Patent Grant
11548034
The invention relates to dewatering and pulverizing organic and inorganic solid products in different areas of the state of the art, e.g. as food raw materials, in producing vegetable and fruit powder and flours, in agro-industrial wastes, in sludge final disposal from sanitary industries, and sludge and byproducts from several manufacturing industries such as fishing, livestock, poultry, forestry and mining.
The invention consists of a spinning-top-shaped accelerating cyclone that separates solid particles, which provides dewatered solid products in powder and/or granules.
Constant research in different areas of the art has been carried out based on the need to regulate the costs associated to the processes of drying, dewatering and pulverizing solid substances, and the processes of collecting solid particulate material.
Cyclones, consisting essentially of a sedimentation chamber operating with centrifugal acceleration instead of gravitational acceleration, are the most commonly used equipment in retrieving or settling solid particles. Cyclones have been used for years to retrieve solid particles due to the lower manufacture and operability cost thereof. In general, the physical structure of a cyclone comprises a vertical cylinder with a lower conical section, which forces the descending vortex to change its direction, which results in an increased particle collection as the turning radius is reduced. The solid material to be separated enters as mixed with gas through a tangential inlet that said vertical cylinder has, and the separated solid material is removed through an open lower mouth located on the lower conical section. Cyclones are basically simple constructions with no moving parts, which makes maintenance operations easier. Cyclones are equipment with very good performance in retrieving solids, but they are not as suitable if the particles to be separated are too small, e.g. with a diameter less than about 10 μm. Additionally, its efficiency decreases when the particles of the materials to be separated have a tendency to stick, thus remaining stuck in the corners formed by the joints between the upper vertical body and lower conical section, and in the inner walls of the lower cone as said cone is downwardly convergent and has an inner surface affected by the action of gravity and the speed effect on the falling particles as the diameter of the conical part decreases.
Additionally, grinding systems that take the air use into account to improve efficiency, either by using a large volume of air that is generated by a fan or by using high-speed air that is also generated by a fan, have been developed. A further drying method that has been developed uses a variant consisting of a spray drying, which operates by reducing the material to be dried to droplets, then subjecting said droplets to a large amount of hot air in order to provide the necessary heat to dry the liquid. The equipment that is associated with this method is referred to as spray dryer.
Considering the above, it is necessary to have a conical separator equipment or cyclone that is suitable to separate particles from the solid material of any type and, without losing efficiency, that is capable of keeping its inner surfaces clean even when the particles to be separated are of the sticky type.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,594 describes an apparatus and method for compressed air vortex flow (circular or rotational flow at high velocity) in grinding solid material. The grinding apparatus therein uses high velocity compressed air in the grinding process for grinding, and also drying, diverse materials including by way of example, but not limited to, glass, grain, paper, plastic, aluminum and granite. The grinding apparatus includes an annular upper enclosure defining an upper chamber into which material to be ground is introduced, a conical lower enclosure defining a lower chamber affixed in vertical orientation in tandem with the annular upper enclosure. The annular upper enclosure has holes for introducing compressed air in its sidewalls. The air is introduced relatively circumferentially into the upper chamber so as to generate a circular vortex flow of air for material grinding and drying to take place. The air flow is exhausted through a pipe located in the annular upper enclosure, and the dried material is discharged through a lower end of the lower enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,243 describes an improved cyclonic separator comprising a lower frustoconical body that has a conical wall, which ends at its lower end with a cylindrical short wall forming the mouth for discharging solid material. At its upper end having a larger diameter, said conical body ends in a radially outwardly directed flange over which an annular lid may be suitably mounted. On the other hand, the upper body is formed by a conical wall, whose upper lower diameter end is closed by means of a circular lid through whose center the suction duct is provided and its larger diameter end is inserted in the lower cone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,066 describes a cyclone dryer comprising a cyclonic chamber consisting of a lower cone-shaped chamber, a lower cylindrical chamber located immediately above the cone, an upper cylindrical chamber located on the lower cylindrical chamber, where both cylindrical chambers have a substantially similar outside diameter. In one embodiment, both cylindrical chambers can be as many as one. The lower cone has the material outlet. As the cross section of the cone-shaped chamber gets smaller to the bottom, the air starts to spin upwards, and this way only solid material exits. The high-speed airstream enters the cylindrical chamber and is forced to spirally rotate downwards against the lower, cone-shaped portion, thus creating a downward vortex. An air outlet is on the top, over the cylindrical chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,703 describes a cyclone-type separator for separating two liquid components, one of greater density and the other of lesser density, by means of a separating chamber that is generally tapered from a larger diameter end to a smaller diameter end. The separating chamber has an overflow outlet for the less dense component, located at the larger diameter end, and an underflow outlet at the smaller diameter end, for the outflow of the denser component. The cyclone comprises a helical flight to direct the flow (the heaviest) downwards, thus accelerating the fluid.
CN201692732, which corresponds to a utility model, provides a compressed air dewatering equipment; compressed air enters the dewatering equipment which consists of a conical shell body to form a vortex in the cyclone body.
The dewatering equipment, in order to be more efficient, dewaters and cleans the fluid by means of centrifugal force and by the action of baffles that drive the fluid to the bottom of the cyclone. The dewatering equipment thus completes the process of removing impurities, oil stains and water in quite big drops. The baffles separate air-water in the cyclone body.
DE1245267 describes a cyclone dust separator into which compressed air is injected through the upper nozzles, where a helical accelerator is provided to take the air/dust particles and directs the densest to the bottom.
DE 10317772 describes a dust separator with an air current with two series-connected cyclones (1, 2) of different separation, in which the highest cone-shaped cyclonic power is tapered from the inlet with an equipment in order to generate an accelerated air current with a dust-laden air inlet. The cyclone has a truncated helical sector with guide plates that enable direct the fluid to the bottom.
One of the objects of the present invention is developing a cyclone equipment that separates solid particles and assures an effective separation or retrieval of solid particles powder with low moisture percentage.
The present invention is a spinning-top-shaped accelerating cyclone that separates solid particles in order to form and separate powdered and/or granulated dewatered, or low-moisture-percentage, solid products.
Particularly, the present invention describes a cyclone equipment that separates solid particles powder comprising a lower conical body, a central cylindrical body immediately above the conical body, and a third upper, also cylindrical, body of smaller diameter than the diameter of the central cylindrical body.
The invention will be described below with reference to appended drawings, in which:
The present invention consists of a spinning-top-shaped accelerating cyclone that separates solid particles and assures an effective separation or retrieval of solid particles powder with low moisture percentage.
The accelerating cyclone that separates solid particles of the present invention separates micro-dispersed water from particulate material and comprises in its general structure a lower conical body (1), a central cylindrical body (2) immediately above the conical body (1) whose diameter is smaller than the largest diameter of the conical body cone (1), and a third upper, also cylindrical, body (3) of smaller diameter than the diameter of the central cylindrical body (2).
The upper cylindrical body (3) is structurally divided into two sections, one upper section of larger diameter and one lower section of smaller diameter. Said upper cylindrical body (3) vents and regulates the process air once the solid particles are separated, and it structurally comprises:
The central cylindrical body (2), the function of which is to accelerate the speed of the material particles, is called “accelerating cyclone pressure chamber” and consists of the following elements:
The lower conical body (1), whose function is to allow the output of the solid particles, comprises:
The particle accelerating cyclone receives the stream of air-borne solid particles with micro-dispersed water through the supply duct (9). The air-borne solid particles go directly into the pressure chamber where the rotating turbine (10) and the slotted cylinder (15) are located. At the moment the air-borne solid particles come into contact with the rotating turbine (10), said rotating turbine (10) is rotating at a speed higher than the speed of the solid particles, due to the air input through the acceleration air inlet (8). The rotating turbine (10) generates a circulatory movement of the air, and the elongated pressure vanes (14) generate surface pressures and prevent the reduction of the particle speed, since the elongated pressure vanes (14) move at a higher speed than the particles. Furthermore, said pressure vanes (14) are spaced at a minimum distance from the slotted cylinder walls (15) in order to ensure that no solid material remains trapped on the surface of said slotted cylinder. In addition to rotating the product due to the air circulatory movement, the rotary turbine (10) pushes the product down, i.e. towards the lower conical body (1) due to the pressure created by the ejector mechanism. On the other hand, the slotted cylinder (15), through its multiplicity of slots, makes the solid material particles not to touch the surface, not to stick or adhere to the walls and, therefore, that they remain suspended inside the cyclone, i.e. it achieves the surface dispersion of the material particles. However, as already stated, the elongated pressure vanes (14) completely ensure that the solid particles do not get trapped in the slotted cylinder (15). The suspended solid particles are displaced by the centrifugal force towards the lower conical body (1) of the accelerating cyclone, achieving its sedimentation and expulsion through the lower opening (18) for the output of the final product from the conical body. Additionally, the concave curve upper section (17B) having the lower conical body (1) at its upper part helps to push the solid particles into said conical body (17A), preventing the particles from sticking to the inlet of the lower conical body (1). The acceleration air going into the pressure chamber is driven through an auxiliary fan, which takes the outlet air from the side opening for the acceleration air outlet (5) of the upper cylindrical body (3) and it inputs it again to the accelerating cyclone through the side opening for the acceleration air input (8) of the central cylindrical body (2), said acceleration air generates an air cushion in the pressure chamber.
In summary, the accelerating cyclone is capable of carrying out the following operations:
Furthermore, the cyclone can be a part of an integrated system to separate solid particles, as in
The procedure for activating the integrated system begins by starting the turbine or turbines (24), then the auxiliary fan (23), then turning on the heater (27) and, finally, by activating the pneumatic lock or star valve (26) and the material feeder (25).
The procedure comprises the air input, at room temperature, into the inlet duct of the heater in order to increase the air temperature to the set-point or process temperature, necessary to keep the walls of the system free of humidity, in the ducts as much as in the cyclone equipment, and reduce the relative humidity of the input air (preferably, the temperature is kept in the range of about 40° C. to about 70° C., enough to lower the air relative humidity to levels below 20% or less); the input of solid material to be treated through the material feeder, which regulates the flow speed of material entering the system; the flow of material then passes to the star valve, where the material atmospheric pressure is changed to negative pressure; then the air-borne solid material enters the high-speed turbine (24), where the air is sucked so that the solid material passes through said turbine (24), and the breaking of the solid input material and the dissociation of the water contained in said solid material take place efficiently; the solid material of smaller size with the dissociated water subsequently enters the accelerating cyclone, where the separation of the water and the powdered solid material particles exiting through the cyclone lower outlet, finally takes place.
The time elapsed from inputting the material to be treated to forming the final powder product is short, preferably almost instantaneous, and during that time the initial water of the material to be treated is reduced by about 80%, preferably about 90%. In addition, since the material circulation speed in the system is fast, the temperature of the final product does not increase.
The design of the system ducts, both the circulation ducts and the inflow and outflow ducts of the equipment, has been defined in such a way that the tangential and axial displacement of the solid material while circulating in the system is maintained. Likewise, the heater is designed to achieve tangential displacement, and the high-speed turbine creates negative pressure and axial and tangential displacement of the input material.
On the other hand, the adjustment of the set-point temperatures is relevant for each material in such a way that it avoids being subjected to the sticky zone and allows the condition of free flowing of the material.
In addition, an acoustic synergy is achieved between the turbine (24) and the accelerating cyclone. The turbine creates the ultrasound effect, the cyclone acting as a sounding board, in order to receive the low-frequency waves and higher harmonics that allow the resonance effect to be kept for a longer period.
The dissociation of the water from the matter is caused by the turbine, the accelerating cyclone producing the effect of containment and separation of the matter with the microdispersed water in a closed system.
The turbine improves the heat transfer coefficient by receiving the product at negative pressure (vacuum), dissociating the water by physical effects (ultrasound, friction, centrifugation), thus allowing the water particles to be microdispersed and sent at high positive pressure to the system of separation and acceleration of the cyclone.
The assembly and design allow for dewatering raw materials also at room temperature without application of any additional heat source.
The acceleration of the particles as created by the auxiliary or high-pressure fan in the internal acceleration chamber of the cyclone is intended to create a better separation of the matter with the microdispersed water and, in turn, preventing the material from adhering to the cyclone walls.
The auxiliary or high-pressure fan uses the cyclone outlet air to cause the effect of particle acceleration and anti-adhesion, which is efficient as it requires no air with additional heat source, when the system operates with an external heat source through a heater.
The high-pressure fan takes the dry fine particles as evacuated from the accelerating cyclone and returns them thereto, thus allowing these (fine dry particles) to mix with the wettest input material and facilitating that material with higher humidity to move freely and without adhesion in the accelerating cyclone.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CL2017/050027 | 6/21/2017 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2018/232540 | 12/27/2018 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6928692 | Oh | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 7351269 | Yau | Apr 2008 | B2 |
| 7594941 | Zheng | Sep 2009 | B2 |
| 7704290 | Oh | Apr 2010 | B2 |
| 9393532 | Ramalingam | Jul 2016 | B2 |
| 9980619 | Cho | May 2018 | B2 |
| 10537220 | Cho | Jan 2020 | B2 |
| 20010025395 | Matsumoto | Oct 2001 | A1 |
| 20040025285 | McCormick | Feb 2004 | A1 |
| 20050198766 | Nam | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20050217067 | Rew | Oct 2005 | A1 |
| 20060042202 | Lee | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20070039900 | Levitt | Feb 2007 | A1 |
| 20070186522 | Hato | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20080295466 | Cha | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20120010063 | Levitt et al. | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120145609 | Caffell et al. | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20180055318 | Gottschall | Mar 2018 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2013173115 | Nov 2013 | WO |
| 2015084901 | Jun 2015 | WO |
| 2018232540 | Dec 2018 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| ISR/WO from parent application PCT/CL2017/050027 dated Mar. 20, 2018. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200122199 A1 | Apr 2020 | US |
