclones.

The invention provides a simple construction of fastening device while the hydrocyclone is advantageously moulded, depending on its use, of wearresistant plastics.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiment according to Figure 1, the intake branch 3 is pushed into the loading aperture 4 by means of a pressure element (knob screw) 1 by pressure on the pressure member 2. As a consequence of the resulting displacement of the hydrocyclone 15, consisting of the hydrocyclone body 5 and the hydrocyclone head 6, a pressure is produced in the loading aperture axis via the obliquely positioned holding elements 7 -which are arranged centrally with respect to the hydrocyclone axis - in the direction of the hydrocyclone axis, which pressure presses the hydrocyclone head 6 into the hydrocyclone body 5.

In the embodiment according to Figure 2, the intake branch 3 is pushed into the loading aperture 4 by means of a pressure element (cam) 1 by pressure on the pressure member 2. As a consequence of the resulting displacement of the hydrocyclone 14, consisting of the hydrocyclone body 5 and the hydrocyclone head 6, a pressure is produced in the loading aperture axis via the holding elements 7 - which are arranged centrally with respect to the hydrocyclone axis - in the direction of the hydrocyclone axis via the surfaces 8, which pressure presses the hydrocyclone body 5 into the hydrocyclone head 6.

In Figure 3 an embodiment for the arrangement of the annular, flexible sealing lip 9 on the hydrocyclone head 6 is shown, which sealing lip 9 projects into one of the steps 10 and under the action of the operational pressure lies so as to be pressure-tight againstthe inner wall of the hydrocyclone body 5.

In Figure 4 an embodiment for the arrangement of the illustrated hydrocyclone unit is shown in a group According to this by way of example the fastening device 14 is fastened to a loading pipe 11, which is provided at regular intervals with pipe connections 12 and shutoff devices 13, the hydrocyclone 15 being gripped in the fastening device 14.

The field of application of the invention covers separating processes in the finest size range in mineral processing and chemical technology.

Claims (3)

1. A hydrocyclone, with an improved fastening device comprising a pressure element located opposite a loading aperture which is spatially rigidly connected to the latter and to wedge-shaped or conical holding elements which are arranged cen trallywith respct to the hydrocyclone axis, a pressure member being arranged on the hydrocyclone opposite an intake branch, the hydrocyclone having a head with an annular flexible sealing lip diposed on a step.

2. A hydrocyclone according to claim 1, wherein the annular flexible sealing lip, in use, automaticlly engages against the inner wall of the hydrocyclone body under operational pressure to form a pressure tight seal therewith.

3. A hydrocyclone with an improved fastening device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.