Patent GB-1424489-A (GB)
Title: Device for separating solid or liquid particles from a gaseous  medium
IPC: B04C5/103
Filed: 1974-01-28
Abstract: 1424489 Centrifugal separators GEORGIA TECH RESEARCH INSTITUTE 28 Jan 1974 03838/74 Heading B2P [Also in Division F4] An apparatus for separating and removing entrained material e.g. solid particles or liquid droplets, from a gaseous medium comprises: (a) an elongate hollow cylinder 12 Fig. 1, having end closure means 14, 16 to define a chamber 20; (b) inlet means e.g. 44, Fig. 2, connected to the side wall of the cylinder adjacent the closure means 14 for introducing the gaseous medium and entrained material into the chamber to flow tangentially of the cylinder, as indicated at 58, and axially towards the closure means 16 so as to form an outer helical flow layer 22 adjacent the inner surface of the cylinder which reacts with closure means 16 to reverse axial direction and form a second helical flow layer 25 within the confines of the outer layer 22; (c) an outlet conduit 38 extending through the closure means 14 and having a discharge mouth 27 disposed coaxially within the chamber and positioned beyond the inlet means toward the closure means 16; and (d) a flow directing body 26 adjacent the closure means 16 and defining with the inner surface of the cylinder an annular residence pocket 40 for the separated entrained material 41 and in which axial flow reversal of the outer helical flow layer 22 takes place, the body 26 tapering outwardly to define with the inner surface of the cylinder a constricted annular entrance mouth 36 to the pocket 40 and the outer diameter of the body at the mouth 36 being greater than the diameter of the discharge mouth 27 of the conduit 38 so as to displace the second helical flow layer 25 outwardly and thereby cause it to extend outside the region of the discharge mouth 27 where it reverses axial direction to form a third helical flow layer 31, and the body 26 further including a tip portion 30 contoured to reverse the axial flow direction of the third flow layer 31 to create a stable vortex 34 extending to the discharge mouth 27 of the conduit 38. The inlet means may be a single inlet duct or may consist of a tube 52 directing flow tangentially and at a slight angle into the chamber 20 and a tube 44 directing flow chordwise of the chamber, the two flows intersecting at 57 and joining to provide the tangential inlet flow 58. Further inlet tubes 46 and 54 may be provided. The tubes 52, 54 each contain a flow of gaseous medium having little, if any, solids or liquids entrained therein whereas the flow through each of the tubes 44, 46 is heavily laden with the particulate material desired to be removed. Figs. 5 and 6 show the separator used also as an incinerator the walls 101 and 103 of which are made of refractory material. Combustion supporting gas, e.g. air, is introduced into the chamber 105 through conduits 106. 107 which are associated with blower and heat producing means 108, 109 whereby sufficient temperature is produced to cause entrained waste products, e.g. peanut hulls, introduced with air through conduits 110, 111 to be ignited and burnt. The separated ash byproducts of combustion collect in the residence pocket 140 and pass therefrom through adjustable vanes 121 of a grate 120 into a hopper 114 which is equipped with a rotary control discharge valve 115. In a modification of the separating apparatus, Fig. 7 (not shown), which is provided with a grate and a discharge hopper as in Fig. 5, an annular perforated dispensing manifold is supported around the tapered flow directing body above the grate and is connected to fluid supply means for spraying fluid down through the grate so as to purge the residence pocket and hopper of separated material.