MX2008007900A - Multiple stage separator vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

A multiple stage separator (MSS) vessel (50) is disclosed wherein the vessel includes at least first and second stages (A, B) or decks of separation cyclones, the stages arranged for operation in series. Each stage or deck includes an upper and lower tube sheet (56, 74) on which a plurality of cyclones (51) are installed, solid particles in the gas stream being separated from the stream and dispensed between the tube sheets as the stream passes through each stage. The vessel has an inlet (54) to receive a gas stream containing the particulates, and the flow travels typically downwardly, first passing through the first stage, then passing through at least a second stage.

Description

MULTIPLE STAGE SEPARATOR CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a separator container that removes particles from a flow of gas charged with solids and more particularly related to a device commonly known as a third stage separator container (TSS). for removing catalytic fines from the gas of a hot regenerator conduit of a fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCC). FCC technology has been a predominant medium for a long time to produce gasoline. In an FCC process, gasoline is formed as a result of heavier cracking (ie, higher molecular weight), less valuable hydrocarbon feedstock bases such as diesel. Although the FCC is a large and complex process that involves many factors, a general description of the technology is presented here in the context of its relation to the present invention. The FCC process generally includes a reactor that is closely coupled with a regenerator, followed by a separation of hydrocarbon product downstream. The hydrocarbon feed makes contact with the catalyst in the reactor to crack the hydrocarbons to products with a smaller molecular weight. During this process, the catalyst has to accumulate coke there, which burns off in the regenerator. The heat of combustion in the regenerator typically produces a duct gas that has an extremely high temperature. It is desirable to provide an energy recovery device, such as an expander turbine, to recover the energy in these high temperature duct gases. It is known, for example, that in order to provide a turbine that can be coupled to an air blower to produce air for the regenerator, a generator will produce electrical energy. The FCC process results in a continuous fluidization and circulation of large amounts of catalyst having an average particle diameter of 50 to 100 microns, equivalent in size and appearance to very fine sand. For each 907 kg of cracked product made, approximately 4536 kg of catalyst is needed, therefore the circulation requirements are considerable. Coupled with this, the need for a large inventory and recycling of the catalyst with small particle diameters is the continuous challenge to prevent this catalyst from leaving the reactor / regenerator system within the effluent flows. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has limited the emissions and catalysts of a FCC chimney at 0.5 kg of catalyst per kg of regenerated coke. In particular situations, standard emissions may be limited to 0.4 kg of catalyst per kg of regenerated coke. It is desirable to reduce the concentration of the catalyst in the duct gas to comply with environmental regulatory standards and also to provide a margin to ensure that normal fluctuations in emissions will remain below the environmental regulatory standards. Additionally, the particles of the catalysts are abrasive and thus have the ability to damage and erode the components located downstream of the regenerator, such as a turbine. If exposed to catalyst particles, the turbine blades will erode and result in loss of power recovery efficiency. In addition, although the ends of catalysts, ie particles less than 10 μm in dimension, do not erode the blades of the expanding turbine so significantly, they still accumulate in the blades and the casing. Blade accumulation can cause erosion at the tip of the blades and buildup in the housing can increase the possibility of the tip of the blade rubbing against the housing of the expanding turbine that can result in high vibration of the arrow expander Therefore, it is undesirable remove the catalyst particles from the gas from the regenerator duct. In order to remove the solid catalyst particles, cyclonic internal separators have been conventionally implemented both to the reactor and to the regenerator. Typically, the regenerator includes first stage and second stage (or primary and secondary) separators for the purpose of preventing contamination of the gas catalyst from the regenerator conduit, which is essentially the combustion product resulting from the catalyst coke in the air. Although the normally sized catalyst particles are effectively removed in the cyclones of the internal regenerator, the fines material (generally smaller catalyst fragments of 50 microns resulting from wear and erosion in the harsh and abrasive environment of the reactor / regenerator) it is substantially harder to collect. As a result of the gas in the FCC conduit will usually contain a particulate concentration in the range of 100 to 500 mg / Nm3. This level of solids may present difficulties related to the applicable legal emission standards and still remain sufficient to risk damaging the turbine expander power recovery. Therefore, it is frequently guaranteed, a Additional reduction in loading of gas fines from the FCC conduit and can be obtained from a third stage separator (TSS). The term "third" in TSS typically presumes that a first stage cyclone and a second stage cyclone are used in a catalyst regeneration container. It is possible to provide more separating devices or fewer separating devices upstream of the TSS. Thus, in the manner used here, the term TSS does not require that exactly two devices be located, upstream of the TSS container. The TSS induces a centripetal acceleration towards a gas flow of particulate emissions to force the higher density solids towards the outer edges of a rotating vortex. A conventional TSS container for a gas effluent from the FCC container will normally contain single stage cyclonic separators, including a cover in which a plurality of individual cyclones are installed within a single container. The cover includes upper and lower tubular sheets attached to the upper and lower ends of the cyclones to distribute the contaminated gas to the cyclonic inlets and also to divide the region within the container into sections to collect the separated gas and the solid phases. Examples of conventional TSS units that have single-stage cyclonic separators are revealed in US 5,690,709; US 6,673,133 and US 6,797,026. Although these conventional TSS units have been operated to remove a substantial proportion of particles from the gas stream, it is desirable to provide a TSS that produces an increased reduction of particulate fines. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A multi-stage separator container (MSS) is provided for flow implementation under a FCC regenerative system. The MSS container includes, at least, primary or secondary stages or covers of separation cyclones in the container, the stages are arranged for series operation. Each of the stages or covers include a first tubular sheet and a second tubular sheet in which a plurality of cyclones are installed, the solid particles in the gas flow are separated from the flow and are dispensed between the tubular sheets while the flow passes through each of the stages. The container has an inlet to receive a flow of gas containing the particles and the flow preferably travels downward, passing first through the first stage, then passing through at least a second stage. When a fluid catalytic cracking regenerator (FCC) regenerator unit is implemented downstream, the MSS has been calculated to remove a surprisingly increased amount of particles over a conventional third stage separator (TSS), which contains single-stage separators. In one embodiment, a separation container and the process are provided to advantageously produce an improved removal of particulate solids from a gas flow contaminated with particles. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE is a simplified schematic view of an FCC unit with the multi-stage separator of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is applied to a purification of a wide range of gas flows contaminated with solids and especially those containing dust particles in a range of 1 to 50 μm. A number of commercial gas purification operations comply with this description, including effluent flow treatments of fluidized bed processes of solid catalysts, coal-fired heaters and power plants. Several of the well-known operations rely on fluidized bed technology, such as the process preference embodiment for converting methanol to light olefins, as described in US 6,166,282, using a solid catalyst composition. Another area of particular interest lies in the purification of FCC effluent streams containing insufflated catalyst particles resulting from wear, erosion and / or abrasion under the process conditions within the reactor. As mentioned, fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is a well-known oil refinery operation that depends in most cases on gasoline production. Process variables typically include a cracking reaction temperature of 400 ° to 600 ° C and a catalytic regeneration temperature of 500 ° to 900 ° C. Both cracking and regeneration occur at an absolute pressure below 5 atmospheres. FIGURE shows a typical FCC process unit, where the heavy feed of hydrocarbons or crude oil in a line 12 makes contact with a newly regenerated catalyst entering from a riser of regenerated catalyst 14. This contact can occur in a reactor duct narrow 16, known as riser pipe of the reactor, which extends upwards through the bottom of a reactor container 10. The contact of the feed and the catalyst fluidifies through the gas from a fluidizing line 8. The heat of the catalysts vaporize the oil and then the oil is then cracked in the presence of the catalyst while the two are transferred up the conduit of the reactor 16 in a reactor container 10 by itself, operating at a pressure somewhat lower than that of the reactor duct 16. The cracked light hydrocarbon products are thereafter separated from the catalyst at the end of the reactor duct 16 and then into the reactor container 10 using a cyclone from the first stage internal reactor 18 and optionally a second stage internal reactor cyclone (not shown) and leaves the reactor container 10 through a line 22 to the operations of Subsequent fractionation. More cyclones or fewer cyclones can be used in the reactor container 10. At this point, some unavoidable side reactions that occur in the reactor duct 16 leave harmful coke deposits in the catalyst that lower the catalyst activity. Therefore the catalyst is referred to as worn (or at least partially worn) and requires a regeneration for later use. The spent catalyst, after separation of the hydrocarbon product, falls into a stripping section 24 where the flow rate is injected through a nozzle 26 to purge any residual hydrocarbon vapor. After the depletion operation, the spent catalyst is fed to a catalyst regeneration container 30 through a rising column 32.

The FIGURE illustrates the regeneration container 30 known as the combustor. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various types of regeneration containers may be suitable and that the invention is not limited to the exemplified regeneration container 30 illustrated. In the catalyst regeneration container 30, an air flow is introduced through an air distributor 28 to make contact with the spent catalyst, the burnt coke deposited there and to provide regenerated catalyst. The regeneration process of the catalyst adds a substantial amount of heat to the catalyst, providing energy to compensate for the endothermic cracking reactions that occur in the reactor duct 16. Some fresh catalysts are added in a line 36 to the base of the regeneration container of the catalyst. catalyst 30 for replenishing the catalyst leaving the reactor container 10 and the regenerating container 30 as a material of fines or entrained particles. The catalyst and the upward air flow together with an elevated combustion column 38 located within the regeneration container 30 and after regeneration (i.e. coke burning), are initially separated through the discharge to a disengagement 40, also inside the regeneration container of the catalyst 30.

A finer separation of the regenerated catalyst and the column gas leaving the disengagement 40 is achieved using, for example, a first stage cyclone separator 44 and a second stage cyclone separator 46 within the catalyst regeneration container 30 as shown in FIG. illustrated in FIGURE. It is possible that more cyclone separators or fewer cyclone separators may be used in the regeneration container 30. The gas in the column enters the first stage cyclone separator 44 through an inlet 44a. The catalyst separated from the gas in the column is dispensed through a dipleg 44b while the relatively lighter column gas in the catalyst travels through a conduit 46a inside a secondary stage cyclone separator 46. In addition, the catalyst separated from the column gas in a secondary stage cyclone separator 46 is dispensed into the catalyst regeneration container 30 through a dipleg 46b while the relatively lighter solids column gas leaves the secondary stage cyclone separator 46 through an outlet tube 46c. The regenerated catalyst is recycled back to the reactor container 10 through the rising column of the regenerated catalyst 14. As a result of the coke burning, the gas vapors in the column out towards the top of the catalyst regeneration container 30 in a nozzle 42 contains N2, CO, C02, 02 and H20, together with small cyclonic separator of the first stage separator 44 and the secondary stage cyclone separator 46 can remove most of the regenerated catalyst of the column gas in the nozzle 42, fine catalyst particles, most resulting from wear invariably contaminates this effluent flow. Therefore, column gas contaminated by fines typically contains 100 to 500 mb / Nm3 of particles, most of which are less than 50 microns in diameter. In view of this level of contamination and considering that both environmental regulations and the option of the recovery power of the column gas, the incentive to further purify the relatively contaminated column gas is significant. According to one aspect of the invention, in order to provide an improved separation of the particulate solids from a gas flow contaminated with particles, such as a gas flow leaving a regenerative FCC unit, a cyclonic separating container is provided. which includes multiple stages in series, that is, at least, the first cyclonic stage and the second cyclonic stage. This container effectively provides multiple stages of separation in an FCC system and in this way is referred to herein as a multi-stage separator (MSS) that is intended to be used in place of a conventional TSS. For example, an MSS 50 container is illustrated with features according to the present invention. A conduit 48 delivers a flow of column gas contaminated with fines from the catalyst regeneration container 30 to the MSS 50 container. The MSS 50 container includes an exterior wall 86 that includes a generally cylindrical side portion 86a, a portion of the bottom 86b , and an upper portion 86c, which defines a closed interior. An inlet 54 is formed through an inlet tube 53 which preferably extends centrally from the portion of the upper portion 86c. A portion of the inner surface of the wall 86 as in 86c is normally lined with a refractory material 52 to reduce erosion of the metal surfaces through the entrained catalyst particles. A diffuser can be used to distribute the gas flow of the column through the gas inlet 54. According to one aspect of the invention, the MSS 50 container includes multiple cyclone covers or stages. For example, the MSS 50 container includes a primary stage separator A, disposed within the container, and a secondary stage separator B that is spaced vertically below the primary stage separator A. However, other provisions are contemplated. The primary stage separator A includes a first primary upper tubular sheet 56a which retains the first end or upper ends 58 of the respective cyclones 51. In one embodiment, the upper tubular sheet 56a extends over the entire cross section of the MSS container 50 so as to separate the interior to define a first inlet chamber or upper inlet chamber 57a in order to limit communication from the inlet chamber 57a and the rest of the MSS 50 container except through cyclones 51. In particular , each of the cyclones 51 has a cyclone inlet 60 that is open towards the inlet chamber 57a. The tubular sheet 56a may include a cover 59a for an optional exhaust compartment in order to provide access through the upper tubular sheet 56a. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various types of cyclones can be implemented with the present invention. The contaminated gas enters the respective cyclone inlets 60 and encounters turbulence blades 64 near the inlets 60 to induce centripetal acceleration of the gas contaminated by particles. The turbulence vanes 64 are structures with a cylindrical cylindrical body 62 that has the characteristic of restricting the passage that can flow from the incoming gas, thus accelerating the flow of the flow of gas that flows. The turbulence vanes 64 can also change the direction of the contaminated gas flow to provide a helical or spiral formation of gas flow through the length of the cylindrical cyclonic body 62. This rotational movement imparted to the gas sends a more solid phase of density high towards the wall of the cylindrical cyclonic body 62. The cyclones 51, in one embodiment, include a closed bottom end 66 of the cylindrical cyclonic body 62 around a clean gas outlet tube 72. In one embodiment, the end of the bottom 66 defines a gap between the bottom end 66 and the clean gas outlet tube 72 to accommodate differential thermal expansion. In this way, the outlet tube 72 can be slidably positioned with respect to the cyclone body 62. The solid particles are withdrawn from the gas stream through at least one opening as a groove configured to allow the solid particles to be removed. have forced outwardly towards the cylindrical cyclonic body 62 from there through a centripetal force of cyclone 51. In a primary stage separator A, the removed particles fall into a stage solids chamber. primary or first 68A between the primary stage of the first tubular sheet 56a and a primary stage of the second tubular sheet 74a. The first tubular sheet 56a and the second tubular sheet 74a limit communication between the solids chamber 68A of the primary stage and the rest of the MSS 50 container. The primary stage of the second tubular sheet 74a preferably has the shape of a funnel or cone inverted to guide the solids within the primary solids outlet 76a through which the solids and a smaller amount of under-run gas exit the primary stage solids chamber 68A. In one embodiment, the primary solids outlet tube 76a extends from the MSS container 50 through an outlet 84a defined by a nozzle 83a. In another embodiment, the primary solids outlet tube takes an angular fold of 90 ° and extends through the cylindrical lateral portion 86a of the container MSS. A small amount of underflowed gas flow is withdrawn through the primary solids outlet 76a as well. The relative elevation of the tubular sheets 56a and 74a can be reversed, while being opposite each other to provide a first pair of opposed tubular sheets 56a and 74a respectively. The purified gas, from which the solids have been removed through the primary stage separator A, flows vertically down through the cylindrical cyclonic body 62, it passes through an inlet 70 preferably in the upper part of the clean gas outlet tube 72. Then, the purified gas is discharged through the clean gas outlet tube 72 to through or below the second tubular sheet or lower tubular sheet 74a within a second gas inlet chamber 57b. An outlet 75 of the outlet tube 72 is preferably at the lower end thereof and is secured to the lower tubular sheet 74a preferably by a welded plate bushing. The lower tubular sheet 74a preferably defines an upper limit of the second gas inlet chamber 57b and prevents communication between the second gas inlet chamber 57b and the primary stage of the solids chamber 68A. The primary stage of the purified gas can selectively exit through the primary stage of the gas outlet 80a from the MSS container 50. In one embodiment, the gas outlet 80a is placed below the lower tubular sheet 74a through a gas outlet nozzle 81a extending from the vertical wall of the MSS 50 container. Based on the installation of a valve to regulate the flow through the outlet 80a, part or all of the gas in the second gas inlet chamber 57b preferably flows downward towards the stage separator secondary B to obtain additional purification. The secondary stage separator B includes a first tubular sheet or upper tubular sheet 56b which retains the first ends or upper ends 58 of the respective cyclones 51. In one embodiment, the upper tubular sheet 56b extends through the entire cut of the MSS 50 container so as to separate the interior to define the lower gas inlet chamber or second gas inlet chamber 57b in order to limit communication from the second gas inlet chamber 57b and the rest of the MSS container 50 except through the cyclones 51. In particular, each of the cyclones 51 has a cyclone inlet 60 that is open to the second gas inlet chamber 57b. The first tubular sheet 56b may include a cover 59b for an optional stepped passage in order to provide access through the first tubular sheet 56b. The secondary stage separator B also includes a secondary or lower tubular sheet 74b and is equipped with a plurality of cyclones 51. The solid particles are removed from the secondary gas flow and the removed particles fall into the secondary stage solids chamber 68b between upper tubular sheet 56b of secondary stage and lower tubular sheet 74b. The upper tubular sheet 56b and the lower tubular sheet 74b limit communication between the secondary stage solder chamber 68b and the remainder of the MSS container 50. The secondary tubular lower sectional sheet 74b is preferably formed as an inverted funnel or cone to guide the solids into a second outlet tube 76b through which solids and a smaller amount of overflow gas leave the secondary stage solder chamber 68b. In one embodiment, the solids outlet tube 76b extends from the MSS container 50 through an outlet 84b defined by a nozzle 83b. Preferably, the outlet tube 76b extends through the lower portion 86b of the container MSS 50. A small amount of the flow of overflowed gas is discharged through the second outlet tube 76b as well. The relative elevation of the tubular sheets 56b and 74b can be reversed, as long as they are opposite each other to provide a first pair of opposed tubular sheets 56b and 74b, respectively. The purified gas, from which the solids have been removed in the secondary stage separator B, preferably flows vertically and preferably downwards through the cylindrical cyclonic body 62, passing through the inlet 70 of the gas outlet pipe. clean 72. Then the purified gas is discharged through the clean gas outlet tube 72 underneath or through the lower tubular sheet 74b within an outlet gas chamber or lower 78. The lower tubular sheet 74b of the secondary stage separator B preferably defines an upper limit towards the lower gas chamber 78 and prevents communication between the lower gas chamber 78 and the secondary stage solder chamber 68b. The purified gas in the secondary stage can exit through a clean gas outlet 80b from the MSS container 50 preferably through the lower portion 86b of the MSS container. The gas outlet 80b is placed below the lower tubular sheet of the secondary stage 74b through a gas outlet nozzle 81b extending from the container wall MSS 50. More than one gas outlet can be used. A screen or trash grid can be installed (not shown) on the clean gas outlet 80a or 80b to block the passage of fragmented refractories. In this way, the MSS 50 container adds at least one separation step within a single container, compared to a conventional single stage TSS. The additional stage in the MSS 50 container has been designed to reduce the level of emissions below 0.3 kg of particles / 454 kg of coke even though the inflow contains an unusually high particle load of 475 mg / Nm3, a significant improvement on the separation performance of a conventional single-stage TSS. The speeds in each of the multiple stages A and B can be designed to operate at different speeds to minimize drag while optimizing particle capture. Still further, the internal multiple stages A and B may have individual sub-row flows, each preferably with individual sub-row barrier filters that provide double protection against catalyst carry-over rates from the FCC regenerator especially in the case of a condition of FCC operation altered. These separate subderrame systems also advantageously provide the ability to solve problems and evaluate the performance of each of the stages individually. Additionally, the volumetric flow rate of the spill flows existing in the MSS 50 container through outlets 84a and 84b can be independently adjusted to improve performance. The relative positioning of the tubular sheets 56a, 74a, 56b, 74b and the cyclones of secondary stages A and B, although shown from the top down, may change completely or in part if from the scope of the invention. It is also contemplated that more than two cyclonic stages can be used in the MSS 50 container. EXAMPLE The projected performance of the MSS in an FCC application has been compared to the performance of a TSS. With a TSS From a conventional single stage, where the inflow to the TSS was 30.8 kg / hr of particles, a single-stage separator produced a purified gas with an emission of 0.4 kg / 454 kg of coke. Certain applications may require guaranteed emissions of less than 0.4 kg / 454 kg of coke, in which case a single-stage separator will not provide a designated designated performance margin. We project, on the basis of the data from the operating units, that if all the gas purified from a conventional TSS with a single stage in a load of 6.4 kg / hr of particles was introduced in a second stage as it would be in an MSS container of the present invention, would produce a general emission of 0.2 kg / 454 kg of coke, a significant improvement of particle removal as well as within the designated range to satisfy, for example, a guaranteed emission of less than 0.4 kg / 454 kg of coke . This projection of 30% improvement in the purity of clean gas leaving the clean gas outlet nozzle of the secondary stage separator 81b on the purity of the purified gas leaving the conventional primary stage separator of a TSS was completely unexpected. Preferred embodiments of this invention are described hereinbelow, including the best known mode for the inventors to carry out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are examples only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. CLAIMS 1. A container for separating solid particles from a flow of contaminated gas, where the container comprises: a wall defining a generally cylindrical interior, where the wall includes an inlet of the container through which the flow of gas contaminated with particles enters inside and an exit from the container; a primary stage cyclone in fluid communication with the container inlet comprising: a first primary tubular sheet and a second primary tubular sheet, each of the first tubular sheet and the second tubular sheet extends through the interior; a primary plurality of separation cyclones, wherein each of the cyclones has a substantially vertical cyclonic body, having a first end fixed with respect to the first tubular sheet and a second end, where the first end defines a cyclonic entry to receive the flow of gas contaminated with particles, the cyclone is operable to induce centripetal acceleration of the gas flow contaminated with particles and to discharge the particles between the first primary tubular sheet and the second primary tubular sheet
2. respectively and a first gas outlet extending through the second primary tubular sheet to discharge a first flow of purified gas through the second primary tubular sheet; and a secondary cyclonic stage in fluid communication with the first gas outlet and spaced apart from the primary cyclonic stage, where this secondary cyclonic stage comprises: a first secondary tubular sheet and a second secondary tubular sheet, where each of the first tubular sheet secondary and second secondary tubular sheet extend through the interior; a secondary plurality of separation cyclones, wherein each of the cyclones has a substantially vertical cyclone body having a fixed first end with respect to the first secondary tubular sheet and a second end, where the first end defines a cyclonic entry for receiving the first flow rate of purified gas, where the cyclone is operated to induce centripetal acceleration of the first flow of purified gas contaminated with particles and to discharge the particles between the first tubular sheet and the respective second tubular sheet, and a second gas outlet extending to through the second tubular sheet to discharge a second flow of purified gas through the second
3. lower tubular sheet. The container of Claim 1, wherein the second gas outlet comprises a gas outlet tube with one end of the gas outlet tube extending through and being secured to the respective second tubular sheet. The container of Claim 2, wherein the cyclone body further includes at least one discharge opening for discharging the particles from between a respective pair of first tubular sheet and second tubular sheet.
4. 4. The container of Claim 3, wherein the discharge opening allows a small amount of overflow to exit with the discharged particles.
5. 5. The container of Claim 2, wherein the gas outlet pipe is slidably disposed with respect to the cyclone body.
6. 6. The container of Claim 1 wherein the inlet is in communication with a catalyst regeneration container.
7. The container of Claim 1 wherein the primary stage cyclone is above the secondary stage cyclone and the first tubular sheet is above the second stage sheet in the primary stage and secondary stage cyclones.
8. 8. A system comprises: a catalyst regeneration container that includes at least one cyclone to remove at least some of the solid particles from a contaminated gas flow; a separator container for further removing solid particles from the flow of contaminated gas, where the container comprises: a wall defining a generally cylindrical interior, where the wall includes a container inlet through which enters the flow of gas contaminated with particulate matter; interior and a container exit; a primary stage cyclone in fluid communication with the container inlet comprising: a primary upper tubular sheet and a primary lower tubular sheet, wherein each of the primary upper and lower tubular sheets extends through the interior; a primary plurality of separation cyclones, wherein each of the cyclones has a substantially vertical cyclonic body with a fixed upper end with respect to the primary upper tubular sheet and a bottom end, where the upper extremity defines a cyclonic entry for receiving the flow of contaminated gas

   with particles, where the cyclone is operated to induce centripetal acceleration of the gas stream contaminated with particles and to discharge the particles between the respective primary upper tubular amine + and the lower primary tubular sheet and the primary gas outlet extending to through the primary lower tubular sheet to discharge a first flow of purified gas below the primary lower tubular sheet; and a secondary stage cyclone in fluid communication with the primary gas outlet and spaced apart from the primary stage cyclone and the secondary stage cyclone comprising: a secondary upper tubular sheet and a secondary lower tubular sheet, wherein each of the secondary upper and lower tubular sheets extend through the interior; a secondary plurality of separation cyclones, wherein each of the cyclones has a substantially vertical cyclonic body having a fixed upper end with respect to the secondary upper tubular sheet and a bottom end, where the upper end defines a cyclonic entry for receiving the first flow of purified gas, where the cyclone is operated to induce the centripetal acceleration of the first flow of purified gas contaminated with particles and to discharge

   particles between the respective secondary upper tubular sheet and the secondary lower tubular sheet and a secondary gas outlet extending through the secondary lower tubular sheet to discharge a second flow of purified gas through the secondary lower tube. The system of Claim 8, wherein the primary stage and secondary stage cyclone are placed in series vertically below the inlet and spaced vertically from each other. 10. A process for separating solid particles from a flow of contaminated gas, wherein the process comprises the steps of: Delivering the flow of contaminated gas through an inlet tube to a separator container having a wall defining an interior; Providing a primary stage separator comprising a first primary tubular sheet and a second primary tubular sheet, each of the first primary tubular sheet and the second primary tubular sheet extend through the interior, a primary plurality of separation cyclones, where each of the cyclones have a substantially vertical cyclonic body having a fixed first end with respect to the first primary tubular sheet and a second end, where the

   The first end defines a cyclonic entrance to receive the flow of gas contaminated with particles, the cyclone is operated to induce a centripetal acceleration of the gas flow contaminated with particles and to discharge particles between the first tubular sheet and the second tubular sheet and a first outlet of gas extending through the second tubular sheet to discharge a first flow of purified gas through the second tubular sheet; A secondary stage separator is provided comprising a first secondary tubular sheet and a second secondary tubular sheet, each of the first secondary tubular sheet and the second secondary tubular sheet extending through the interior, a secondary plurality of separation cyclones, where each of the cyclones has a substantially vertical cyclonic body with a fixed first end with respect to the first secondary tubular sheet and a secondary end, where the first end defines a cyclonic entrance to receive the flow of gas contaminated with particles, where the The cyclone is operated to induce centripetal acceleration of the first flow of purified gas and to discharge particles between the first secondary tubular sheet and the second secondary tubular sheet and a second gas outlet extending through the sheet.

   secondary tubing to discharge a second flow of purified gas through the second tubular sheet; passing the flow of contaminated gas through the primary stage, separating a quantity of solid particles from the contaminated gas flow rate and discharging the solids between the first primary tubular sheet and the second primary tubular sheet of the primary stage; and passing at least a portion of a first flow of purified gas from the primary stage through the secondary stage, separating an additional quantity of solid particles from the first flow of purified gas and dispatching the solids between the first secondary tubular sheet and the second secondary tubular sheet of the secondary stage.