US2524398A

US2524398A - Centrifugal separator

Info

Publication number: US2524398A
Application number: US27806A
Authority: US
Inventors: David B Rossheim; Hans T Holzwarth
Original assignee: MW Kellogg Co
Current assignee: MW Kellogg Co
Priority date: 1948-05-18
Filing date: 1948-05-18
Publication date: 1950-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1967-10-03

Description

Q 1950 D. B. ROSSHEIM HAL 2,524,398

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR Filed May 18, 1948 INVENTORS DAVID 'B. ROSSHEIM 26 ws T. HOLZWARTH ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 3, 1950 CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR David B. Rossheim, Teaneck, and Hans T. Holzwarth, Westfield,

ration of New Jersey N. J., assignors to The M. W. Kellogg Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corpo- Application May 18, 1948, Serial No. 27,806

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to centrifugal separators and more particularly relates to centrifugal separators wherein solid or heavy particles carried by a gaseous or fluid medium are centrifugally separated by means of two vortices having opposite senses of rotation.

Th prior art centrifugal separators can be divided roughly into two classes; first, separators wherein the fluid being acted upon is caused to form a single vortex, and second, separators wherein the fluid being acted upon is caused to abruptly change its direction of flow.

The prior art separators utilizing a single vortex are diihcult and expensive to manufacture because of the great accuracy with which they must be manufactured if they are to function with good efficiency. The separators relying on an abrupt change of direction of the fluid being treated ar relatively simple to manufacture but they are capable of causing only very heavy particles to be thrown out of said fluid.

One object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal separator adapted to form two substantially parallel vortices having opposite senses of rotation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a centrifugal separator which is easy and economical to manufacture and which is eflicient, reliable, and durable.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a diagonal top view of the centrifugal separator of the present invention showing one end thereof broken away;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the centrifugal separator taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view partly in section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a generally Y-shaped hollow body In having a double vortex generating portion 12 which approaches a cylinder in cross-section and which merges into the divergent arms [4 andlB of the Y. An inlet duct I8 having a generally rectangular cross-section passes substantially radially through the wall of the double vortex generating portion l2 adjacent the end thereof remote from the divergent arms [4 and I6 and in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the portion 12 and the arms l4 and [6.

The double vortex generating portion [2 may be cylindrical in cross-section,but it preferably axial openings 28 in the has a cross-section derived from a cylinder by flattening a predetermined portion of the wall thereof opposite the inlet duct l 8 as shown at I1, and allowing the sides of said portion I2 to bulge outwardly as a result.

Fluid to be acted upon by the apparatus of the present invention is admitted into portion l2 at high velocity through the inlet duct 18. The fluid leaves the inlet duct I8 and impinges upon the inner surface of the wall of the portion I2, which, as set forth above preferably is flattened, and is caused to divide and form two vortices rotating in opposite directions. The axes of the two vortices are substantially parallel to each other and also are substantially parallel to the axis of the portion ii. The vortices move along the portion [2 from the inlet duct It towards the arms l4 and Iii and upon reaching said arms i l and it they are divided thereby and one vortex passes down arm I4 and the other vortex passes down arm [6 partially.

The arms 14 and I6 are provided with a plurality of circumferential or peripheral collection slots 19 located in the lower hair of their downstream end through which the heavy particles carried. by the fluid pass. Each of the arms I l and lo are provided with an annular bleeder duct 26, each of which is in commumcation with the interior of its respective arm by means of a circumferential bleeder slot 22. The bleeder ducts 20 each merge into and become a part of the collection duct or chamber 24 which extends around the lower half of the downstream end of each of the arms I l and It and encloses the collection slots 19. An opening or duct 26 is provided in the bottom of the collector duct to permit the material collected through slots ill to be carried out of the collection duct or chamber 24 by the fluid bled from the arms l4 and [6 through slots I9 and the bleeder ducts 2i] and slots 22. The material collected in the collection duct 24, and the fluid bled from the arms i4 and I6 can be disposed of in any desired manner.

The remainder of the fluid passes out through arms 14 and I6 and. can be conducted therefrom to apparatus where it is utilized or to apparatus for further treatment. Because of the position of the annular bleeder ducts 2B and circumferential bleeder slots 22, it is possible to remove a large proportion of relatively unpurifled fluid which composes the outer layers of the vortices so that the remainder of the fluid leaving through the axial openings is relatively purifiedl To insure the eflicient and dependable formation of two vortices in the centrifugal separator of the present invention under widely varying conditions, as, for example, varying pressures and for velocities of the fluid being treated, it is preferred that certain proportions be adhered to or not exceeded. Preferably the inlet duct l8 has a rectangular cross-section and extends radially into the double vortex generating portion [2 with two of its sides extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said portion. l2. Furthermore, to insure the utmost efficiency in the development and maintenance of two vortices the transverse chordal dimension of the in let duct l8, indicated at A in Figure 3, should not exceed .6 of the diameter of the portion l2 before it is flattened as above described, and the longitudinal dimension of the inlet duct [8, indicated at B in Figure 2, should not exceed and preferably should be less than its transverse chordal dimension. Also the wall of the double vortex generating portion l2 preferably is flattened or substantially flattened for a predetermined area diainetrically opposite from the inlet duct H3. The flattened portion may vary in width depending upon the performance characteristics desired in the separator, but it has been found that flattening an area representing substantially 45 degrees of arc of the double vortex generating portion i2 is preferable.

It is preferred to employ an inlet duct I8 having a rectangular cross-section, and a double vortex generating portion i2 having a flattened wall portion, all as above described. However, it will be understood that the double vortex centrifugal separators of the present invention can be constructed wherein the inlet duct l8 approaches a rectangle in cross-section, and Wherein the double Vortex generating portion [2 is cylindrical in cross-section, or has a portion of its wall not completely flattened. By varying the cross-sectional area and shape of inlet duct 18 and the cross-sectional shape of the double vortex generating portion H2, centrifugal separators can be constructed which will have double vortex generating characteristics under predetermined limited conditions.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A generally Y-shaped, centrifugal separator structure including an unobstructed chamber, inlet means adapted to direct a stream of fluid through the wall of said chamber against the wall surface of said chamber diametrically opposite said inlet means to cause said stream of fluid to form a pair of vortices with substantially parallel axes and with opposite senses of rotation, and a pair of arms, spaced from said inlet means, diverging from said chamber adapted to separate said vortices for passage ofa single vortex down each arm, and means to withdraw portions of said stream of fluid.

2. A centrifugal separator structure, generally Y-shaped, consisting of a double vortex generating chamber, inlet means connected to said chamber adapted to direct a stream of fluid through the wall at one end of said'chamber against the wall surface of said chamber diametrically opposite said inlet 'means,whereby said stream of fluid is caused to form two vortices with axes substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said chamber and with opposite senses of rotation, and a pair of arms diverging from the other end of said chamber and so positioned with respect thereto to separate said vortices for single passage down each arm, and means to withdraw portions of said stream of fluid.

3. A centrifugal separator comprising a generally Y-shaped hollow body having a double vortex generating portion, an inlet duct extending through the wall of said vortex generating portion at one end thereof, said inlet duct being positioned to direct a stream of fluid against the inner surface of said wall opposite thereto, whereby said stream of fluid is caused to form two vortices with axes substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said vortex generating portion and with opposite senses of rotation, and a pair of arms diverging from the other end of said vortex generating portion and so positioned with respect thereto to separate said vortices so that a single vortex will pass down each arm, and means to withdraw selective portions of said stream of fluid.

4. A centrifugal separator comprising a generally Y shaped hollow body having a double vortex generating portion and a pair of arms diverging from one end of said vortex generating por tion, an inlet duct extending radially through the wall of said vortex generating portion at the other end thereof, said inlet duct being'adapted to direct a stream of fluid against the inner surface of said wall opposite thereto, whereby said stream of fluid is caused to form two vortices with axes substantially parallel to each other and to the. axis of said vortex generating portion and with opposite senses of rotation, said arms being positioned with respect to said vortex generating portion so that said vortices'are separated in orderthat a single'vortex pass down each arm, and means by which selective portions of said stream of fluid are removed.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising a generally Y shaped hollow body with an approximately cylindrical, double vortex generating portion, an inlet duct, generally rectangular in cross section, extending radially through the wall of said vortex generating portion atone end thereof, the wall of said vortex generating portion opposite said inlet duct being flattened so that said inlet duct directs a stream of fluid against the flattened wall portion whereby two vortices are formed having axes substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said vortex generating portion and having opposite senses of rotation, a pair of arms diverging from the other end of said vortex generating portion and positioned with respect thereto so as to separate said vortices in order that a single vortex will pass down each arm, and means toremove selective portions of said stream of fluid.

6. A centrifugal separator comprising a generall Y shaped hollow body having an approximately cylindrical, double vortex generating portion and a pair of arms diverging. from one end of said vortex generating portion, an inlet duct extending radially through the wall of said vortex generating portion at the other end thereof, said inlet duct being adapted to direct a stream of fluid against the inner surface of said Wall oppositethereto, whereby said fluid is caused to form two vortices with opposite senses of rotationand with axes substantially parallelto each other and to the axis of said vortex generating portion, said arms being positioned with respect to said vortex generating portion to separate said parallel vortices so that a single vortex passes down each arm, an outlet opening at the downstream end of each of said arms, and means to remove separated material and relatively unpurifled portions from said stream of fluid.

7. A centrifugal separator comprising a generally Y shaped hollow body having an approximately cylindrical, double vortex generating portion and a pair of arms diverging from one end of said vortex generating portion, an inlet duct extending radially through the wall of said vortex generating portion at the other end thereof, said inlet duct being adapted to direct a stream of fluid against the inner surface of said Wall opposite thereto, whereby said stream of fluid is caused to form two vortices with opposite senses of rotation and with axes substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said vortex generating portion, said arms being positioned with respect to said vortex generating portion so that said vortices are separated and a single vortex is directed to pass down each arm, an outlet at the downstream end of each of said arms, a pluralit of peripheral slots extending through the wall of each of said arms adjacent each of Said outlets, a bleeder duct between said outlet and said slots in each of said arms, and a collector duct for each of said arms communicating with said slots and said bleeder duct for the reception of separated material and partially purified fluid.

8. A centrifugal separator comprising a generally Y shaped hollow body with a cylindrical, double vortex generating portion, an inlet duct, generally rectangular in cross section, extending radially through the wall of said vortex generating portion at one end thereof, the wall of said vortex generating portion opposite said inlet duct being flattened so that said inlet duct directs a stream of fluid against the flattened Wall portion whereb two vortices are formed with opposite senses of rotation and With axes substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said vortex generating portion, said inlet duct being arranged normal to the plane of said arms, said arms being positioned with respect to said vortex generating portion to separate said vortices so that a single vortex will pass down each arm, a plurality of peripheral slots extending through the wall of each of said arms at the downstream ends thereof for the reception of separated material, an outlet opening at the downstream end of each of said arms, a bleeder slot between said first mentioned slots and said outlet opening in each of said arms, a bleeder duct leading from said bleeder slot to convey relativel unpurified fluid, and a collector duct communicating with said peripheral slots and said bleeder duct.

9. A centrifugal separator comprising a generally Y shaped body having a hollow, approximately cylindrical, double vortex generating portion, an inlet duct generally rectangular in cross section extending through the wall of said vortex generating portion at one end thereof and in a generally radial direction thereto, the chordal dimension of said inlet duct not exceeding .6 of the inside diameter of said double vortex generating portion, a portion of the wall of said vortex generating portion opposite said duct being flattened, said inlet duct being adapted to direct a stream of fluid against said flattened wall portion whereby said stream of fluid is caused to form two substantially parallel vortices having opposite senses of rotation and axes substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of said vortex generating portion, a pair of hollow arms diverging from the other end of said vortex generating portion in a plane normal to the axis of said inlet duct, said arms being positioned with respect to said vortex generating portion to separate the parallel vortices So that a single vortex will pass down each arm an outlet at the down stream endof each of said arms, a plurality of peripheral slots extending through the lower wall of each of said arms at the downstream end of each arm, a circumferential bleeder slot in each arm located between said peripheral slots and said outlet, an annular bleeder duct leading from said bleeder slot to draw ofi relatively unpurified fluid, and a collector duct extending around the lower half of the downstream end of each of said arms and communicating with said peripheral slots and said annular bleeder duct to draw ofl deposited material and unpurified fluid.

DAVID B. ROSSHEIM.

HANS T. HOLZWARTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Aug. 3, 1939