Mechanically Induced Swirling Patents (Class 209/713)
  • Patent number: 11623224
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for the environmental remediation of materials that are contaminated with heavy minerals, such as heavy metals. The invention finds utility in removing heavy minerals from materials such as soils, sediments, mine tailings and ores. The invention provides a means for removing heavy minerals from contaminated materials without the use of water while reducing the generation of dust. Thus, the invention provides an environmentally friendly method for the remediation of sites that are contaminated with heavy minerals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Vortex Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Snyder, Jackie R. See
  • Patent number: 9004285
    Abstract: A classifying apparatus including: a rotor with a plurality of annularly disposed blades, which rotates; and a louver with a plurality of blades which are disposed at an outer circumferential portion of the rotor so as to supply from the outer circumferential portion a fluid for dispersing and classifying a powder material, wherein the powder material is supplied to a gap between the rotor and the louver and centrifugally classified into fine powder and coarse powder, and wherein at least one of the following relationships is satisfied: Relationship (1): ??50° Relationship (2): D2/D1?1.17 where ? denotes an angle formed between imaginary lines connecting the center of the rotor with both ends of each blade of the louver, D1 denotes a diameter of the rotor, and D2 denotes an inner diameter of the louver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Tanaka, Hiroki Morioka, Kaoru Aoki, Makoto Hirai, Shinya Hanatani
  • Patent number: 8950590
    Abstract: The invention relates to a separator of fluid medium components, said separator including, along one axis, a movable assembly that is rotatable around the axis. Said separator moreover includes an output device. The movable assembly includes a cylindrical separation chamber having an inner wall. The output device includes a second outlet and a first outlet that is farther than the second outlet from the axis. The output device includes a third outlet that is farther than the first outlet from the axis and is intended for extracting a third fluid component comprising solid particles. Said third outlet includes an edge that is near an inner wall of the separation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Total SA
    Inventors: Philippe Coffin, Yves LeCoffre
  • Patent number: 8714359
    Abstract: [Problem] To provide a rotating classifier which can keep classification performance high and which can prevent blockages caused by biomass and the like. [Means for Resolution] The rotating classifier is characterized in that: comb teeth-like protrusion portions protruding toward a fixed member side are provided on top of rotary classification fins at intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating classifier fins; a first gap is provided between an upper end portion of each of the comb teeth-like protrusion portions and a lower surface of the fixed member; a second gap formed between a protrusion portion and a protrusion portion adjacent to the protrusion portion is connected to the first gap; and an air stream flowing from the radial outside to the radial inside of the comb teeth-like protrusion portions through the first gap and the second gap is formed due to the rotation of the rotary classification fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Aizawa, Akira Baba, Yuki Kondo, Yutaka Takeno, Shinichiro Nomura
  • Patent number: 8430246
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for sifting feedstock, comprising: a. a static sifter that has a ventilated bottom which is oriented at an angle to the vertical and is penetrated by sifting gas; b. an inlet for feeding the feedstock to the ventilated bottom; c. an outlet for the coarse material; d. a dynamic sifter that is mounted downstream and encompasses at least one rotor with rotor blades and a horizontal rotor axis; e. at least one outlet for the sifting gas loaded with fine material; and f. a housing inside which the static and the dynamic sifter are arranged. The housing area surrounding the dynamic sifter is designed as a housing spiral such that the sifting gas flows against the rotor in a substantially tangential direction. The rotor rotates counter to the direction of flow of the sifting gas in the housing spiral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Polysius AG
    Inventor: Christoph Mendelin
  • Patent number: 8353408
    Abstract: A centrifugal air classifier, in which a relation between an area S1 of a side surface of a cylinder or a truncated cone circumscribed about the rotor blades, an axis of the cylinder or a truncated cone being the rotor rotational shaft, and a calculation average value D of a diameter of a circle orthogonal to the rotor rotational shaft and circumscribed about the rotor blades is S1/D2=0.9 to 1.6, and with the S1, a relation between a cross sectional area S2 of inflow of the air for classification and the D is S2/D2=0.8 to 1.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Taiheiyo Cement Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ito
  • Patent number: 8286805
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating a multiphase fluid stream that includes a heavier fluid component and a lighter fluid component. The fluid flows along a first helical flowpath with a first pitch. The first helical flowpath is sufficiently long to establish a stabilized rotating fluid flow pattern for the stream. The uniform rotating fluid also flows along a second helical flowpath, the second helical flowpath having a second pitch greater than the first pitch. The lighter fluid is removed from a radially inner region of the second helical flowpath. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for the separation of oil droplets from water, especially from water for reinjection into a subterranean formation as part of an oil and gas production operation. The method and apparatus are conveniently applied on a modular basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventor: Hans Paul Hopper
  • Patent number: 8231007
    Abstract: A static classifier cage is formed in upper and lower tiers of circumferentially spaced bar-shaped vanes of wear-resistant material. The lower tier is formed by and between a bottom ring and an intermediate ring. The top tier is formed by and between the intermediate ring and a topmost ring. In each tier, the lowermost ring is provided with slots to receive and act as a seat for the vertically oriented vanes while the upper ring in the tier is provided with radially outwardly opening notches into which the vanes are moved in a radial fashion. After the vanes are installed, a retainer is fastened into position to prevent the vanes from backing out of the notches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Rickey E. Wark
  • Patent number: 8033399
    Abstract: Disclosed is a centrifugal separator with an inlet channel for a flow containing coarse and fine particles, a first outlet channel for a flow containing predominantly coarse particles, a second outlet channel for a flow containing predominantly fine particles and a separator chamber with at least one separator device, wherein the separator chamber connects the inlet channel to the first outlet channel and the second outlet channel, and wherein the inlet channel, the separator channel and the two outlet channels form a flow path. To improve the degree of efficiency, as a first separator device, one or more separator pockets are arranged in the separator chamber, which project into the flow path. Also disclosed is a corresponding method for the separation of a flow containing coarse and fine particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Babcock Borsig Service GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Pistorius, Christian Storm
  • Patent number: 8020707
    Abstract: A cyclone used in a separator apparatus includes a body and a vortex finder. The body includes an inlet passageway, a cylindrical passageway connected to the inlet passageway, and a conical passageway connected to the cylindrical passageway. The cylindrical passageway has an upper end through which first particles in a fluid are exhausted, and a lower end. The conical passageway has an upper end connected to the lower end of the cylindrical passageway, and an opened lower end through which second particles having a specific gravity greater than that of the first particle are exhausted. The vortex finder is connected to the upper end of the cylindrical passageway. A first exhaust passageway is vertically formed in the vortex finder so that the first particles spirally ascend through the first exhaust passageway from the cylindrical passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., C&H Hi Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Un Kim, Sa-Mun Hong, Wang-Keun Kim, Sang-Gon Lee, Sang-Yeoul Hwang
  • Patent number: 8016115
    Abstract: Disclosed is a waste separation apparatus comprising a vortex initiator (10) and a vortex generator (20). The vortex generator (20) is arranged to direct the airflow from the vortex initiator (10) towards the waste to be separated. The airflow is used to separate less dense waste from more dense waste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tek-Dry Systems Limited
    Inventor: Thomas Fryars
  • Patent number: 7967991
    Abstract: The separator has a cylindrical separator chamber and an impeller on the same axis and driven in rotation. The impeller has a core, an inlet for receiving an axial flow of fluid, an outlet for injecting the fluid into the separator chamber, and guide channels formed between the inlet and the outlet of the impeller at the periphery of the core. The core has a portion of diameter equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the separator chamber. In this portion, the guide channels extend longitudinally, and they then continue as far as the outlet from the impeller, which outlet is cylindrical in shape and of diameter equal to the inner diameter of the separator chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignees: Total SA, Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Yves Lecoffre, Vincent Peyrony
  • Patent number: 7913851
    Abstract: A separator is used in conjunction with a grinding mill which has a suction assembly, a grinding device, regulating devices and a driving device. The separator is mounted in a main body of the grinding mill on a rotating vertical separator shaft, comprising two support rings of equal sizes and shapes, mounted on the separator shaft with parallel orientations, having radial bridges with openings in between, which are surrounded by a plurality of mounting holes; and a plurality of blades, hingedly mounted on the mounting holes by vertical rods, for separating ground particles according to size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Inventor: Jin-Hong Chang
  • Patent number: 7654396
    Abstract: A classifier capable of stably providing particles by further reducing the mixing ratio of coarse particles including a rotating fin (21) classifying solid particles by a centrifugal force, a cylindrical downward flow forming member (13) installed on the outer peripheral side of the rotating fin (21), a recovery cone (11) disposed under the rotating fin (21) and the downward flow forming member (13), and a housing (41). A contraction flow area (16) is formed between the housing (41) and the recovery cone (11), and a two-phase flow (52) formed of the mixture of the solid particles and gases blown up through the contraction flow area (16) is collided with the downward flow forming member (13) on the upper side of the housing (41) to form it in a downward flow. Then, that flow is led to the rotating fin side, classified into the fine particles and the coarse particles, and the fine particles are carried together with an airstream, passed through the rotating fin (21), and removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Babcock-Hitachi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yutaka Takeno, Hiroaki Kanemoto, Teruaki Tatsuma, Takashi Harada, Taketoshi Tanabe
  • Patent number: 7240868
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to, among other things, a classifier assembly for mounting on the center shaft of a rotary coal pulverizer which includes a labyrinthian sealing arrangement operatively associated with the shaft for limiting the egress of unacceptably large coal particles from the pulverizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Riley Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Qingsheng Lin, Craig A. Penterson, Daniel P. Smith, Richard N. Du Verger
  • Patent number: 7028931
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to, among other things, a classifier assembly for mounting on the center shaft of a rotary coal pulverizer which includes a labyrinthian sealing arrangement operatively associated with the shaft for limiting the egress of unacceptably large coal particles from the pulverizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Riley Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Qingsheng Lin, Craig A. Penterson, Daniel P. Smith, Richard N. Du Verger
  • Patent number: 7028847
    Abstract: A two-stage dynamic classifier (30, 30?) for classifying a pulverized feed material (34, 34?, 38) entrained in an air flow (31) includes a vertically extending housing having a lower feed material inlet (18), an upper feed material outlet (24), a processing section (47, 47?) disposed between the feed material inlet and the feed material outlet, and a lower tailings discharge (26). A classifier conditioner (32) is disposed in a lower portion of the processing section and a turbine classifier (42, 44) is disposed in an upper portion of the processing section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: ALSTOM Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Michael M. Chen, Jianrong Chen
  • Patent number: 6910585
    Abstract: An apparatus and process for classifying fine particles from a particulate material, such as toner and pigment powders. The apparatus is generally a dynamic centrifugal gas (air) classifier that combines the operational advantages of centrifugal air classifiers with increased aerodynamic forces provided by a rotating member to classify powders at cutpoints of fifteen micrometers and finer. The classifier is configured to have an annular-shaped inner passage, an annular-shaped outer passage circumscribing the inner passage, and an inlet through which a gas-entrained particulate material is introduced substantially tangentially into the inner passage so as to impart a centrifugal force to the particulate material. A portion of the entraining gas is preferably separated and directed into the outer passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Fisher-Klosterman, Inc.
    Inventors: Clarence Richard Kreiser, James Frank Miller
  • Publication number: 20040238415
    Abstract: A two-stage dynamic classifier (30, 30′) for classifying a pulverized feed material (34, 34′, 38) entrained in an air flow (31) includes a vertically extending housing having a lower feed material inlet (18), an upper feed material outlet (24), a processing section (47, 47′) disposed between the feed material inlet and the feed material outlet, and a lower tailings discharge (26). A classifier conditioner (32) is disposed in a lower portion of the processing section and a turbine classifier (42, 44) is disposed in an upper portion of the processing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: ALSTOM (Switzerland) Ltd
    Inventors: Michael M. Chen, Jianrong Chen
  • Patent number: 6811655
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an equipment for combining in one single apparatus, the functions for filtering, decontaminating, and thickening paper pulp from used paper, while providing the complementary function of clarifying the filtrates. The apparatus (1) rotates at high speed. The paper pulp is introduced through the center of the apparatus (2) and driven at its angular speed. The pulp is then brought along a grate (6) with small size holes for separating the fibers from the greater part of the water. The thickened pulp is evacuated through extraction nozzles (8). The water is clarified in the clarification zone (12) and recycled or eliminated depending on uses. More complete embodiments of the apparatus include the functions of fractionating, de-inking and purifying the pulp with slots or holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Finidro-Financiamentos Energeticos, Lda.
    Inventor: Eric Haffner
  • Patent number: 6739456
    Abstract: An apparatus for classifying a mixture of fine and coarse particles in a fluid stream by size or density comprises a housing, a boundary layer momentum transfer device, and an inlet flow control mechanism. The housing comprises an inlet, an interior chamber, and a fine particle outlet. The boundary layer momentum transfer device comprises a plurality of disks stacked in spaced, parallel relation in the interior chamber. The disks are rotatable about a disk axis. The disks have respective central openings cooperatively defining a plenum having a closed axial end and an opposing open axial end. The plenum communicates with spaces defined between each adjacent disk to cooperatively define a fine particle flow path from the interior chamber, through the spaces, through the plenum and the open axial end thereof, and to the fine particle outlet. The inlet flow control mechanism communicates with the interior chamber and provides an adjustable inlet flow path into the interior chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Spyros A. Svoronos, H. Steven Crouch, Hassan El-Sayed El-Shall, Kevin W. Powers, Gary Wayne Scheiffele, Rachel Anna Worthen, Steve Robin Wright
  • Publication number: 20040040678
    Abstract: A method for washing a fibre suspension with washing liquid, in which, in accordance with the invention, the fibre suspension is introduced into an annular treatment channel (24) that has an inlet end (72) and an outlet end (73) and is concentric with an axis of rotation (5) to form an inner annular layer (74), washing liquid simultaneously being introduced into the treatment channel to form an outer layer (75), which surrounds the inner annular layer. The fibre suspension and washing liquid are caused to rotate in the treatment channel whilst moving from said inlet end to said outlet end, fibres in the fibre suspension being caused to move into the outer layer of washing liquid, under the influence of the centripetal force, so that an accept (29), the liquid phase of which completely or mostly consists of washing liquid, is discharged at the outlet end of the treatment channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Rolf Ekholm, Peter Wigarthsson
  • Publication number: 20040035765
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air separator for sifting material suspended in a flow of gas having course material and fine material by using a sifting wheel which rotates in a sifting chamber and which has blades fixed on the external periphery thereof. The blade channels are cross-flown radially from the outside by gas containing the suspended fine particles. The oversized particles are rejected before reaching he internal end of the blade canal. The flow of fine particles is guided through the blade channels in a forced manner in a plurality of consecutive layers in the direction of the axis of rotation. The arrangement in layers of the flow of fine particles after it leaves the blade channels remains in place until it leaves the sifting chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventor: Roland Nied
  • Publication number: 20040011710
    Abstract: A booster 8 extending in an internal area 53 of a sieve 7 is attached to the outer circumferential face of a rotating shaft 6. The booster 8 has four blades 82, which are radially extended from the outer circumferential face of the rotating shaft 6 and are arranged at preset angles (for example, 90 degrees) to form a pi shape from the front view. The booster 8 has multiple (for example, two) cross-shaped radial members 81 that are arranged radially at a little angle (for example, 3 degrees) and are located on both ends of the rotating shaft 6 via a preset space, the blades 82 that are set in and fixed to the respective ends of each of the radial members 81 and are inclined at a preset angle to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 6, and sheet-like scrapers 83 that are attached to the blades 82 to be a little projected outward in the radial direction. The end of each scraper 83 faces the inner circumferential face of the sieve 7 across a little gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventors: Fumio Kato, Teruo Inoue
  • Patent number: 6426010
    Abstract: The invention concerns a device for separating the constituents of a heterogeneous mixture and its uses. Said device comprises a separation chamber (100, 250, 350, 450, 650, 724, 850, 903, 1106) having a one of its ends an inlet and at the other an outlet comprising a first ring-shaped orifice (110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, 919) coaxial with said chamber, and a second ring-shaped orifice (111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, 811, 920) coaxial with said first ring-shaped orifice and whereof the external diameter is smaller than said first ring-shaped orifice internal diameter. The invention is characterized in that said separation chamber has a cylindrical shape and said first orifice external diameter D1 is smaller than said chamber internal diameter D0. The invention also concerns a method using said device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2002
    Assignee: Total
    Inventors: Yves Lecoffre, Jean-Claude Gay
  • Patent number: 6290071
    Abstract: An air separator system for separating particulate material into coarse and fine particles without utilizing water. The inventive device includes a trailer, a support frame pivotally attached to the trailer, a tapering body having an outer wall and an inner wall, a motor secured to the body, a funnel connected to a center tube rotatably attached within the body, and a fan structure attached to the lower portion of the center tube for agitating and blowing upon particulate material that enters the funnel from a feed conveyor. A plurality of upper regular members are pivotally attached within the upper portion of the outer cavity created between the outer wall and the inner wall for adjusting the amount of air flow into the outer cavity. A plurality of lower regulator members are attached within the inner wall for allowing the air to return upwardly toward the fan structure during operation to lift the lighter particulate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: General Steel and Supply Company
    Inventors: Gene Fisher, Greg L. Schafer
  • Patent number: 6276534
    Abstract: A powder classifier which includes a classifier rotor fixedly secured to a rotatable shaft and having (i) an interior portion defined by upper and lower plates and (ii) an impeller wheel having upper and lower surfaces and a plurality of vanes therethrough. The upper plate has a rounded outer edge along its outer circumference, and the interior portion is in communication with a fine particle discharge outlet. First and second annular rings are concentrically disposed about the outer circumference of the classifier rotor, with the first annular ring being positioned so that a preclassification of a feed powder stream occurs at the first gap such that a fraction of fine particles is separated from the feed stream and flows through the first gap and into the interior portion of the classifier rotor for primary classification, A dispersion disk which rotates independently from the classifier rotor is provided to produce various degrees of dispersion intensities and disperses feed powders prior to classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Hosokawa Micron Powder Systems
    Inventors: Ching-Chung Huang, Joseph M. Pavlosky
  • Patent number: 6273269
    Abstract: A centrifugal type pneumatic separator having a rotor and a housing. The rotor has a plurality of vanes distributed around a periphery thereof. The housing contains the rotor. The housing has an air input conduit, a material input conduit and an evacuation conduit. The air input conduit passes air through channels formed between adjacent vanes such that air and material flows toward the evacuation conduit. The rotor is divided so as to define at least two separate passages whereby air from the air input conduit flows toward the evacuation conduit as two separate and parallel streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: FCB Societe Anonyme
    Inventors: Alain Cordonnier, Danielle Lemaire
  • Patent number: 6149825
    Abstract: A tubular vortex separator which can be used to separate particulate matter of higher density from fluids. In a preferred embodiment, the vortex separator is generally tubular, simple in design, and economical to produce.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Inventor: Joseph Gargas
  • Patent number: 5938045
    Abstract: A classifying device including an upper, dispersing chamber for dispersing solid particles supplied thereto together with a carrier gas, and a lower, classifying chamber directly connected to a lower end of the dispersing chamber for centrifugally classifying the solid particles, supplied from the dispersing chamber to the classifying chamber, into relatively fine particles and relatively coarse particles. The dispersing chamber is provided with a rotor for swirling the solid particles in the dispersing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Makino, Kenichi Uehara, Keiko Watanabe, Satoshi Okano, Kazuyuki Matsui, Eisuke Sugisawa
  • Patent number: 5934483
    Abstract: Apparatus of theforced air vortex type for classification of particulate material into a fine portion and a coarse portion, the apparatus comprising a truncated cone shaped upper section (101) comprising a separating wheel (111) rotating about a substantially vertical axis, a vertically arranged inlet pipe (106) for supplying a particulate material dispersed in an air flow, a conical feed distributor (107) having a tip end directed downwards and arranged concentrically with the inlet pipe (106) and the separating wheel, and a spiral shaped outlet (102) for removal of classified fine material dispersed in air, and a substantially truncated cone shaped lower section (103), the upper section of which exhibiting a secondary air inlet (105) arranged tangential to the circumference of the lower housing (103) to supply secondary air in a direction concurrently with the direction of rotation of the separating wheel (111) and a second outlet (104) for classified coarse particulate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Sinvent A/S
    Inventor: Jacek Kolacz
  • Patent number: 5803271
    Abstract: The invention relates to a centrifugal force separator whose rotor shaft protrudes at at least one of the two axial ends through a chamber for the discharge of the fines and the air. Particularly, the invention relates to the problem, in a centrifugal force separator with bilateral aspiration of fines and air, of reducing the distance between the bearings of the rotor shaft, while at the same time achieving an optimum between the requirement for unhampered outlet of the fines and the separating air, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the requirement of a short distance between the bearings and, therefore, a short, light rotor shaft. According to the invention, each outlet chamber 17,18 provides an extension 19,20 or boss reaching inward axially, in which a bearing 21,22, for the rotor shaft is contained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1998
    Assignee: Omya GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Barthelmess
  • Patent number: 5788727
    Abstract: A centrifugal air separator with a housing provided with inlets for material to be separated and separating air or a combined material and air inlet, and outlets for air-and-fines mixture and coarse material, in which at least one wheel formed essentially of a crown of buckets is journal ed. The invention addresses the problem of reducing the distance of the bearings of the wheel shaft from one another, in a centrifugal air separator of this type, preferably a separator with fines-and-air aspiration at both ends. According to the invention, the fan wheel is journal ed on a central, fixed axle which is held in the housing and machine frame by arms, struts or other such supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: OMYA GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Barthelmess
  • Patent number: 5595660
    Abstract: A plate-type fluid separator is used to separate a plurality of mutually immiscible components from a mixed fluid stream thereof. The separator contains at least one separator flow plate which has formed on a common facial surface thereof at least one separation chamber. Each separation chamber contains at least one inlet means; a channel assembly in fluid communication with the inlet means and composed of a main flow channel split at a downstream end thereof into a plurality of branching flow channels; and a plurality of outlet means in fluid communication with the branching flow channels. The main flow channel separates the stream passing therethrough into a plurality of substantially discrete fluid phases having different average density or viscosity values. Each branching flow channel receives a discrete phase and passes such phase to the outlet means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: BASF Corporation
    Inventors: Otto M. Ilg, Jeffrey S. Dugan
  • Patent number: 5585008
    Abstract: A method of separating two or more immiscible components from a multicomponent fluid stream thereof involves passing the stream through one or more separation chambers of a plate-type separator. The separator contains at least one separator flow plate, each of which has formed on a common facial surface thereof at least one separation chamber containing at least one inlet means, a channel assembly in fluid communication with the inlet means, and a plurality of outlet means. The channel assembly contains at least one branched-channel structure composed of a main flow channel split at a downstream branch-point end thereof into at least two branching flow channels. The main flow channel is adapted to separate the multicomponent stream passing therethrough into a plurality of substantially discrete density-differing or viscosity-differing fluid phases. Each of the branching flow channels is adapted to receive one of the discrete phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: BASF Corporation
    Inventors: Otto M. Ilg, Jeffrey S. Dugan
  • Patent number: 5429250
    Abstract: A separation vessel (10) for separating materials of different densities comprising a chamber (14) having an external periphery (20A) at least part thereof which progressively increases from one section to another section. A mixture of materials of different densities enters the chamber (14) through an inlet (13) and travels in a spiralling vortex progressively outwardly to the widest section of the chamber (14). A primary exit (17) for material of greater density is provided closely adjacent to the widest section. A secondary exit (16) for material of lesser density is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Inventors: Austin J. Dobson, George M. R. Dobson