Patent ID: 8701896

Claim:
A hydroclone comprising: a tank including a housing ( 103 ) having chamber walls ( 105 ) defining a frusto-conical shaped fluid compartment ( 106 ) extending from a wide upper end to a narrow bottom end, a fluid inlet ( 130 ) located at the wide upper end for receiving incoming fluid, a filtered fluid outlet ( 136 ) located at the narrow bottom end for filtered fluid to exit the tank, and an effluent outlet ( 133 ) located at the narrow bottom end for effluent to exit the tank: a filter assembly centrally located within the frusto-conical shaped fluid compartment ( 106 ) of the tank and which defines a filtered fluid chamber ( 112 ) in fluid communication with the filtered fluid outlet ( 136 ) located at the narrow bottom end of the tank, wherein fluid passing through the filter assembly to the filtered fluid chamber ( 112 ) comprises filtered fluid; and an intake structure ( 160 ) located at the wide upper end of the tank and comprising: an intake port ( 163 ) in fluid communication with the fluid inlet ( 130 ) located at the wide upper end of the tank, an annular outer wall ( 162 ) encircling a center region ( 169 ) and extending at least one rotation within the tapered fluid compartment ( 106 ), and an annularly descending inlet ramp ( 164 ), wherein the intake structure ( 160 ) defines a downward rotational flow path from the fluid inlet ( 130 ) into a region ( 110 ) between the chamber walls ( 105 ) and the filter assembly and towards the effluent outlet ( 133 ) located at the narrow bottom end of the tank.