Abstract:
The present invention is a design for a highly efficient passive separator. The invention utilizes passive air rotation techniques in combination with centrifugal separation and a particulate reservoir to achieve highly efficient, highly effective separation of, e.g., particulate matter from a fluid.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is filed as a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/318,320 entitled “Axial Flow Centrifugal Dust Separator,” filed Dec. 12, 2002 which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/025,376 entitled “Toroidal Vortex Vacuum Cleaner Centrifugal Dust Separator,” filed Dec. 19, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of allowed application Ser. No. 09/835,084 entitled “Toroidal Vortex Bagless Vacuum Cleaner,” filed Apr. 13, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of allowed application Ser. No. 09/829,416 entitled “Toroidal and Compound Vortex Attractor,” filed Apr. 9, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,094, filed Dec. 1, 2000, entitled “Lifting Platform,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,753, filed May 21, 1999, entitled “Vortex Attractor,” all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to an improved separator for separating, e.g., dust from a fluid flow. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved separator utilizing passive air rotation techniques in conjunction with a transfer slot to achieve highly efficient separation.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The inventor is aware of certain existing technology that will facilitate understanding of the novel subject matter of the present invention.  
           [0004]    [0004]FIGS. 1A and 1B (PRIOR ART) depict a typical dynamic transfer dust separator  100 . Looking at the side view, shown in FIG. 1A, dusty air (or any type of fluid having some concentration of higher density matter) is drawn into the input pipe  103 . As it passes point A, it moves through the blades  106  of a centrifugal impeller  104  powered by motor  107 . Air  105 , leaving the blades  106  at point B, moves from left to right while following a spiral path until it reaches point C. At point C, the air  105  moves inward to enter the exit pipe  111  at point D. Centrifugal forces acting on dust particles in the air  105  spiraling around between the outer casing  102  and the circular inner air guide  110  cause them to migrate out to the inner wall of the outer casing  102 . Therefore, the space enclosed by the outer casing  102  comprises a separation chamber  101  with high dust concentrations close to the outer wall and low dust concentrations at the center. When air  105  turns away from the outer wall at C, the dust it contains continues to circulate around the inside of the outer wall. Thus, the air  105  at the center of the chamber as it exits at D via exit pipe  111  is essentially cleaned of dust. The dust travels through a transfer slot  108  and into a dust box  109  for storage. The particulars of the dust box are discussed infra.  
           [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1B shows a cross-section of the dust separator  100 . This view shows air  105  circulating in the separation chamber  101 , (i.e., the space between the central air guide  110  and the outer casing  102 ). Dust migrates to the outside of this circulating airflow to follow a path close to the inner wall of the outer casing  102 . A transfer slot  108  in the bottom of this wall allows dust particles to travel (along the path shown by streamline  116 ) into the lower dust box  109  while air  105  makes the turn to remain in the separation chamber and continues to circulate. After the dust circulates in the dust box  109 , it eventually settles at the bottom (as shown by collected dust  115 ).  
           [0006]    When dust enters the dust box  109 , the combination of its own energy, air movement, and the friction between air from the separation chamber  101  and the air in the dust box  109  causes the dust in the dust box  109  to continue to circulate. This circulation occurs in the top section of the dust box  109  while the dust rapidly settles to the bottom. The combination of the shape of the transfer slot  108  and the inertia of dust particles in the circulation below it prevents dust in the box  109  from migrating back into the separation chamber  101 .  
           [0007]    The system  100  also works when the dust box  109  is located on the side of the separation chamber  101 . The circulating dusty airflow in the dust box  109  pushes the dust away from the transfer slot to form coagulated dust masses.  
           [0008]    [0008]FIGS. 2A&amp;B (PRIOR ART) show another existing technology, namely, a typical cyclonic separator. Cyclonic separators generally take the form of a tapered cylinder  205  into which air enters  201  through an input pipe  202  that is set tangentially to the cylinder wall. The air flows around the inside of the cylinder as shown by streamline  203 , held there by centrifugal force (centripetal acceleration). As the air flows downward, the dust contained within the air stream is thrown outward to the cylinder wall due to its relatively higher density. The dust slides down the wall where it collects at the bottom of the cylinder  204 . Clean air  207 , however, is drawn to the center and flows upward through the output pipe  206  leaving the dust behind.  
           [0009]    The last relevant technology that the inventor is aware of is swirl tube separation. Swirl tube and cyclonic separators differ in the method of spinning the air around into a spiral path through the separation chamber. The swirl tube method, however, may require less power to move air through the separator.  
           [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 shows a typical swirl tube dust separator  300 . Dusty air  301  enters the separator  300  via input pipe  302  and is directed downward to pass through a series of curved vanes  303 . These vanes  303  impart a tangential velocity component so that the dusty air spirals down the inside of the cylindrical outer casing  305  generally in accordance with streamline  306 . As in the cyclonic separator of FIG. 2, dust is thrown to the wall of the separation chamber  304  and it falls down to the bottom  307 . Clean air  309  returns to the central output tube  308  and exits upwards.  
           [0011]    The preceding technologies are the basis for the novel subject of the present invention, and have been presented to assist the reader&#39;s understanding thereof.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    Although the terms “dust,” “dusty,” “air,” “dusty air,” and the like are used throughout to represent the fluid and particulate with which the invention operates, they should be taken as merely examples of a fluid and associated particulate. The invention is equally adept at separating, e.g., sand from water. Also, the invention is not limited to separating matter of different states (e.g., a solid from a liquid), but could also separate matter of the same state (e.g., two insoluble liquids of different densities).  
           [0013]    Generally, transfer chamber dust separators have two distinct dust separation chambers that are coupled together by a transfer slot. In the first chamber, i.e., the separation chamber, dusty air circulates to allow dust to be thrown out to the chamber walls by centrifugal force (centripetal acceleration). Dust then flows through a slot (referred to herein as “transfer slot”) in the separation chamber&#39;s outer wall into the second chamber that is frequently called the dust box. Notably, the term “slot” should not be taken to require any specific geometry or configuration, but merely an opening or coupling that allows the transport of particulates. Dust circulates around in the dust box in a way that its inertia prevents it from being caught up by the clean airflow leaving the separation chamber. This secondary dust circulation is by no means essential to the operation but is very effective in retaining the finest of dust particles and also low density particles.  
           [0014]    The separators of the present invention do not require a centrifugal air pump impeller but instead achieve appropriate airflow by employing passive techniques as used in, e.g., swirl tube and cyclonic separators. These passive features are combined with a separator chamber to increase efficiency. Thus, these novel separators can be characterized as “Passive Transfer Chamber Dust Separators.” The separation system is provided with circulating air either by injecting air tangentially into the separation chamber (as in a cyclonic separator) or by moving the air through a series of curved vanes (as in a swirl tube separator). The performance is superior to that of conventional separators because the transfer chamber system prevents particulates separated out to be drawn back into the air stream. When applied to these passive techniques, the transfer chamber approach significantly improves the amount of fine and low density dust that can be captured by separating it from the airflow through a dust separator system.  
           [0015]    In accordance with the present invention, two embodiments of passive separators are described that have separation and particulate collecting chambers connected by a transfer slot. Circulation in the separation chamber throws particulates out to the chamber wall by centrifugal force. From there, it passes through the transfer slot to the particulate box. Particulates continue to circulate in the particulate box and are prevented from re-entering the separation chamber by their own inertia.  
           [0016]    Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient separator.  
           [0017]    It is another object of the present invention to provide an efficient separator for separating dust from air.  
           [0018]    Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient separator for separating particulates from air.  
           [0019]    Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to efficiently separate particulates from a fluid.  
           [0020]    It is yet another object of the present invention to separate two fluids.  
           [0021]    It is an additional object of the present invention to combine a separation chamber with passive air steering techniques.  
           [0022]    These and other objects will become readily apparent to one skilled in the art upon review of the following description, figures, and claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    A further understanding of the present invention can be obtained by reference to a preferred embodiment set forth in the illustrations of the accompanying drawings. Although the illustrated embodiment is merely exemplary of systems for carrying out the present invention, both the organization and method of operation of the invention, in general, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, may be more easily understood by reference to the drawings and the following description. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, which is set forth with particularity in the claims as appended or as subsequently amended, but merely to clarify and exemplify the invention.  
         [0024]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following drawings in which:  
         [0025]    [0025]FIGS. 1A and 1B (PRIOR ART), already discussed, depict a typical dynamic transfer dust separator;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 (PRIOR ART), already discussed, depicts a typical cyclonic separator;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 3 (PRIOR ART), already discussed, depicts a typical swirl tube dust separator;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 4A, 4B, and  4 C depict a cyclonic transfer chamber dust separator in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 5A and 5B depict swirl tube transfer chamber dust separator in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]    As required, a detailed illustrative embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein. However, techniques, systems, and operating structures in accordance with the present invention may be embodied in a wide variety of forms and modes, some of which may be quite different from those in the disclosed embodiment. Consequently, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative, yet in that regard, they are deemed to afford the best embodiment for purposes of disclosure and to provide a basis for the claims herein which define the scope of the present invention. The following presents a detailed description of a preferred embodiment (as well as some alternative embodiments) of the present invention and features thereof.  
         [0031]    Referring to FIG. 4A, the cyclonic transfer chamber separator  400  uses an input system that produces an air stream  407  circulating around the inside of a cylindrical separation chamber  404  but adds a separate dust box  405  connected by a transfer slot  410 . Dirty air is piped in  402  at the bottom left via input pipe  401 . The dirty air circulates around the central air guide  403 . Centrifugal force ensures that particulate matter is forced outward toward the inside surface of the outer casing  406 . The density of the particulate matter forces it to eventually pass through the transfer slot  410  and deposit in the dust box  405 . Because of its comparatively small density, clean air  409  is able to make its way out of the separator  400  via output pipe  408 . The user can empty the stored particulate matter by utilizing opening  414 . Opening  414  may take the form, e.g., of a hole with a plug, a threaded stem and cap, or any other type of resealable opening. Alternatively, a bag (e.g., flexible plastic) may be used in place of dust box  405 . When air is blown into the dust box  405 , it is above atmospheric. Thus, if a bag is used, it will inflate due to the internal pressure being greater than external. When the bag becomes full of dust, it can be removed, sealed, and discarded. Notably, many other passive dust separators draw air through the system via the output pipe  408 . Thus, the pressure in the dust box would below atmospheric and would not allow use of a flexible bag.  
         [0032]    The cyclonic system  400  requires a  90 0 direction change in airflow from input  402  to output  409 . FIG. 4A shows air entering horizontally, and turned upwards to enter the separation chamber  404 . The 90° bend is shown for convenience to maintain a horizontal input to output airflow. The bend is not a necessary feature of the invention, but can be implemented depending upon application. Also, the system  400  can be mounted in any direction because transfer slot operation does not rely on gravity. When mounted at 90° to the direction of FIG. 4A, dust will fall to what is then the bottom.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4B illustrates the cross-section at X-X in FIG. 4A. The illustration shows that dirty air enters input pipe  401  tangentially to a circular dust separation chamber  404  around which the air flow  407  takes on a spiral path. Notably, the central air guide  403  defines the inside of the separation chamber  404 . Returning back to FIG. 4A, the spiral path of the airflow  407  moves from left to right.  
         [0034]    The cross-section Y-Y of FIG. 4A is shown in FIG. 4C. This view shows air (or other fluid)  407  circulating in the separation chamber  404 , i.e., the space between the central air guide  403  and the outer casing  406 . Centrifugal acceleration mandates that particulates (or any suspended matter with greater density than the fluid in which it is disposed) migrate to the outside of this circulating airflow to follow a path close to the inner wall of the outer casing  406 . A transfer slot  410  in the bottom of this wall allows particulates to travel (along path shown by streamline  411 ) into the lower particulate box  405  while air  407  remains in the separation chamber  404  and continues to circulate. After the particulates circulate in the particulate box  405 , they eventually settle at the bottom.  
         [0035]    When particulates enter the particulate box  405 , the combination of their own energy and air movement coupled by friction between air from the separation chamber  404  and air in the dust box  405  causes the particulates in the particulate box  405  to continue to circulate. This circulation occurs in the top section of the particulate box  405  while the particulates rapidly settle to the bottom. The combination of the shape of the transfer slot  410  and the inertia of particulates in the circulation below it prevents particulates in the box  405  from migrating back into the separation chamber  404 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIGS. 5A and 5B show a transfer chamber dust separator  500  utilizing a swirl tube approach. Referring to the side view in FIG. 5A, air having particulate matter dispersed therein enters  502  via the input pipe  501  and passes around a central air guide  504 . The input pipe diameter expands to become the outer casing  506  of the separation chamber  507 . The space between the central air guide  504  and the outer casing  506  forms an annulus. Within the annulus, a series of curved blades (i.e., swirl vanes)  503  mounted around the central air guide  504  cause the airflow  509  to spiral inside the separation chamber  507 . The arrangement of the curved blades is such that sufficient spin is imparted to the airflow to allow ejection of higher-density matter. The rotation of air flow  509  causes the particulate matter to be ejected outward toward the walls of the outer casing  506 . Eventually, the particulate matter will be ejected from the airflow  509  and pass through the transfer slot  505  into the particulate box  511 . Since the density of the air is comparatively small, it is able to exit the separation chamber  510  via output pipe  508 , cleaned of particulate matter. The user can empty the stored particulate matter by utilizing opening  515 . Opening  515  may take the form, e.g., of a hole with a plug, a threaded stem and cap, or any other type of resealable opening. Alternatively, a bag (e.g., flexible plastic) may be used in place of particulate box  511 . When air, e.g., is blown into the dust box  511 , it is above atmospheric. Thus, if a bag is used, it will inflate due to the internal pressure being greater than external. When the bag becomes full of dust, it can be removed, sealed, and discarded. Notably, many other passive dust separators draw air through the system via the output pipe  508 . Thus, the pressure in the dust box would below atmospheric and would not allow use of a flexible bag.  
         [0037]    The cross-section X-X of FIG. 5A is shown in FIG. 5B. Air and particulate matter circulate  509  around the inside of the separation chamber wall. The air and particulate matter spin due to swirl vanes  503  (not visible in this view). The particulate matter, due to centrifugal force, will pass through transfer slot  505  into the particulate box  511 , where it will collect into a pile  513 . The system  500  can be mounted in any direction because transfer slot operation does not rely on gravity. When mounted at 90° to the direction of FIG. 5A, dust will fall to what is then the bottom.  
         [0038]    While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, which embodiments have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention, such embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to be limiting or represent an exhaustive enumeration of all aspects of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, shall be defined solely by the following claims. Further, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such details without departing from the spirit and the principles of the invention.