Patent ID: 7547427

Claim:
A vessel for separating particulate solids from a contaminated gas stream, the vessel comprising: a wall defining a generally cylindrical interior, the wall including a vessel inlet through which a particle-contaminated gas stream enters the interior and a vessel outlet; a primary cyclone stage in fluid communication with the vessel inlet comprising: a primary first tube sheet and a primary second tube sheet, each of the first and second tube sheets extending across the interior; a primary plurality of separation cyclones, each of the cyclones having a substantially vertical cyclone body having a first end fixed with respect to the first tube sheet and a second end, the top end defining a cyclone inlet for receiving the particle-contaminated gas stream, the cyclone operable to induce centripetal acceleration of the particle-contaminated gas stream and to discharge particulates between the respective first tube sheet and second tube sheet, and a first gas outlet extending through the second tube sheet for discharging a first purified gas stream through the second tube sheet; and a secondary cyclone stage in fluid communication with the first gas outlet and spaced apart from the primary cyclone stage, said secondary cyclone stage comprising: a secondary first tube sheet and a secondary second tube sheet, each of the secondary first and second tube sheets extending across the interior; a secondary plurality of separation cyclones, each of the cyclones having a substantially vertical cyclone body having a first end fixed with respect to the secondary first tube sheet and a second end, the first end defining a cyclone inlet for receiving the first purified gas stream, the cyclone operable to induce centripetal acceleration of the particle-contaminated first purified gas stream and to discharge particulates between the respective first tube sheet and second tube sheet, and a second gas outlet extending through the second tube sheet for discharging a second purified gas stream through the second lower tube sheet.