Abstract: A filter for separating solid bodies such as fish from a liquid stream such as flowing water to be used as a coolant for a power-generating plant comprises a cylindrical housing, an inlet conduit attached to a cylindrical wall of the housing substantially radially thereto, a first outlet conduit connected to a bottom end of the housing for drawing off filtrate, a second outlet conduit connected to the cylindrical housing wall opposite the inlet conduit for channeling away fish-laden effluent, a wedge disposed at the junction of the inlet conduit and the housing for dividing an incoming fluid stream into two equal portions, a filter sieve eccentrically disposed in the housing for forming therewith an annular filter chamber including tapered chamber halves of decreasing width in the direction of fluid flow, and a pair of independently actuatable gate flaps swingably mounted on the wedge for pivoting between respective closed positions engaging the housing and respective fully open positions engaging the sieve.

Abstract: A filter for separating solid bodies such as fish from a stream of water utilizable as a coolant for a power-generating plant comprises a cylindrical housing, an inlet conduit attached to a cylindrical wall of the housing substantially radially thereto, a first outlet conduit connected to a bottom end of the housing for drawing off filtrate, a second outlet conduit attached to the cylindrical housing wall opposite the inlet conduit for channeling away fish-laden effluent, a filter sieve eccentrically disposed in the housing to form therewith an annular filter chamber including tapered chamber halves extending from the inlet to the second outlet conduit, and an elongate wedge-shaped fluid-guide body extending parallel to the housing symmetry axis and shiftably disposed at the junction of the housing and the inlet conduit for selectively moving into a primary position for dividing an incoming fluid stream into substantially equal portions flowing into respective chamber halves and at least into one secondary po

Abstract: A device for recovering cleaning elements, such as form-rubber balls or other particles, from a heat-exchanger stream traversing a tube-bundle heat exchanger comprises a vertically oriented cylindrical housing or duct traversed axially by the main stream of heat-exchanger fluid and at least one separating sieve built into the housing for intercepting particles entrained in the stream and recovering them therefrom. The separating sieve is inclined to the axis of the housing and has, at least partially, an ellipsoidal boundary where it meets the inner wall of the housing. At the lower part of the sieve a collecting tube is provided, along the ellipsoidal boundary, and is formed with a laterally open longitudinally extending slit constituted a mouth through which the particles pass into this tube. A fitting at the low point of the tube conducts the collected particles from the collecting tube.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating cleaning elements from a fluid, especially a fluid traversing a heat exchanger into which the elements are introduced to clean the tubes thereof, comprises a vertical duct provided with an array of bars forming a grate inclined to the axis of the duct for separating the cleaning elenents, e.g. foam-rubber balls, from the heat exchanger stream traversing the duct. According to the invention, at the bottom of the grate there is provided a diagonal tube which extends along a chord or diameter of the tube and is provided with a longitudinally extending inlet slit into which the cleaning elements pass. The tube and slit are so oriented that the main stream of fluid passes tangentially across the tube and across the slit to create a turbulence thereat to prevent buildup of the cleaning elements at the base of the grate.

Abstract: A filter for removing solids from water to be fed to a power-plant condenser comprises a substantially cylindrical housing and a substantially cylindrical filter basket in the housing which is provided with a radial inlet and an axial outlet for the water. The filter basket comprises a stack of axially continguous filter rings, each of which has an outwardly concave perforated periphery and a pair of flanges lying in planes perpendicular to the axis of the basket and bolted together to form the basket as a self-supporting unit.

Abstract: Water is continuously circulated in a closed stream through a plurality of vertically juxtaposed passages. Steam is introduced at the upstream ends of these passages and is drawn along the passages by the water so as to directly contact this water and condense. A restriction provided in each of the passages insures good condensation so that only gaseous noncondensable and nonsoluble portions of the incoming steam are drawn off at the downstream end of the passages where only the water is allowed to pass out.