Abstract: A foam removal apparatus for a vessel which contains a liquid as well as foam bubbles has a cover inclined with respect to the horizontal, a screen, and a trough, the trough being located beneath at least a portion of the screen for removing foam pushed through said screen. The apparatus can be used in conjunction with any shaped vessel and requires no energy for foam removal. Either a rising liquid level in the vessel or a continuous generation of foam forces the foam against the inclined cover and through the screen which causes a substantial amount of foam bubbles to collapse and fall as liquid into the trough.

Abstract: A method for removing particulate matter from a gas stream by injecting charged particles into the gas stream to form a large charged surface area to induce charges on the entrained particulate matter. The injected material may be an adsorbent or an absorbent and may be reactive with the gases in the gas stream. The charged particles contained in the gas stream together with the injected particles are passed through a porous moving bed of media such as silica rock; as a result of the electrical charge as well as inertial impact forces on the respective particles, the particles become attached to the media which is continuously changed after it has captured the fine particulate matter. The media, together with attached sorbent additive and particulate matter, may then be incorporated into a product the manufacture of which generated the particulate matter.

Abstract: A filtering separator, in particular a pocket or tube filter, of the kind in which smoke-laden gas containing dust particles of particularly great adhesiveness is fed into a dust collecting trough of a filter housing at the bottom and upwards towards filter elements and in which the filter elements are cleaned periodically by counter-current scavenging and/or joggling. A proportion of the settling dust agglomerated in the filter which corresponds to the amount of dust in the incoming smoke laden gas and which cannot be carried back to the filter surfaces by the smoke-laden gas is removed from said dust collecting trough.A lower part of the dust collecting trough is occupied by a longitudinally extending, rotatably mounted, perforated or sieve-like drum which is arranged to be filled with heavy bodies such as balls. The upper part of the drum is exposed and acts as a dust-collecting store or reservoir to which the smoke-laden gas is fed in order to flow transversely through the drum and its contents.

Abstract: An improved horizontal vapor-liquid separator providing a separation chamber, a horizontal inlet conduit having internal vanes for imparting a helical motion to fluid flow therethrough, a series of at least three pipe separators coaxially aligned with the inlet conduit and spaced apart to form annular orifices for the collection of heavier droplets forced to the inner peripheries of the piping by the centrifugal force, a conical baffle located in the path of the flow discharged from the end of the last separator pipe for coalescing final traces of liquid by impingement, and a vapor exhaust conduit coaxially aligned with the inlet conduit. A second chamber located beneath the separation chamber collects the liquid by gravity flow and utilizes a liquid level control system to maintain a vapor barrier while discharging the collected liquid at the same rate of accumulation.

Abstract: A filtering separator for cleaning dust and smoke-particle-laden gases comprising a separator, a duct connected to the gas inlet of the separator and containing dust collector bodies around which the dirty gas flows, means for detaching particles which collect on and between said bodies, said detaching means affording at least intermittent application of vibration force, and means for feeding at least some of said particles to said separator along with the dirty gas.

Abstract: A fiber bed separator and method are provided for separating liquids from gases using cylindrical fiber bed elements disposed in a non-vertical position, preferably at an angle of from 0.degree. to 75.degree. from horizontal, and particularly disposed in a substantially horizontal position. The fiber bed is of fiber of at least 5 micron mean diameter packed to a bed voidage of from about 85 to 98%, the fiber diameter and bed voidage being selected such that at design bed velocity and liquid loading the fiber bed is not flooded and the residual saturation of the fiber bed against gas drag (R.sub.v) on the liquid collected is less than the residual saturation of said bed against gravity drainage (R.sub.g). The gas stream containing the liquid flows from the hollow core of the cylindrical element radially through the fiber bed such that the gas and the collected liquid phase flow radially outwardly through said fiber bed and the liquid drains downwardly around the outer circumference of the fiber bed.

Abstract: An electrofluidized bed agglomerator and method of agglomerating which comprises agglomerating submicron (and/or supermicron) particulates with a liquid, said liquid acting as a bond between particulates of the agglomerate thus formed to maintain the integrity thereof.

Abstract: Finely divided metal oxides produced by combustion of metal carbonyls are separated from the stream of gas by filtration. Before filtration, the stream of gas is subjected to a permanent change of direction in a tubular zone. This change of direction must be sufficient to cause a centrifugal acceleration which is from at least 1,000 to 10,000 times the acceleration due to gravity.

Abstract: A method and a device related to separating liquid from liquid-containing compressed gas in a two-stage liquid separator are disclosed. According to the invention, separated and collected liquid containing a large amount of small gas bubbles is automatically prevented from reaching a filter unit in the separator when the pressure at the filter unit decreases.

Abstract: A filter element for gas or liquid comprises a layer of glass, ceramic, metal, mineral wool or organic fibers containing, wholly within the layer, an apertured sheet, for example of steel or aluminum, the fibers being bound to one another throughout the layer and through the apertures, as well as to the sheet itself, by a synthetic resin such as silicone resin or polyurethane. The filter element is formed by mounting the apertured sheet a selected distance above a filter surface on which the fibers build up while a slurry containing the fibers is drained through the filter surface. When the fibers have built up to a predetermined distance above the sheet, the fibers containing the sheet are removed and the assembly impregnated with a synthetic resin and cured. Two or more grades of slurry mixture may be used in succession to produce a density grading through the thickness of the fibrous layer.

Abstract: A fiber bed separator and method are provided for separating aerosols of 3 microns and less from gases. Two fiber beds in intimate contact with one another are used. The first fiber bed, in the direction of gas flow is of fibers of at least about 5 microns mean diameter packed to a bed voidage of from about 85 to 98%, the fiber diameter and bed voidage being selected such that at design bed velocity and aerosol loading the first bed is not flooded and the residual saturation of said first fiber bed against gas drag on the liquid collected is less than the residual saturation of said bed against gravity drainage of the liquid. The second fiber bed is packed to a bed voidage of from about 85 to 99% with fibers of equal or greater mean diameter than those in the first fiber bed such that the residual saturation of said second fiber bed against gas drag is greater than the residual saturation of the bed against gravity drainage.

Abstract: A method of removing aerosol particles as well as larger particles from the emissions of kitchens of restaurants, particularly those used in the fast food industry, comprising collecting the smoke and other gases rising from the kitchen cooking area and passing the smoke and other gases containing aerosol size liquid and solid particles through a coalescing filter which coalesces and removes from the air stream the aerosol particles of 3 microns and smaller as well as particles of larger size. The apparatus includes a hood positioned above the cooking area of a kitchen, a ventilation duct connected to the hood for conveying gases collected by the hood to the atmosphere outside of the kitchen, an aerosol particle coalescing filter enclosed within the ventilation duct, a blower connected with the ventilation duct for drawing gases from the hood through the duct and filter and for discharging the gases into the atmosphere outside of the kitchen.

Abstract: A combination exhaust-gas cleaner and muffler for particular use in an exhaust system of an automotive engine incorporating in the exhaust system a catalytic converter using a granular catalyst which is responsible for emission of dust particles of oxides of base or noble metal, comprising at least one centrifugal separator for separating the dust particles from the exhaust gases by imparting a centrifugal force to the stream of the exhaust gases, a dust collection chamber communicating with the centrifugal separator for collecting therein the dust particles separated from the exhaust gases and at least one silencer chamber also in communication with the centrifugal separator for dampening out noises which are borne by the exhaust gases. For the purpose of growing up the ultrafine dust into coarse particles, a particle growing chamber stuffed with a flocculent metallic material such as steel wool may be located upstream of the centrifugal separator.

Abstract: The separation characteristics of particles entrained in a particle-laden gas for separation by the commonly used methods for removing particles from a gas stream are improved by injecting finely divided urea into the gas stream prior to its passage through the separator. The urea conditioner agglomerates the particles to facilitate their removal from the gas stream by the separator.

Abstract: This invention provides vertically disposed fiber bed elements and separators containing the same wherein "bubble re-entrainment" of a collected liquid phase in a gas stream flowing through the fiber bed is substantially eliminated or reduced. "Bubble re-entrainment" refers to that re-entrainment of liquid which occurs at the bottom of the fiber bed where the cumulative drainage of the liquid is at its maximum. This is accomplished by providing at the bottom of the fiber bed a vertically disposed gas flow baffle means such as, e.g., a baffle plate, such that some portion of the fiber bed is disposed downstream of the baffle means and shielded by the lee side of said baffle means from the moving gas stream, said shielding being effective throughout the shielded portion of the fiber bed to reduce the bed velocity of any gas flowing therethrough to below a bubble re-entraining velocity.

Abstract: This disclosure deals with an air cooler and cleaner which receives compressed air coming from an air compressor and removes the moisture content, lubricant oil, solid particles and other contaminants which may be entrained in the air. The air cooler and cleaner includes a tubular metal housing, an upper housing closure and a lower housing closure. Sheet metal cooling fins having housing-receiving openings and cylindrical spacer and heat-conductor collars around said openings are heat shrunk onto the housing in firm thermally conductive contact therewith, the fins being in spaced relation to each other. A swirl chamber is provided in the lower portion of the housing and a cooling chamber is provided in the upper portion of the housing. The swirl chamber has a tangential air inlet for rapidly spinning the air therein. An inverted cylindrical cup-like air director is mounted within the cooling chamber for directing the air against and along the wall of the cooling chamber in a thin layer.

Abstract: A compressor, particularly a cooling-medium compressor of a vehicle climate-control arrangement, has an exhaust outlet. An oil separator is connected to the exhaust outlet and comprises a cylindrical coagulator formed of a plurality of layers of wire fabric, and end plates closing off the opposite ends of the cylindrical coagulator, with one of the end plates being provided with an inlet opening for the inflow of a gas-oil mixture from the compressor exhaust outlet into the oil separator.

Abstract: An electrostatic filter for separating particles suspended in air has an electrically conducting elongate separation tube and an elongate electrode within the tube connected to a high-voltage direct current source to produce an electric charge current from the electrode to the tube. The tube has air-inlet openings distributed over the surface thereof and is covered with a layer of air-permeable material. The layer of air-permeable material is dimensioned and said air-inlet openings are dimensioned and spaced over the surface of the separation tube to to provide an air resistance such that substantially the same pressure drop of the air passing through the layer and the air-inlet openings to the interior of the separation tube along the whole length of the separation tube covered by the layer is created.

Abstract: A dual air-oil separator which separates two air-oil mixtures of differing proportions in a single unit having first and second chambers for the separate mixtures. The two chambers are separated by a perforated partition wall. The air-oil mixture, high in air is separated as it passes from the first chamber through the perforated wall and into the second chamber. The second chamber directly receives the air-oil mixture, low in air, for separation and combination in its sump with the oil from the first chamber.

Abstract: A pressure vessel adapted for connection in a high pressure gas line and having a coalescent type filter mounted to extract condensate; a vertical guide fitted with upper and lower magnetically operated switches at positions representing high and low condensate levels; a float carried by the guide for vertical reciprocation and having magnetic means for operating the switches; and an electrically operated valve connected to a condensate drain opening and to a control circuit connected to the switches whereby the condensate will be maintained within upper and lower limits.

Abstract: A muffler particulate trap for an internal combustion engine comprising a housing adapted to be connected to the exhaust stream of the engine through an inlet port, said housing also having an outlet port for communication with the atmosphere, between the inlet port and outlet port, in serial arrangement in the housing, there is at least one chamber containing refractory alumina of requisite high porosity and high surface area and, in communication with said chamber(s), at least one cyclone separator that vents the exhaust stream through said housing outlet into the atmosphere.

Abstract: An air cooler and cleaner for cooling compressed-air coming from an air-compressor and for removing the moisture content thereof and for removing lubricant oil and solid particles and other contaminants which may be entrained therein. The air cooler and cleaner includes a tubular aluminum housing and an upper housing-closure and a lower housing-closure. Sheet-aluminum cooling fins having housing-receiving openings and cylindrical spacer and heat-conductor collars around said openings heat-shrunk onto the housing in firm thermally-conductive contact therewith and spacing the fins in relation to each other. A swirl-chamber in the lower portion of the housing and a cooling-chamber in the upper portion of the housing. The swirl-chamber has a tangential air-inlet for rapidly spinning the air therein. An inverted cylindrical cup-like air-director within the cooling-chamber for directing the air against and along the wall of the cooling-chamber in a thin layer.