SEPARATION DEVICE

Abstract: A device for continuous separation of solid particles and gas. The device comprises a housing (1) with substantially circular cross-section and in said housing a rotor (2) provided with carriers (4). A tangential inlet (5) for a mixture of particle material and gas and separate outlets (6 and, respectively, 7) for particles and, respectively, gas are connected to the housing (1). The inlet (5) and outlet (6) for the particle material are connected to the periphery of the housing spaced from each other, counted in the circumferential direction. The particle outlet (6) is provided with an air-tight discharge means (8) for the particle material. The outlet (7) for the gas is located centrally in the housing (1). With the device according to the invention a complete separation of particles and gas can be obtained.

Description: Separation device This invention relates to a device for continuous separation of solid particles and gas, for example a mixture of fibrous material and steam. The device comprises a housing with substantially circular cross-section, in said housing a rotary rotor provided with carriers, a tangential inlet connected to said housing for a mixture of particle material and gas, and separate outlets for particles and, respectively, gas. At the manufacture of mechanized pulp from fibrous material in a refiner, large amounts of steam are formed at the same time, as the fibrous material is defibered and refined to pulp. From the refiner a mixture of fibrous material and steam is transported to a device for separating the steam from the fibrous material . The steam shall be recovered for use in other places in the process, and the fibrous material shall be advanced to subsequent process steps. The steam separation normally takes place in a cyclone where the fibrous material/steam is supplied tangentially to a cylindrical container. The fibrous material due to the effect of centrifugal force moves along the container wall downward and is fed out through a conical tapering portion at the same time as the steam discharged upwardly in the container. Such a cyclone can function well when the material is dry, but due to the fact that the fibrous material often is moist and includes sticky extractive matter, such as resins and the like, problems arise with non-uniform discharge and clogging of the cyclone. These problems can be overcome to some extent by placing a rotary helical transport means adjacent the cyclone wall in order during rotation to feed the material downward to the outlet. Such a transport means, however, disturbs the cyclone effect, and it was often even found that the transport means is insufficient and, thus, not entirely prevents the formation of fibrous deposits in the cyclones. The cyclones, instead, are overdimensioned in order to operate satisfactorily in spite of fibrous deposits. This implies, however, increased costs for the equipment. Another problem with this type of cyclones is that they have a relatively poor separation effect at steam separation according to above . The present invention has the object to bring about a separation device, at which the aforesaid problems have been eliminated. The device, thus, implies that fibrous deposits can be avoided, and that the separation effect can be improved without having to overdimensionate the device. The dimensions of the device, instead, can be reduced in relation to a conventional cyclone with the same capacity. The device, futhermore, can be used for particle material with a dry matter content down to about 20%. This is achieved in that the device according to the invention is formed in accordance with the characterizing features defined in the attached claims . The device, thus, is designed for tangential supply of particle material/gas to the periphery of the housing where the rotor provided with carriers rotates in the same direction as the supply. The rotation speed shall be higher, suitably 10-20% higher, than the supply speed. Separate outlets for the particle material and, respectively, gas are provided in the housing. The particle outlet is located at the periphery of the housing spaced from the inlet, while the gas outlet is located centrally. Thereby the particle material by the influence of centrifugal force will be moved to and out through the particle outlet, and at the same time the gas will flow our through the central outlet. By connecting the particle outlet to an air-tight discharge means gas is prevented from following along with the particle material, at the same time as particles by the centrifugal force are prevented from following along with the gas through the gas outlet. In this way a practically 100 per cent separation can be obtained. A device according to the invention can be used in such positions where cyclones normally are employed. Examples of application fields are cleaning of gas, where the gas device is coupled in an existing steam line. The device can also be used at the manufacture of mechanical pulp in several steps by placing it between the refiners of the first and second step in order to separate steam from the first step in connection to the feed-in screw to the second step. The device can also be used for separating gas flowing rearward through the feed-in screw in a refiner. The invention is described in greater detail in the following, with reference to some embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Fig.l shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention; Fig.2 is a section according to II-II in Fig. 1; The device according to Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a housing 1 with substantially circular cross-section. In the housing a rotor 2 is located on a shaft 3 for rotation in the housing. The rotor 2 is formed with carriers 4, which extend outward in the direction to the peripheral wall of the housing 1 which suitably is rounded in axial direction. An inlet 5 for a mixture of solid particles and gas, for example defibered fibrous material and steam from a refiner, is located tangentially to the housing 1. An outlet 6 for solid particles is located at the periphery of the housing spaced from the inlet 5. An outlet 7 for gas is located centrally in the housing 1. The particle outlet 6 is connected to an air-tight discharge means 8 for the solid particles, for example a screw feeder 9 for feeding to a subsequent processing step 10 for the particles . According to Figs . 1 and 2 the inlet 5 and particle outlet 6 are located substantially diametrically opposed in the housing 1. But the angular distance from the inlet 5 to the particle outlet 6 can also be made greater in order to extend the distance and, thus, the time during which the particle material is affected by the carriers 4. The outlet 6 connected to the screw feeder 9 is at its rear edge, counted in the rotation direction, provided with a screen 11, which is provided to prevent the particles from being moved again into the housing by the carriers of the rotor. The rotor 2 suitably can be formed as a circular disc 12 where the carriers 4 are located at the periphery of the disc, and where the disc is provided with openings 13 radically inside the carriers in order to permit gas passage through the disc 12. In a test installation with a device according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a housing with the diameter 400 mm and a rotor were used, the number of revolutions could be varied between 0 and 3000 r/min. A mixture of fibers and air was supplied with an inlet speed of about 25 m/s through a line with the diameter 80 mm. The rotor speed was controlled to about 10% over the inlet speed of the material. At a supply capacity of about 3 kg fibrous material with 90 per cent dry matter content 100% separation of fibers and air was obtained. The invention, of course, is not restricted to the embodiments shown, but can be varied within the scope of the claims.

Claims: Claims 1. Device for continuous separation of solid particles and gas, comprising a housing (1) with substantially circular cross-section, a rotor (2) rotary in said housing and provided with carriers (4) , a tangential inlet (5) connected to the housing (1) for a mixture of particle material and gas, and separate outlets (6 and, respectively, 7) for particles and, respectively, gas, whereby the inlet (5) and outlet (6) for the particle material are connected to the periphery of the housing (1) spaced from each other counted in the circumferential direction, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the particle outlet (6) is provided with an air-tight discharge means (8) for the particle material, and that the outlet (7) for the gas is located centrally in the housing (1) . 2. Device as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the rotor (2) is formed as a circular disc (12), where the carriers (4) are located at the periphery of the disc. 3. Device as defined in claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the disc (12) is provided with openings (13) radially inside the carriers (4) .

Inventors: VIRVING NILS, VIRVING, NILS
Applicants: VALMET FIBERTECH AB, VIRVING NILS, VIRVING, NILS
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B01D45
IPC codes: B01D45, D21B1