US2264722A - Apparatus for reconditioning insulating mediums - Google Patents

Description

mman @C 225Q722 .4.; 2, 1941. L. E. sAul-:R 2,264,722 k* 'y 'vl/'lA APPARATUS FOR RECONDITIONING INSULATING MEDIUMS Filed Jan. 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l mmm 2, 1941. L. E. sAuER 2,2541722 APPARATUS FOR RECONDITIONING INSULATING MEDIUMS Filed Jan. 18. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 *lon-iat,

..ftaria lieu.

APPARATUS FOR RECONDITIONING INSULATING MEDIUMS Louis E. Sauer, Sharon, Pa., assigner to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 18, 1939, Serial N0. 251,567

7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for the reconditioning of insulating mediums and particularly for the reconditioning of chlorinated cyclic hydrocarbon insulating mediums.

Chlorinated cyclic hydrocarbons containing a freezing point depressor are employed as the noninflammable insulating and cooling fluids in transformers, capacitors, circuit breakers, regulators and other electrical apparatus. In practice it is necessary to treat these insulating mediums after they have been in service for given periods of time to recondition them by removing impurities therefrom and restoring the dielectric properties of the medium.

Different apparatus have been employed in an attempt to recondition these insulating mediums, but such apparatus have not always been satisfactory because of the pressures necessary for effecting the now of the insulating medium therethrough, or the activated material such as activated earth which is employed for restoring the dielectric properties of the medium becomes packed or chaneled in the apparatus, and it is impossible to obtain the necessary uniform mixture of the medium and the activated earth.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the reconditioning of insulating mediums whereby the activated material employed for the reconditioning is so retained in the apparatus that it will not pack as the insulating medium ows therethrough.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the reconditioning of insulating mediums having a chamber having activated material so disposed as to prevent packing of the activated material and to provide a good mixing of the activated material with the insulating medium as the insulating medium passes therethrough.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the reconditioning of insulating mediums in which a container having activated material therein is so disposed that the insulating medium passes therethrough in a manner to effect a good mixing of the activated material therewith and to provide for the easy separation of the activating material from the reconditioned insulating medium.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for the reconditioning of insulating mediums in which the insulating medium is passed upwardly through an activating material to effect a thorough mixing therewith while providing for so changing the direction of flow of the insulating medium carrying the activated material as to free it of a major part of the activated material after which the insulating medium continues its upward flow and is freed of the balance of the activated material.

A more specic object of this invention is to provide a barrier in a container having activating material therein and through which an insulating medium is passed upwardly to so change the direction of now of the insulating medium as to free it of a major part of the activating material after which the insulating medium is permitted to continue its upward flow and the balance of the activated material is removed therefrom to give a reconditioned insulating medium.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a compact apparatus for reconditioning insulating mediums formed from a plurality of chambers disposed in spaced relation as inner and outer chambers, the inner chamber containing activated material, together with means associated with the chambers to induce the flow of an insulating medium upwardly through the activated material in the inner chamber to effect a thorough mixing therewith and to prevent its packing, while also providing for retaining the activated material in the inner container while permitting the insulating medium to flow from the inner container downwardly in the space between the containers and withdrawing it from the apparatus.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide apparatus for reconditioning insulating mediums in which a plurality of containers having activating material therein and filters therebetween are associated in assembled relation with a common header and connections thereto for permitting the insulating medium to effect a flow upwardly through the activating material in the containers, the containers having means for retaining the activating material therein while permitting the insulating medium to flow therefrom to the lters disposed between the containers, and a common header and connections thereto associated with the lters for permitting the ow of insulating medium therefrom.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view embodying the apparatus in this invention;

Fig. 2 is a. side elevational View, partly in section, of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another embodiment of apparatus embodying this invention;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus embodylng this invention taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, this invention is illustrated as applied to a reconditioner unit I for insulating mediums such as the chlorinated cyclic hydrocarbons. In the particular embodiment illustratedr'rthe unit I0 comprises a plurality of containers I2 and I4 so disposed in spaced relation that the container I2 forms an inner chamber having its side walls spaced from the side walls of the outer container I4. In assembling the container I2 and I4, the bottom of the inner container is spaced from the bottom of the outer container as by means of a gasket I6 disposed therebetween at the outer edge of the bottom of the inner container, and it is sealed about its periphery to provide a space I8 between the bottoms which is sealed from the space 20 formed between the side walls of the containers.

Since it is desired to pass an insulating medium through an activating material to recondition it, the inner container I2 is provided with a screen bottom 22 as illustrated in Fig. 2 for normally retaining activating material, not shown, within the inner container. Fullers earth, known as activated earth is preferred as the activating material because of its broader reconditioning effect on the chlorinated cyclic hydrocarbons. Other activating material such as activated carbon or cocoanut charcoal may however be employed while activated alumina is particularly effective in removing moisture from the insulating mediums. The insulating medium is introduced into the sealed space I8 under pressure as will be explained more fully hereinafter, and flows upwardly through the screen bottom 22 of the container I2, and through the activating material (not shown) retained within the chamber.

As there is a tendency for the insulating medium to carry some of the activating material away from the container I2 as the insulating medium ows therefrom, a suitable cover 24 which will function to prevent the carrying away of the activating material is provided for the containers. In a preferred embodiment, the cover 24 is formed from a plurality of parts comprising spaced members 26 and 28 which are sealed about their outer edges as at 30 and are of predetermined size to cover both containers. The member 26 is a screen provided with openings 32 over the container I2 and openings 34 disposed to register with the space between the side walls of the containers I2 and I4. In order to prevent the ow of the activating material in the insulating medium from the container I2 as the insulating medium flows through the screen member 26, a filter 36 of suitable material such as blotting paper is provided on the lower side of the member 26 disposed to fit over and cover the top of the container I2, and to seat on the lug or ring flange 38 carried about the inside top edge of the container I2. In this position with the openings 34 registering with the space 20 between the side walls of the containers, the cover is securely held in position on the containers by means of suitable clamps such as the C-clamps 46 disposed .in spaced relation about the outer container I4 and so pivotally carried thereon that they can be actuated to seat on the cover 24 to securely maintain it in position with respect to containers I2 and lI4.

In order to withdraw the reconditioned insulating medium from the space 20, suitable outlet connection 44 is provided near the base of the containers, the'outlet connection having a suitable valve 46 disposed therein for controlling the -flow of the insulating medium away from the reconditioner apparatus. In addition to the outlet connection 44, the containers are provided with an air exhaust 48 disposed in the cover 24, the air exhaust having a float valve, not shown, therein for releasing air from the container as it becomes entrapped therein.

In order to carry the assembled containers I2 and I4, a suitable support 50 is provided and the containers are so welded or otherwise secured thereto that they will comprise an integral unit. The support 50 has a vertical extending portion 52 to which the containers are suitably attached and a base portion 54 for carrying a suitable motor and pump assembly 56 for delivering the insulating medium to the sealed space I8 in the containers, Briefly, the motor and pump assembly 56 comprises the motor 58, the pump 60 and suitable connections thereto such as the intake connection 62 having an in-take valve 64 therein for connection with the supply of insulating medium which is to be reconditioned, the strainer 66 through which the insulating medium is passed prior to delivery to the pump, and the connection 68 through which the insulating medium is delivered from the pump to the sealed space I8.

In order to safeguard the apparatus in case the pressures built up in the reconditioner unit become too great, a relief valve I0 is provided in a connection 12, and will function upon predetermined pressure in the containers to by-pass the insulating medium directly from the connection 68 back to the strainer 66. If the pressure in the apparatus to which the reconditioned insulating medium is delivered becomes too great, suitable connections I4 having a relief valve 16 therein is provided to function under predetermined pressures to by-pass the reconditioned insulating medium directly from the space 20 between the side walls of the container back to the strainer and pump to effect the circulation of the insulating medium only through the reconditioner unit.

In operation, the insulating medium is delivered to the in-take valve 64 and passes through the strainer 66 to remove any large particles therefrom from whence it flows, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, through the pump 60, connection 68 to the sealed space I8 between the bottoms of the containers. Since the insulating medium is delivered to this space under pressure by reason of the pump 60, it passes through the screen bottom 22 of the inner container I2 and flows upwardly through the activating material normally contained therein. As the insulating medium flows through the activating material, it is to be noted that the direction of flow of the fluid is opposite to the action of gravity on the activating material. Such flow of the insulating medium through the activating material is suicient to so agitate the activating material as to produce looseness of the activating material and to effect a complete mixing of it with the insulating medium to give a substantially uniform distribution of the activating material in the insulating medium in any given horizontal cross section of the container I2. As the insulating medium flows upwardly in intimate contact with and through the activating material, the force of gravity causes the activating material to tend to so lter out of the insulating medium, that by the time the insulating medium reaches the top of the insulating container I2, a major part of the activating material has become separated from the insulating medium dropping towards the bottom of the container Where it again is mixed with incoming insulating medium.

As the insulating medium freed from the major part of the activating material reaches the top of the inner container I2, it is ltered through the lter 36 where the last fine traces of the activatg material is separated therefrom and the insulating medium ows through the opening 32 to the space between the members 26 and 28 of the cover over to and downwardly through the openings 34 and space 20 between the side walls of the containers from which it is withdrawn through the connection 44 and delivered in the reconditioned state to suitable storage tanks or to the apparatus in which it is employed.

In another embodiment of this invention as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the reconditioner unit comprises a plurality of containers I8 and filters 80 mounted in assembled relation with the filters disposed between the containers. The assembled containers and lters are carried in a suitable support 82 formed from the frames 83, end member 84 and side rods 86 and are retained in position between the side rods 86 and the end frame 84 by means of the screw press assembly 88 which can be manually operated to adjust the pressure on the assembled containers and lters to any predetermined amount. The support 82 also carries the motor and pump assembly 90 which assembly is somewhat similar to the assembly described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Briefly, in this embodiment the motor and pump assembly 90 comprises a suitable intake connection 92 having an in-take valve 94 disposed therein connected through a strainer 96 through the pump 98 and hence upwardly through the connection |00 to the assembled containers and filters.

As illustrated, the reconditioner unit has a discharge outlet and valve |02 connected therein disposed adiacent the top of the containers. Similarly to the motor and pump assembly of Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4 also has a relief valve |04 and connections thereto for by-passing the insulating medium directly from the containers back to the pump when the pressure within the apparatus to which the insulating medium is to be delivered becomes too great and a relief valve |06 and connections associated therewith for by-passing the insulating medium around through the strainer 96 and the pump 98 instead of delivering it to the container and filter assembly when the pressure within the containers becomes too great.

Referring to Figs. and 6 of the drawings, the containers employed in this particular embodiment are illustrated in detail. The containers '|8 are formed with the side walls |08 which are impervious to insulating medium and top and bottom walls I0 and ||2, respectively. As will be noted in Fig. 5, headers ||4 and I6 are provided in the top and bottom respectively of the container and extend therethrough, these headers being common to all of the containers and iilters employed in the assembly unit.

Each of the containers 18 is provided with a sealed chamber I8 disposed in the bottom of the container and suitable connections |20 leading from the top header |4 downwardly through the container to the sealed bottom chamber. Thus the supply of the insulating medium as it is delivered from the pump assembly to the container units is delivered to the common header ||4 and from there is directed to the sealed chamber ||8 in the bottom of the containers.

stemmer activated material, not shown, disposed therein above the sealed chamber ||8. Since it is desired to permit the insulating medium to flow through the activating material in order to recondition it, the chamber ||8 is provided with a screen cover |22 which functions to retain the activating material in the container while at the same time permitting the insulating medium to ilow into and through the chamber containing the activating material.

As the insulating medium flows upwardly under pressure through the activating material, it carries a certain amount of the activating material therewith. In order to provide for separating a major part of the activated material from the insulating medium, a barrier |24 is provided adjacent the top of the container and is so disposed as to extend substantially across the container. The barrier |24 is carried in any suitable manner by a screen plate |26 disposed across the top of the container and is attached thereto as by means of bolts |28. In practice a lter |30, of suitable material such as blotting paper, is also mounted in the barrier assembly and is preferably so disposed across the lower side of the screen plate 26 as to function to prevent the passage of fine particles of the activating material through the screen |26.

As is illustrated in Fig. 6, the barrier |24 has downwardly extending edges |32 so that as the insulating medium flows upwardly toward the top of the container, it strikesl the barrier |24, and because of the outwardly and downwardly extending side edges |32, the direction of ow of the insulating medium is so changed that by reason of the pull of gravity a major part of the activating material is separated from the insulating medium. As the insulating medium clears the downwardly extending edge |32 of the barrier, it continues its upward iiow free of the major part of the activated material and passes upwardly and through the iilter |30 and the screen plate |26 to a chamber |34 provided thereabove.

Since it is possible that some of the ner activating material may be carried in the insulating material to the chamber |34, the filters 80 are disposed between adjacent containers 18. The side wall |08 of the container is provided with openings |36 near their top edge for permitting the insulating medium to flow from the chamber |34 to the filters 80. As shown in Fig. 6, the side walls |08 are secured to the top ||0 and bottom ||2 of the container at a distance in from the outer edges of the top and bottom to provide a space between the assembled filters 80 and the side walls of the container for permitting the insulating medium to flow therebetween. The lters 80 are of standard construction being formed from the lter press plate |38 of any of the well known construction and the sheets of lter paper |40, such as blot- The containers 'I8 are provided with a supply of 75 ting paper, disposed on either side of the lter press plate. As the insulating medium ows downwardly along the side wall |08, it filters through the lter paper |40 and trickles down around the projections on the lter press plate |38 to the bottom of the filter where it is discharged through suitable openings |42 into the header ||6 which is common to all ofthe filters disposed between the container and extends therethrough the assembled unit formed from the containers and lters. Each of the filters in the assembly has the opening |42 provided therein for discharging into the header I6 which is sealed from the containers 18.

In operation the in-take connection 92 is connected`to the apparatus containing the insulating which is desired to be reconditioned and the valve 94 is opened to permit the insulating medium to flow from the apparatus through the strainer 96 to the pump 98 from which it is forced through the connection into the cornmon header ||4 of the assembled containers and filters. As the insulating medium fiows through the header ||4 a portion of the insulating medium is taken therefrom at each container and passed downwardly through the pipe |20 to the space ||8 at the bottom of the container. From this space the insulating medium flows through the screen |22 upwardly through the activating material contained in the chamber to effect a thorough uniform mixture therewith. As the insulating medium fiows upwardly it strikes the barrier |24 which deects the flow of the medium outwardly and downwardly, effecting a separation of a major portion of the activating material carried therein and permitting the insulating medium freed from the major part of the activated material to flow upwardly around the outer edges of the barrier |24 through the filter |30 and the screen plate |26 into the chamber |34. From this chamber the insulating medium which has been freed of the activating material fiows through the openings |36 and through the filters |40 to insure the removal of any remaining activating material in the insulating medium into the spaces formed between the filter press plate and the filter and hence downwardly to the return header ||6 from which the reconditioned insulating medium is returned to the apparatus from which it was withdrawn.

By means of the apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, insulating mediums can be reconditioned at very low cost. Further, the activating material is eiiiciently employed since by passing the insulating medium upwardly therethrough an ecient complete mixing and looseness of the activating material in the insulating medium is obtained. Further separation of the activating material from the reconditioned insulating medium is easily obtained, since all of the insulating medium must flow upwardly through the containers and, as it approaches the top of the container, the upward movement of any activating material carried in the insulating medium is retarded by reason of the force of gravity thereon. Instead of being carried out of the container with the insulating medium, the activating material tends to separate therefrom, and to eddy downward to the base of the container where it is again recirculated and mixed with incoming insulating medium. Further, in the particular embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6, this natural tendency for the activating material to separate from the insulating medium is aided by means of the barrier positioned across the top of the container for deflecting the flow of the insulating medium and thereby permit the separation of the major part of the activating material by reason of the force of gravity. This apparatus is also constructed in comparatively small units by providing the screened top for the containers for retaining the finer portion of the activating material in the container instead of constructing containers so large as to permit the force of gravity .only to effect the complete separation of the activating material in the insulating medium.

Although this invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it is, of course, not to be limited thereto except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, a container, activating material disposed in the container, means for admitting the insulating medium which is to be reconditioned into the bottom of the container, means associated with the container for forcing the insulating medium to flow upwardly against and through the activating material thereby agitating the activating material and insuring the mixing of the activating material with the insulating medium whereby the activating material reconditions the insulating medium, a bafiie disposed in the container adjacent its top for changing the course of flow of the insulating medium to free it of a major part of the activating material carried therein, the baiile being constructed and arranged in the container to allow the upward flow of the insulating medium after it is freed of the major part of the activating material, and means disposed above the baliie for substantially freeing the insulating medium from the balance of the activating material while permitting the insulating medium to flow from the container.

2. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, a container, activated earth disposed in the container, means for admitting the insulating medium which is to be reconditioned into the bottom of the container, means associated with the container for forcing the insulating medium to fiow upwardly against and through the activated earth thereby agitating the earth and insuring the mixing of the earth with the insulating medium whereby the earth reconditions the insulating medium, a barile disposed across the container adjacent its top for directing the flow of the insulating medium containing the activated earth towards the side walls of the container, means adjacent the edges of the baille for permitting the insulating medium to flow around the edges and above the baule, and a filter disposed above the bailie for permitting the flow of the insulating medium from the container, the baiile and filter cooperating in retaining substantially all of the activated earth in the container.

3. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, a plurality of containers, a plurality of filters associated in assembled relation with the containers, a plurality of headers common to the containers and filters, a plurality of screen filters disposed in each of the containers across it and adjacent its top and bottom, activated earth in each of the containers and retained therein by the top and bottom screen filters, means for admitting liquid insulating medium under pressure into one of said headers, means associated with each of the containers and with said one of the headers for admitting a portion of the insulating medium into the container below the bottom screen filter thereof, the insulating medium under pressure being forced upwardly therefrom against and through the activated earth retained between the screen filters thereby agitating the earth and insuring the mixing of the earth with the insulating medium to recondition the insulating medium, means for permitting the insulating medium to ow from the container to and through the filters associated in assembled relation therewith, and means associated with each of the lters and said other header to permit theiow of the reconditioned insulating mediurn into said other header whereby it may ow from the apparatus.

4. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, a plurality of containers, a plurality of filters associated in assembled relation with the containers, a plurality of headers common to the containers and filters when assembled, one of said headers being disposed adjacent the top of the containers and filters, another of said headers being disposed adjacent the bottom of the containers and lters, a plurality of screen filters provided in each of said containers across it and adjacent its top and bottom, activated earth in each of the containers and retained in position by the top and bottom screen filters, means for admitting a supply of the liquid insulating medium under pressure to the top header, means in each of the containers for carrying the insulating medium from the top header into the container below the bottom screen filter, said insulating medium under pressure being forced to flow upwardly against and through the bottom screen filter and activated earth thereby agitating the earth and insuring the mixing of the earth with the insulating medium to recondition the insulating medium, the top screen lter retaining the activated earth in the container as the insulating medium ows therethrough, means for admitting the insulating medium from the container to the lters associated in assembled relation therewith to insure removal of impurities, and means for admitting the reconditioned insulating medium from the filters into the bottom header which is common to the lters whereby it may flow from the apparatus.

5. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, a plurality of containers, a plurality of filters associated in assembled relation with the containers, a plurality of headers common to the containers and lters, a plurality of screen filters disposed in each of the containers across it and adjacent its top and bottom, activated earth disposed in each of the containers and retained therein by the top and bottom screen filters,

means for admitting liquid insulating medium under pressure into one of said headers, means associated with each of the containers and with said one of the headers for admitting a portion of the insulating medium into the container below the bottom screen lter thereof, the insulating medium under pressure being forced upwardly therefrom against and through the activated earth retained between the screen filters thereby agitating the earth and insuring the mixing of the earth with the insulating medium to recondition the insulating medium, means disposed in the container adjacent its top but below the screen filter for changing the course of flow of the insulating medium to free it of a major part of the activated earth carried therein, said means permitting the upwardly flow of the insulating medium after it is freed of the major part of the activated earth through the top screen lter, means for permitting the insulating medium to ow from the container to and through the lters associated in assembled relation therewith. and means associated with Examiner each of the lters and said other header to permit the flow of the reconditioned insulating medium into said other header whereby it may flow from the apparatus.

6. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, an outer container, an inner container disposed in spaced relation in the outer container to provide a space between the bottoms and side walls thereof, means for sealing the inner container around its bottom to the bottom of the outer container to provide a space therebetween which is sealed from the space formed between the side walls of the containers, means for admitting liquids into the sealed space, a screen disposed across the bottom of the inner container above the space formed between the bottoms of the containers for permitting liquids to ow therefrom into the inner container, activated earth disposed within the inner container, a cover for said inner and outer containers, said cover comprising a lter and screen for fitting over the top of the inner container to permit flow of the insulating medium therefrom while retaining the activated earth and a plate in spaced relation to the iilter and screen and secured thereto at its outer edges disposed to cover the containers, the cover having an opening in the screen member to permit the passage of liquids from the space between the filter and screen and the cover plate to the space between the side walls of the containers, and means for permitting the flow of liquids from the space between the side walls.

7. Apparatus for the reconditioning of liquid insulating mediums comprising, in combination, an outer container, an inner container disposed in spaced relation in the outer container to provide a space between the bottoms and side walls thereof, means for sealing the inner container around its bottom to the bottom of the outer container to provide a space therebetween which is sealed from the space formed between the side walls of the containers, means for admitting liquids into the sealed space, a screen lter disposed across the bottom of the inner container above the space formed between the bottoms of the containers for permitting liquids to flow therefrom into the inner container, activated earth disposed within the inner container, a cover for said inner and outer containers, said cover comprising a filter and screen for fitting over the top of the inner container and a plate in spaced relation to the lter and screen disposed to cover the containers, the cover having an opening to permit the passage of liquids from the space between the filter and screen and the cover plate to the space between the side walls of the containers, means for permitting the ow of liquids from the space between the side Walls, and a pump for delivering liquid insulating mediums under pressure into the sealed space between the bottoms of the containers to cause it to flow through the lter and upwardly against and through the activated earth thereby agitating the earth and insuring the mixing of the earth with the insulating medium whereby the insulating medium is reconditioned, the filter and screen in the cover permitting the insulating medium to ow from the inner container while retaining the activated earth therein.

LOUIS E. SAUER.

Images