US3774376A - Centrifugal gas separator - Google Patents

Centrifugal gas separator Download PDF

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Publication number
US3774376A
US3774376A US00153510A US3774376DA US3774376A US 3774376 A US3774376 A US 3774376A US 00153510 A US00153510 A US 00153510A US 3774376D A US3774376D A US 3774376DA US 3774376 A US3774376 A US 3774376A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
drum
gas
separated
hollow shaft
cylindrical wall
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00153510A
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English (en)
Inventor
Y Takashima
Y Endo
K Saitou
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Toshiba Corp
Original Assignee
Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Ltd filed Critical Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co Ltd
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Publication of US3774376A publication Critical patent/US3774376A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D59/00—Separation of different isotopes of the same chemical element
    • B01D59/20—Separation by centrifuging
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
    • B01D53/24—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols by centrifugal force
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
    • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
    • B04B11/00—Feeding, charging, or discharging bowls
    • B04B11/02—Continuous feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B04—CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
    • B04B—CENTRIFUGES
    • B04B5/00—Other centrifuges
    • B04B5/08—Centrifuges for separating predominantly gaseous mixtures
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S494/00—Imperforate bowl: centrifugal separators
    • Y10S494/90—Imperforate bowl: centrifugal separators involving mixture containing one or more gases

Definitions

  • a centrifugal gas separator which employs a cylindrical centrifuge drum having a hollow shaft mounted on suitable bearings within a housing.
  • Supply means are provided for feeding a mixed gas to be separated into the drum.
  • the supply means has openings located radially near the inner periphery of the drum and axially at approximately the center of the drum. Each opening in the supply means communicates with the hollow shaft.
  • the present invention relates to gas separators and more particularly to centrifugal gas separators for an isotopic separation.
  • Gas centrifuges of the type having a countercurrent with circulation customarily included an elongated cylindrical drum vertically oriented and having a hollow centrally located shaft.
  • a mixed gas to be processed is supplied to the drum at the' central portion thereof through the hollow shaft to fill the drum.
  • the 'mixed gas in the drum is rotated at an extremely high angular speed, thereby subjecting it to a large centrifugal force.
  • the gas near the inner periphery of the drum becomes enriched with heavier molecules and the gas near the central portion of the drum becomes enriched with lighter molecules.
  • several alternative methods may be used.
  • a heater and a cooler may be provided for causing'a thermal convection, thus establishing a countercurrent.
  • One end of the centrifuge drum may be kept at a slightly elevated temperature, and the other end at a somewhat lower temperature than that of the gas.
  • the gas flows radially inward, while the gas flows radially outward at the cool end.
  • the gas should be reduced in volume.
  • the excess volume of gas has to flow off in an axial direction. The volume of the gas will tend to increase as the gas moves outwardly, whereby the gas is withdrawn axially through the central portion of the drum.
  • the gas flows from the warm side to the cold side.
  • the gas flows from the cold side to the warm side in a thin stream.
  • the gas of lighter molecular weight collects near the cold end while the heavier gas collects near the warm end.
  • the maximum separating power of the gas centrifuge is proportional to the length l of the drum in the axial direction and to the fourth power of the peripheral velocity (5 of the gas, where r denotes the inner radius of the drum and (0,, denotes the angular velocity of the drum.
  • the separating power obtained is substantially smaller than the above described theoretical value for various reasons, such as failure to obtain a suitable countercurrent and flow pattern, for example.
  • the greater part of the gas has a smaller angular velocity than that of the drum.
  • the viscosity of the gas causes the portion of the gas in contact with the cylindrical drum wall to have a velocity substantially equal to that of the drum wall.
  • This part of gas imparts the same circular motion to an inner ring-like portion of the gas due to the viscosity thereof. Accordingly, the gas in the drum comes to have an angular velocity equal to that of the drum in the steady state.
  • most of the gas in the drum has a smaller angular velocity than that of the drum. This phenomena may be understood by a calculation taking the viscosity of the gas into consideration.
  • a centrifugal gas separator in accordance with the invention employs a drum which is rotatably supported within an enclosed housing and driven by a suitable means, and exhaust means for removing separated gases.
  • a suitable means for removing separated gases.
  • FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of an upper portion of the drum of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Itaken along a line 22 of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a plot of the angular velocity of a gas in a centrifuge drum with respect to radial distance where the ordinate is labeled with ratio of angular velocity of the gas to that of the centrifuge drum, and the abscissa is labeled with distance in the radial direction from an axis of the drum;
  • FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a second embodiment of the instant invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating an alternative gas exhaust structure.
  • the supporting device may include a bearing, the outer race thereof being carried by a resilient member such as a rubber damper which is mounted on the housing 1 l, and a sealing member such as a face seal arrangement.
  • the drum 10 comprises a cylindrical wall 18, a top disc member or lid 19 having the hollow shaft 16 secured thereto for supplying a mixed gas to be processed into the drum l0, and a bottom disc member or lid 20 having the shaft 17 secured thereto.
  • the top disc 19 is provided with a center hole 19a and a plurality of conduits 19b (shown in FIG. 2) extending radially outwardly from the hole 19a.
  • the hole 19a communicates with the hollow portion of shaft 16 and with the radial conduits 19b.
  • the top lid 19 may either be made of a single plate or may be formed of two parts, i.e., an upper and a lower disc. In latter case, the lower disc may be made as an integral part of an inner cylindrical member or cylinder 21.
  • the inner cylinder 21 has an axial length about onehalf of that of the drum, and is mounted beneath the upper disc 19 so as to provide a ring-like clearance 22 between its outer wall and the wall 18 of the drum 10.
  • a plurality of projections 21a with a suitable spacing therebetween for fixedly securing the inner cylinder 21 to the wall 18 of the drum 10.
  • the ring-like gap 22 communicates with the outer end portions of the conduits 19b of the disc member 19. Accordingly, a supply of the mixed gas is provided through the conduit which is formed of the hollow shaft 16, hole 19a, the radial conduits 19b and the gap 22, which opens at the lower end into the inner cylinder 21.
  • the mixed gas passes through the radial conduits and the gap successively, it is given rotational motion.
  • the mixed gas comes to a circulating speed substantially equal to that of the drum wall 18 and is fed into the drum through a ring-like opening 22a between the lower edge of the inner cylinder 21 and the drum wall 18.
  • the upper lid 19 there are provided a plurality of small holes or openings 19c oriented parallel to hollow shaft 16, and disposed in a circle of about one half the radius of the drum, with a suitable spacing with respect to each other so as not to communicate with the radial conduits 19b of the disc 19. These holes 196 serve to exhaust the lighter portion of the separated gas.
  • the lower disc member 20 there are also provided a plurality of small openings a similar to the openings 190 of the upper disc 19, which serve to exhaust the heavier portion of the'separated gas.
  • a chamber 25 defined by the drum 10, the baffles 23 and 24, and housing 11, is filled with a gas such, for example, as helium supplied through an inlet 26 for preventing each of the separated gases in the upper chamber 27 and lower chamber 28 from flowing into the common area 25 to recombine.
  • the separated gases in the upper and lower chambers 27 and 28 are exhausted together with a small quantity of the helium gas flowing from the common area 25 through a pair of outlets 29 and 30 to the next processes (not shown).
  • the upper lid 19 may be cooler than the lower lid 20 by 10 to 20 C.
  • the centrifuge drum 10 is driven by a suitable drive such as an electric motor to rotate it at an extremely high speed. Then the mixed gas is put into the drum and subjected to centrifugal force so that the gas of lighter molecular weight tends to move radially inward and the gas of heavier molecular weight tends to move radially outward by pressure diffusion.
  • a suitable drive such as an electric motor to rotate it at an extremely high speed.
  • the gas flows radially outward by thermal convection.
  • the gas flows radially inward by thermal convection. Then the portion of gas positioned away from the drum wall 18 flows upward, and the gasnear the drum wall flows downward along the drumf wall in a relatively thin stream.
  • the lighter gas gathers near the top lid 19 and is exhausted through the openings 190 to fill an upper chamber 27.
  • the small amount of the gas, which flows through the gap between the drum 18 and the baffle 23 from the chamber 25, and the lighter gas in the upper chamber 27 are taken out through the outlet 29, and then separated from each other by a suitable separator such, for example, as a cold trap device (not shown).
  • a suitable separator such, for example, as a cold trap device (not shown).
  • the heavier gas gathers near the bottom lid 20 and is exhausted through the openings 20a to fill the lower chamber 28.
  • the heavier gas mixed with a small amount of the gas from the common chamber 25 is taken out through the outlet 30 and then further separated.
  • the mixed gas to be separated is supplied from the ring-like opening 22a defined by the inner cylinder 21 and the drum wall 18, and the separated gases are withdrawn from the openings 19c and 20a provided on the upper and lower lids l9 and 20 respectively.
  • the gas is supplied at larger radius positions of the drum and exhausted at smaller radius positions.
  • the supplied mixed gas from the opening 22a has a peripheral velocity substantially equal to that of the drum wall 18.
  • the major portion of the gas in the drum has a larger velocity than that of the centrifuge drum, and the separating power of the system is consequently substantially increased because it is proportional to the fourth power of the angular velocity of the gas, as hereinbefore set forth.
  • the gas in the upper portion of the drum is enriched with the lighter gas and the gas in the lower portion with the heavier gas, there exists a concentration gradient along the axial direction of the drum with respect to the heavier and lighter gases.
  • the supply of the mixed gas to be separated is preferably made at the portion in the drumhaving a mixture of lighter and heavier gases substantially equal to that of the mixed gas to be supplied. Accordingly, the length of the inner cylinder 21 in the axial direction is selected to be about a half of the inner axial length of the drum 18.
  • the radially inward flow is obtained by the displacement, in the radial direction, of the position where the gas is exhausted from the position where the gas is supplied.
  • the openings provided on the upper and lower lids for exhausting the separated gases are preferably positioned at as small a radius as possible. However, the nearer they are positioned to the center, the smaller is the gas pressure, so that it is more difficult to exhaust the separated gases. Hence, the openings for exhausting the separated gases are arranged on circle of about one half the radius of the lids in this embodiment of the instant invention.
  • FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the instant invention
  • the hollow shaft 16 is shown extending axially down through the upper lid 19into the central portion of the drum l8.
  • a pipe member 41 Secured to the lower end of the hollow shaft 16 is a pipe member 41 extending radially in four directions so as to form four radial passages, each communicating with the hollow shaft 16 at one end and having an outlet 42 at the other end, opening near the inner periphery of the drum 18.
  • the top lid 19 does not include the radial conduits 19b as shown in FIG. 1, but does include the central opening for the shaft 16 and the exhausting openings 190.
  • FIG. 5 One example of such a device, illustrated in FIG. 5, employs a stationary pipe 44, which passes through the hollow shaft 16 with a clearance therebetween, having a rectangular bend therein as it enters the drum 18 near the lid 19, and having an inlet opening 46 at one half the radius of the drum [8.
  • the shaft 17 is replaced with a hollow shaft 47 as the lower drum support shaft.
  • a pipe 48 substantially identical to the pipe 44 is positioned inside the hollow shaft 47.
  • a pair of baffle members of disc shape 49 having small penetrating holes 50 may be disposed near the stationary exhausting pipes 44 and 48 so as tov form a chamber for the stationary pipes.
  • the gas in the chamber 25 and the baffle members 23 and 24 for preventing recombination of the separated gases are not necessary, but the construction of the centrifuge is rather complicated so that difficulties in maintenance and inspection, and the like, may arise.
  • a centrifugal gas separator comprising:
  • drum means driven at a high rotational speed and adapted to receive a mixed gas to be separated
  • a centrifugal gas separator according to claim 1, wherein:
  • said supply means has at least one opening communicating with said hollow shaft, said opening being axially disposed at an intermediate portion of said drum near the inner periphery of said cylindrical wall.
  • a centrifugal gas separator according to claim 3, wherein:
  • a centrifugal gas separator comprising: an enclosed housing; I a drum adapted to receive a mixed gas to be separated and-having a cylindrical wall with disc members positioned at either end thereof, said drum driven at a high rotational speed; apair of shafts mounted to said disc members along an axis of said drum; bearing means for rotatably supporting said shafts within said housing; exhaust means for exhausting separated gases; one of said shafts being hollow for passing said mixed gas to be separatedinto said drum, supply means for feeding-said mixed gas flowing through said hollow shaft into said drum, near the periphery of said cylindrical wall, wherein said supply means comprises at least one conduit provided in housing; means for feeding said mixed gas to be separated into said drum means at at least one position which is at an intermediate portion thereof and is a
  • a centrifugal gas separator according to claim 6, wherein said supply means comprises:
  • the axial length of said inner cylindrical member is approximately one half that of said drum.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Centrifugal Separators (AREA)
  • Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
US00153510A 1970-06-17 1971-06-16 Centrifugal gas separator Expired - Lifetime US3774376A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP45052594A JPS496411B1 (de) 1970-06-17 1970-06-17

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US (1) US3774376A (de)
JP (1) JPS496411B1 (de)
DE (1) DE2129786C3 (de)
FR (1) FR2099753A5 (de)
GB (1) GB1349164A (de)
NL (1) NL161072C (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4244513A (en) * 1978-09-15 1981-01-13 Coulter Corporation Centrifuge unit
US4857040A (en) * 1986-06-19 1989-08-15 Doryokuro Kakunenryo Kaihatsu Jigyodan High-speed centrifugal extractor having improved weirs
US5024741A (en) * 1989-03-15 1991-06-18 Gte Products Corporation Hybrid isotope separation scheme
US5024739A (en) * 1989-03-15 1991-06-18 Gte Products Corporation Novel hybrid isotope separation scheme and apparatus
US7717477B1 (en) * 1999-05-12 2010-05-18 Abb Ab Swivel
US20130167722A1 (en) * 2009-02-20 2013-07-04 H R D Corporation Apparatus and method for gas separation
CN104906877A (zh) * 2015-06-11 2015-09-16 中国石油集团渤海钻探工程有限公司 高压气液流自动分离排放装置
CN106362872A (zh) * 2016-08-29 2017-02-01 成都科创诺商贸有限公司 一种压紧多级离心机

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008012158B4 (de) * 2008-02-12 2011-02-24 Milosiu, Johann-Marius, Dipl.-Ing. Verbesserte Zentrifuge zur Separierung von Kohlendioxid aus Gasgemischen
CN104841574A (zh) * 2013-10-11 2015-08-19 陈久斌 分离器

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2872105A (en) * 1946-09-16 1959-02-03 Frank C Rushing Rotor end cap
US2936110A (en) * 1945-01-31 1960-05-10 Cohen Karl Method of centrifuge operation
US3251542A (en) * 1963-05-29 1966-05-17 Electro Nucleonics Centrifugal separation of cryogenic gaseous mixtures
US3613989A (en) * 1967-10-26 1971-10-19 Doryokuro Kakunenryo Gas centrifuges, their assembly and a process for enriching uranium 235

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2936110A (en) * 1945-01-31 1960-05-10 Cohen Karl Method of centrifuge operation
US2872105A (en) * 1946-09-16 1959-02-03 Frank C Rushing Rotor end cap
US3251542A (en) * 1963-05-29 1966-05-17 Electro Nucleonics Centrifugal separation of cryogenic gaseous mixtures
US3613989A (en) * 1967-10-26 1971-10-19 Doryokuro Kakunenryo Gas centrifuges, their assembly and a process for enriching uranium 235

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4244513A (en) * 1978-09-15 1981-01-13 Coulter Corporation Centrifuge unit
US4857040A (en) * 1986-06-19 1989-08-15 Doryokuro Kakunenryo Kaihatsu Jigyodan High-speed centrifugal extractor having improved weirs
US5024741A (en) * 1989-03-15 1991-06-18 Gte Products Corporation Hybrid isotope separation scheme
US5024739A (en) * 1989-03-15 1991-06-18 Gte Products Corporation Novel hybrid isotope separation scheme and apparatus
US7717477B1 (en) * 1999-05-12 2010-05-18 Abb Ab Swivel
US20130167722A1 (en) * 2009-02-20 2013-07-04 H R D Corporation Apparatus and method for gas separation
US9108148B2 (en) * 2009-02-20 2015-08-18 H R D Corporation Apparatus and method for gas separation
CN104906877A (zh) * 2015-06-11 2015-09-16 中国石油集团渤海钻探工程有限公司 高压气液流自动分离排放装置
CN106362872A (zh) * 2016-08-29 2017-02-01 成都科创诺商贸有限公司 一种压紧多级离心机

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL7108253A (de) 1971-12-21
NL161072C (nl) 1982-04-16
GB1349164A (en) 1974-03-27
DE2129786A1 (de) 1971-12-23
JPS496411B1 (de) 1974-02-14
NL161072B (nl) 1979-08-15
DE2129786C3 (de) 1980-12-04
FR2099753A5 (de) 1972-03-17
DE2129786B2 (de) 1980-04-17

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