Separator for a gaseous fluid

A separator separating liquid or solid pollutants in a gaseous fluid flow contains a protective casing having an inlet and outlet ports, an upper outlet disk and a lower discharge disk inside the protective casing, and a separator device between the outlet disk and the discharge disk. The inlet port is hollowed in a vertical wall of the protective casing; the outlet disk includes a central through opening at the outlet port; and there are multiple discharge ports hollowed inside the discharge disk and on the annular edge of the discharge disk, respectively. An upper space separates the outlet disk from the separator device. The inlet port allows the gaseous fluid flow to pass into the upper space. The separator device has vertical walls wound around a vertical longitudinal axis leaving a central space therein to form at least one spiral that has a particular structure and forms a conduit.

The present invention refers to a separator for a gaseous fluid.

In the state of the art, separators for gaseous fluids adapted to separate liquids or solids transported by flows of gaseous fluids are known.

In particular, a separator as described in EP 1199095 B1 is known.

Disadvantageously, it has been noted that the abatement efficiency of solid particles greater than or equal to 1 micron is nominal around 99% only as long as a concentration by weight of the solid particles is lower than 7 g/Sm3. As the concentration by weight of the solid particles increases, the abatement efficiency drops and is reduced to around 80% of solid particles with sizes greater than or equal to 1 micron. In particular, it has been noted that over the duration time of a pipe of a gas pipeline the concentration by weight of iron oxides that are formed by corrosion of the conduits increases and it often happens that it is necessary to separate gaseous fluids from solid particles in much higher concentration by weight ranging on average between 20 and 50 g/Sm3.

Other known state-of-the-art separators comprise an inlet of the gaseous fluid at the height of a spiral of the separator device, but disadvantageously in the case of the presence of large particles and of concentrations by weight of solid particles higher than 7 g/Sm3in the flow of the gaseous fluid, which can be defined as high concentrations by weight, there is a strong wear of the separator device and consequently a potential damage to the spiral.

Other known state-of-the-art separators comprise an inlet of the flow of gaseous fluid arranged below the spiral and therefore require additional components which in the presence of high concentrations by weight of solid particles are less efficient since the particles disadvantageously accumulate without being separated from the gaseous fluid until they fall by gravity towards an ascending current generated by the additional components, which pushes the particles out together with the flow of gaseous fluid without effectively separating the gaseous fluid from the solid pollutants.

Furthermore, an inlet of the gaseous fluid placed under the separation device tends to push the smaller and lighter solid particles towards an upper portion of the separation device, reducing the separation efficiency as the lighter particles are trapped in a vortex that is generated in an upper corner of the separator device and are not able to be ejected downwards.

The purpose of the present invention consists in realising a separator for gaseous fluid which allows to separate liquid or solid pollutants by abating 99% of the solid or liquid particles greater than or equal to 1 micron even in conditions of high concentrations by weight higher than 7 g/Sm3of solid particles mixed in the gaseous fluid, reducing the wear of the separator and solving the disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with a separator for a gaseous fluid according to claim1.

Other features are envisaged in the dependent claims.

With reference to the figures and in particular the citedFIGS. 1 and 2, a separator10for a gaseous fluid which separates liquid or solid pollutants entrained by a flow of the gaseous fluid is shown.

The separator10comprises a protective casing11which defines an internal space of the separator10.

The protective casing11comprising an inlet port31and an outlet port32adapted to allow a passage of the flow of the gaseous fluid.

The separator10comprises an upper outlet disk12and a lower discharge disk13arranged inside the protective casing11.

The upper outlet disk12comprises a through opening15that is central to the upper outlet disk12and which is located at the outlet port32of the protective casing11.

The lower discharge disk13comprises a multiplicity of discharge ports16,17, a first multiplicity of discharge ports16which is hollowed inside the lower discharge disk13and a second multiplicity of discharge ports17hollowed on an annular edge of the lower discharge disk13.

The separator10comprises a separator device20arranged inside the protective casing11between the upper outlet disk12and the lower discharge disk13.

The upper outlet disk12is separated by an upper space14from the separator device20.

The separator10comprises a flow diverter41inserted in the upper space14between the upper outlet disk12and the separator device20. The flow diverter41diverts the flow of the gaseous fluid entering from the inlet port31.

Advantageously, the flow diverter41comprises a convex wall which diverts the gaseous fluid entering from the inlet port31and rotates the gaseous fluid entering from the inlet port31in a direction of rotation which corresponds to a direction of winding of the turns23of the spiral of the separator device20by exploiting an agglomeration effect of solid particles mixed in the gaseous fluid due to a centrifugal force caused by rotation.

In particular,FIG. 1shows a cylindrical portion of the separator10which is that portion of the separator10containing in its inside the separator device20, in which a vertical wall of the cylindrical portion of the separator10represents a vertical wall of the protective casing11of the separator10. The cylindrical portion of the separator11containing in its inside the separator device20comprises an axis of geometric symmetry which is a longitudinal geometric axis L arranged vertically with respect to a soil.

The inlet port31is hollowed in the vertical wall of the protective casing11and is adapted to let the flow of gaseous fluid pass into the upper space14arranged between the upper outlet disk12and the separator device20to let the flow of the gaseous fluid pass through the separator device20.

Advantageously, the position of the inlet port31above the separator device20and the pressure difference generated by the presence of the second multiplicity of discharge ports17contribute to pushing solid particles towards a lower portion of the separator device20, significantly reducing a quantity of direct solid particles towards an upper portion of the separator device20.

The outlet port32is at the central through opening15of the upper outlet disk12and is adapted to let the flow of cleaned gaseous fluid which has passed through the separator device20exit from the separator10.

The separator device20comprises vertical walls21wound around the longitudinal geometric axis L forming at least one spiral comprising a multiplicity of turns23. The vertical walls21of the at least one spiral are spaced from each other by a constant pitch, wherein the at least one spiral forms a conduit22comprising a rectangular longitudinal section, in which a minor side P of the longitudinal section of the conduit22is a transverse distance between two adjacent vertical walls21and a longer side H of the longitudinal section of the conduit22is a height of the vertical walls21of the separator device20, in which the height is measured along a parallel to the longitudinal geometric axis L. The transverse distance is measured on a transverse geometric plane to which the longitudinal geometric axis L is perpendicular.

FIG. 2shows an embodiment example with a single spiral. In the case of a single spiral, the number of turns23is comprised between six and eight.

In the case of a single spiral shown inFIG. 2, the transverse distance between the adjacent vertical walls21corresponds to the pitch of the turn23of the spiral.

Alternatively,FIG. 3shows three sheets which constitute vertical walls21wound around the longitudinal geometric axis L so as to form three concentric spirals. Each spiral comprises a geometric centre arranged on the longitudinal geometric axis L. Each spiral preferably comprises a number of turns23comprised between four and eight, so that when the spirals are penetrated together, the turns23create a conduit22. The three concentric spirals and their turns23form the single rectangular conduit22, which is defined by the adjacent vertical walls21.

FIG. 3shows an embodiment example comprising three concentric spirals but it is possible to envisage that the number of concentric spirals can be comprised between three, two and six.

The longitudinal section of the conduit22is shown in the figures and lies on a longitudinal geometric plane which comprises the longitudinal geometric axis L and is perpendicular to the soil.

InFIGS. 1 and 2the spiral shape of the separator device20is evident by cutting the separator device20along a transverse geometric plane which is perpendicular to the longitudinal geometric axis L and is parallel to the soil.

The first multiplicity of discharge ports16is hollowed in the lower discharge disk13at the turns23of the spiral of the separator device20so that the first multiplicity of discharge ports16is distributed following the geometry of the at least one spiral.

Preferably, the diameter of the first discharge ports16is substantially equal to the transverse distance between two of the adjacent vertical walls21so as to advantageously maximize the discharge of polluting liquids and solids from the lower discharge disk13.

The first multiplicity of discharge ports16advantageously allows to let liquids or solids transported by the flow of the gaseous fluid and separated from the gaseous fluid pass through by means of the separator10according to the present invention.

The second multiplicity of discharge ports17advantageously allows to discharge liquids or solids of the flow of the gaseous fluid which has been channeled between an internal vertical wall of the protective casing11and the separator device20. A transverse distance between the internal vertical wall of the protective casing11and the external vertical wall21of the spiral of the separator device20corresponds to a section of transverse passage of the inlet port31, wherein section of transverse passage of the inlet port31refers to a transverse space comprised between a mouth of the inlet port31and the external vertical wall21, in which the transverse space is measured on a transverse geometric plane.

Advantageously, the second multiplicity of discharge ports17contributes to creating a pressure difference which pushes the gaseous fluid downwards and further helps to carry liquids or solids or particles towards a lower portion of the separator device20.

Even more advantageously, the second multiplicity of discharge ports17allows to eject solid particles of greater sizes even before they enter the turns23of the separator device20, favouring a very useful pre-separation when there is a high concentration of solid particles inside the gaseous fluid.

The liquids and the solids coming out through the multiplicity of discharge ports16,17end up in an accumulation tank19in order to then be drained.

Advantageously, the separator device20comprises a diameter such as to occupy an internal diameter of the protective casing11of the separator10.

The vertical walls21of the separator device20wind around the longitudinal geometric axis L leaving in their inside a central longitudinal space18which comprises a diameter equal to that of the through opening15of the upper outlet disk12.

The separator10comprises an outlet conduit38which is arranged along the longitudinal geometric axis L inside the upper space14and which connects the through opening15of the upper outlet disk12with the central space18of the spiral of the separator device20.

The separator10comprises a multiplicity of flow diverting fins42which are mounted at the inlet of a rectangular through opening of the conduit22. The rectangular through opening of the conduit22lies on a longitudinal geometric plane of the conduit22.

The flow diverting fins42are spaced from each other by a vertical distance which is measured on a parallel of the longitudinal geometric axis L.

The flow diverting fins42comprise a length comprised between 10 and 100 mm based on the dimensions of the separator10. In particular,FIGS. 1 and 2show four flow diverting fins42which are inclined by 30 sexagesimal degrees with respect to a transverse geometric plane which is parallel to the soil. The flow diverting fins42are spaced from each other by the same vertical distance.

Advantageously, the flow diverting fins42allow the flow of the gaseous fluid entering the conduit22to be more diverted towards the first multiplicity of discharge ports16, further favouring the ejection of liquids or solids or particles within the first turns of the spiral.

The separator device20comprises a greater number of turns23than separators of the prior art.

In particular, it is possible to quantify the number of turns23by relating it to a P/H ratio between the dimensions of the conduit22, i.e. a ratio between the smaller side P and the longer side H of the conduit22.

The P/H ratio directly depends on an effective volumetric flow rate measured in cubic meters per hour and inversely depends on an average flow rate of the gaseous fluid at the entrance of the rectangular through opening of the conduit22measured in meters per second.

Preferably the P/H ratio is comprised between 0.03 and 0.06.

Advantageously, the separator10according to the present invention allows the gaseous fluid to be cleaned from liquids or solids or solid particles with a very high efficiency, i.e. eliminating 99% of the solid particles having dimensions higher than or equal to 1 micron.

Advantageously, the separator10allows to effectively clean the gaseous fluid by means of the sole use of fluid-dynamic currents generated thanks to the geometric shape of the separator10.

Advantageously, the separator10according to the present invention allows the gaseous fluid to be separated more effectively and efficiently from the polluting liquids or solids even when the concentration by weight of the solid particles mixed in the gaseous fluid is high and is higher than 7 g/Sm3, contrary to what happens in the state of the prior art.

Advantageously, the separator10according to the present invention allows to reduce the wear of the separator device20.

Advantageously, the greater number of concentric spirals allows to reduce the dimensions of the separator10with respect to other solutions of the state of the prior art in which spirals are arranged in parallel with each other, and this, especially in conditions of high pressures, significantly reduces the cost of the tank.

Advantageously, the separator10according to the present invention allows to obtain rising currents with a more ordered, more laminar and less turbulent flow of the gaseous fluid, contributing to increase the separation efficiency as the likelihood that smaller and lighter particles can be dispersed and rise towards the outlet port32is reduced.

Advantageously, under the lower discharge disk13there are no hoppers or other devices that can form cyclonic vortices, so as to avoid creating accumulations of particles when the concentration by weight of the solid particles mixed in the gaseous fluid is high. The absence of devices that create cyclonic vortices is advantageous for increasing the cleaning efficiency of the gaseous fluid decreasing the presence of lighter solid particles and is useful for decreasing the wear of the separator device20.

Alternatively, it is possible to provide for the vertical walls21of the separator device20to be wound so as to form spirals, wherein each spiral comprises a multiplicity of turns23spaced from each other by a predefined pitch which may even not be a constant pitch, but vary according to a geometry predefined by a manufacturer.

Alternatively, the diameter of the first discharge ports16is lower than the transverse distance between two of the adjacent vertical walls21.

Alternatively, it is provided that the vertical distance between the flow diverting fins42is not constant, but varies according to the experimental parameters of deviation of the flow of the gaseous fluid.

Alternatively, provision is made for the flow diverting fins42of the multiplicity of flow diverting fins42to be inclined by an acute angle with respect to a transverse geometric plane which is parallel to the soil.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to many modifications and variants, all falling within the same inventive concept; furthermore, all details can be replaced by equivalent technical elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions thereof, can be of any type according to the technical requirements.