Patent ID: 9579666
Date: 2017-02-28
CPC Classifications: B03B,B04C

Claim:
1. A cyclone for dense medium separation comprising: an inverted conical shaped cyclone body which provides an interior space having an inner wall surface; a vortex finder including a lower end that extends longitudinally into an upper region of the interior space of the cyclone body; an overflow outlet associated with an upper end of the vortex finder; a feed inlet that is in fluid communication with the upper region of the interior space of the cyclone body; an outlet associated with a terminal end at a lower region of the interior space; and the inner wall surface of the interior space curves inwardly and downwardly with respect to a longitudinal axis of the cyclone from the upper region of the interior space to the outlet at the terminal end of the lower region of the interior space, wherein the degree of curvature of the inner wall surface of the interior space in a longitudinal direction along the longitudinal axis of the cyclone continuously increases from a lower end of the vortex finder to the outlet at the terminal end of the lower region of the interior space from 1 degree at the point immediately below the feed inlet to 20 degrees at the terminal end, wherein the feed inlet includes an involute conduit that extends around a portion of a circumference of an upper end of the cyclone body, wherein the involute conduit extends horizontally along the portion of the circumference of the upper end of the cyclone body and includes a rear wall that curves inwardly and that is coterminous with an inner wall surface of the upper end of the cyclone body, and wherein an inner area of the involute conduit decreases from a first end to a second end at the inner wall surface of the cyclone body such that a ratio of a diameter at the first end to a diameter at the second end is 2.25 to 2.50.