Patent EA-002096-B1 (EA)
Title: Method and assembly for separating solids from gaseous phase
Inventor: HILTUNEN JYRKI
IPC: B07B7/08
Filed: 1999-08-12
Abstract: 1. Method for separating two phases from each other, said method comprising the step of passing the material flow of a process, which material flow contains material in a first phase and material in a second, suspended or dispersed, phase, into at least one first separating means and subsequently into at least one second separating means, wherein the material in the suspended or dispersed phase is separated from the material in the first phase under the effect of a centrifugal force, and at least one unit of the second separating means is a multiport cyclone which is adapted inside the first separating means and into which cyclone the material flow to be treated is fed via an infeed nozzle having an annular cross section, characterized in that a multiport cyclone is used as said first separating means. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said material flow to be treated contains gas, liquid and/or solids. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said material flow to be treated is a gas flow containing solids in suspended form. 4. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that said material flow to be treated is a liquid flow containing solids to be removed. 5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said gas flow to be treated contains the flue gases released from the coke combustion process of a catalyst to be regenerated, said flue gases carrying the catalyst in suspended particulate form. 6. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said gas flow to be treated is the product gas of a fluidized catalytic process containing a gas to be treated, a liquid component and/or solids. 7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that said fluidized catalytic process is a catalytic cracking process of hydrocarbons carried out in a fluidized-bed catalytic cracking unit. 8. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said gas flow to be treated is discharged from a boiler used in energy generation as a flue gas from which particulate matter must be removed. 9. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said gas flow to be treated is the exhaust gas of a drying process from which particulate matter must be removed. 10. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said gas flow to be treated is the exhaust steam of a steam system from which liquid droplets must be removed. 11. Method according to any of foregoing claims, characterized in that a plurality of series-connected cyclones are used for separating the material of said second phase from the material of said first phase. 12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that therein are used from 2 to 5 series-connected cyclones having the downward return leg of any one cyclone in the downstream series of cyclones adapted to the interior of the downward return leg of the preceding cyclone. 13. Method according to any foregoing claim, characterized in that the downward return legs of at least two successive series-connected cyclones are adapted to discharge the solids being separated into a common space. 14. Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the compensation of the pressure difference between the interior spaces of the cyclones connected successively in series and adapted to return their solids fraction into the same space is accomplished by way of maintaining solids columns of different heights in the downward return legs of said cyclones. 15. Method according to any of foregoing claims, characterized in that the material flow is passed into said multiport cyclone via said infeed nozzle so that the flow entering the interior space of the multiport cyclone from the exterior of the cyclone is guided and deflected with the help of deflecting means adapted to said infeed nozzle so as to be located entirely or at least partially to the exterior side of the cyclone. 16. Method according to any of foregoing claims, characterized in that the material flow is passed into said multiport secondary cyclone so that the flow is directed to travel upward from the primary cyclone toward the top edge of the secondary cyclone with the help of a deflecting and/or guiding means adapted to the exterior surface of the secondary cyclone such as a tubular guiding element that may contain guide vane members for guiding and deflecting the upright travelling flow. 17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that the material flow is passed from said multiport primary cyclone into said multiport secondary cyclone so that, with the help of a deflecting and/or guiding means adapted to the exterior surface of the secondary cyclone, the flow is directed to travel from below the guide vane system of said primary cyclone to the guide vane system of said secondary cyclone that is located above the guide vane means of said primary cyclone. 18. Assembly for separating gas, liquid and/or solids from a material flow in fluidized catalytic process equipment, said assembly comprising: - at least one first and one second separating means, each having an essentially upright aligned separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43, 46), and at least one of said second separating means being adapted inside said first separating means,  - an infeed nozzle (1; 17; 40) of the material flow to be treated, said nozzle being connected to said separating means, - an outlet nozzle (10; 26; 45) connected to at least one said second separating means for discharging the flow of the treated material from said separating means, and - at least the separating means adapted inside said first separating means is provided with a guide vane system (3, 7; 19, 23; 42) serving to force the material flow to be treated into a vorticously rotating motion that sweeps along the interior wall of said separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43) in order to separate the gas, liquid and/or solids from the material flow under the effect of a centrifugal force, characterized in that  - said first separating means is a multiport cyclone. 19. Assembly according to claim 18, characterized in that the cross section of each separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43, 46) is essentially circular as taken at right angles to the vertical center axis of inner wall of the chamber. 20. Assembly according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that said guide vane system (3, 7; 19, 23; 42) comprises radially outward oriented baffles which are adapted about the upright center axis of said separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43) so as to divide the passageway of the material flow being treated to said separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43) into parallel segmental flow channels. 21. Assembly according to claim 20, characterized in that said parallel segmental flow channels are formed by spanning radial baffle plates between two concentrically mounted cylindrical shells, said baffle plates being aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reactor space. 22. Assembly according to any of claims 18 - 21, characterized in that at least said separating means adapted in the interior space of said first separating means comprises an infeed nozzle (2, 6; 22; 41) of an essentially annular cross section for feeding said material flow into said guide vane system (3, 7; 23; 42) and therefrom further into said separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43). 23. Assembly according to claim 22, characterized in that said infeed nozzle (2, 6; 22; 41) of essentially annular cross section is formed by parallel infeed channel tubes equidistantly spaced in a circular fashion. 24. Assembly according to any of claims 18 - 23, characterized in that said first separating means includes a guide vane system (3, 7; 19, 23; 42) serving to force the material flow to be treated into a vorticously rotating motion that sweeps along the interior wall of said separating chamber (4, 8; 20, 24; 43) in order to separate the gas, liquid and/or solids from the material flow under the effect of a centrifugal force. 25. Assembly according to any of claims 18 - 24, characterized in that said assembly includes mounted in the interior space of its said second separating means at least one more similar second separating means. 26. Assembly according to any of claims 18 - 25, characterized in that said first separating means and each of said second separating means mounted in the interior space of said first separating means have their downward return legs adapted co-axially inside one another thus serving to return the separated solids from each of said separating means into a common collection space. 27. Assembly according to claim 26, characterized in that the return leg of any inner separating means in the vertical direction is adapted to extend higher than the top edge of the respectively concentrically closest preceding outer separating means. 28. Assembly according to any of claims 18 - 27, characterized in that the guide vane system of said separating means is adapted at least partially to the exterior side and above of said separating means so as to extend in the radial direction from the exterior side of said separating means so far inward as to reach the interior space of the separating means. 29. Assembly according to any of claims 18 - 28, characterized in that said assembly includes a deflecting and/or guiding means such as a tubular guiding element that is connected at least to the guide vane system (3, 7; 19, 23; 42) of a separating means mounted in the interior space of said first separating means and is adapted to enclosingly surround the outer surface of said separating means in a downward oriented manner, said deflecting and/or guiding means serving to direct the material flow being treated in the upright direction from the bottom section of an outer separating means to the guide vane system of the respectively subsequently inner separating means. 30. Assembly according to claim 29, characterized in that said deflecting and/or guiding means comprises guide vane members adapted to said guiding means for g