Claims
- 1. An apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream, comprising:
- a walled separation vessel having a length and opposite ends and further having a substantially cylindrical separation chamber formed therein;
- respective spaced-apart inlet and outlet passages formed in the separation vessel as narrow slits extending along the full length thereof and in fluid communication with the separation chamber, such that a particulate laden gas stream is received through the inlet passage into the separation chamber tangentially to the walls of the separation vessel, such that a particulate concentrated gas stream is expelled from the separation chamber through the outlet passage tangentially to the walls of the separation vessel, and such that said particulate laden gas stream and said particulate concentrated gas stream create a vortex in the separation chamber which imparts a centrifugal force on the particles towards the walls of the separation vessel;
- an outgoing clean air path at a respective at least one of said opposite ends of the separation vessel;
- a discharge electrode mounted within the separation vessel; and
- a power supply establishing an electrostatic field between the discharge electrode and the walls of the separation vessel, such that the established electrostatic field repels the particles towards the walls of the separation vessel, thereby preventing entrance of the particles into the outgoing clean air path.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a means for precharging the particles in the particulate laden gas stream prior to entering the separation vessel.
- 3. An apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream comprising:
- a separation vessel including a cylindrical-walled separation chamber bound at opposing ends, a plurality of discrete inlet passages for admitting a particulate laden gas stream into said separation chamber and a plurality of discrete particle outlet passages for expelling a concentrated stream of particles disentrained from said gas stream, said inlet passages and particle outlet passages being evenly spaced along cylindrical walls of said separation chamber and defining a thin tangential flow path into and from said separation vessel which is substantially flush with the cylindrical wall thereof;
- two vortex finders suspended centrally within the separation vessel between the ends thereof and establishing an end-to-end clean flow path through the separation vessel;
- an elongated discharge electrode suspended centrally within the separation vessel between the ends thereof; and
- a power supply connected between the cylindrical walls of the separation chamber of the separation vessel and the discharge electrode for establishing an electric potential therebetween which serves to charge the particles entrained in said incoming gas stream and repel charged particles in said separation vessel toward the cylindrical walls of said separation chamber;
- wherein a gas stream flowing into said inlet passages, and out from said particle outlet passages creates a vortex in said separation chamber which imparts a centrifugal force on the entrained particles toward the wall of said chamber, and said centrifugal force is augmented by said electrostatic force to propel said particles against said wall and out through said particle outlet passages.
- 4. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 3, wherein said discharge electrode comprises a cylindrical arrangement of louvers.
- 5. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 4, wherein said louvers are involute about a central axis.
- 6. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 5, wherein said louvers are directed outward from said central axis and are curved in a direction opposite to said vortex.
- 7. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 4, wherein said louvers are connected to said power supply to serve as a discharge electrode for electrostatically preventing said particles from permeating therethrough into said clean flow passage.
- 8. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 3, wherein said inlet passages are directed parallel to said outlet passage.
- 9. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 8, wherein said inlet passages and outlet passages are co-planar.
- 10. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 3, wherein said separation vessel further comprises a particulate evacuation outlet directed outward from said chamber for emptying accumulated particles therefrom.
- 11. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 3, wherein the cylindrical walls of said separation vessel are made of porous material permeable for fluids and particles and some flow is extracted from said vessel through its walls.
- 12. An apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream comprising:
- an electrostatic pre-charging vessel, including a cylindrical-walled chamber bound at opposing ends, an inlet passage for admitting a particle laden gas stream into said chamber and an outlet passage for expelling said particle laden gas stream, said inlet passage and particle outlet passage both further comprising a thin elongated slit opening tangentially to cylindrical walls of said chamber and providing a substantially flush incoming flow path dispersed lengthwise along said cylindrical walls, and a discharge electrode suspended centrally within the pre-charging vessel between the opposing ends thereof for imparting an electrostatic charge on the particles entrained in said outgoing gas stream; and
- a separation vessel in fluid communication with said pre-charging vessel downstream therefrom, said separation vessel further comprising,
- an inlet passage connected to the particle outlet passage of said pre-charging vessel for admitting the electrostatically charged particle laden gas stream into a separation chamber,
- a particle outlet passage for expelling a concentrated stream of particles disentrained from said gas stream, said inlet passage and particle outlet passage both further comprising a thin elongated slit opening tangentially to said cylindrical wall of said separation chamber and providing a substantially flush incoming flow path dispersed lengthwise along said wall,
- two vortex finders suspended centrally within the separation vessel between the ends thereof and establishing an end-to-end outgoing clean flow path through the separation vessel and out from the ends thereof,
- an elongated discharge electrode suspended centrally within the separation chamber of the separation vessel and between the ends thereof, and
- a power supply connected between the cylindrical walls of the separation chamber of the separation vessel and the discharge electrode for establishing an electric potential therebetween to repel charged particles in said separation vessel toward the wall of said separation chamber;
- wherein an electrostatically charged gas stream flowing into the inlet passage of said separation vessel from said precharging vessel creates a vortex in said separation chamber which imparts a centrifugal force on the entrained particles toward the wall of said separation chamber, and said centrifugal force is augmented by the existing electrostatic charge on said particles to propel said particles against said wall and out through said particle outlet passage.
- 13. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 12, wherein said discharge electrode comprises a cylindrical arrangement of louvers.
- 14. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 12, wherein said inlet passage and outlet passage of the chamber are co-planar.
- 15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said inlet passage and outlet passage are directed along two parallel planes.
- 16. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 12, wherein said separation vessel further comprises a particle evacuation outlet directed outward from said separation chamber for emptying accumulated particles therefrom.
- 17. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 12, further comprising a plurality of separation vessels connected in series downstream of said pre-charging vessel.
- 18. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 17, further comprising a cyclone collector having an input in fluid communication with the particle output of a separation vessel, and an output in fluid communication with the inlet passage of said pre-charging vessel.
- 19. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 18, further comprising a fan connected between the output of said cyclone collector and the inlet passage of said pre-charging vessel for assisting gas flow therebetween.
- 20. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 17, further comprising an electrostatic precipitator having an input in fluid communication with the particle output of a separation vessel, and an output in fluid communication with the inlet passage of said pre-charging vessel.
- 21. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 20, further comprising a fan connected between the output of said electrostatic precipitator and the inlet passage of said pre-charging vessel for assisting gas flow therethrough.
- 22. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 17, further comprising a bag filter having an input in fluid communication with the particle output of a separation vessel, and an output in fluid communication with the inlet passage of said pre-charging vessel.
- 23. The apparatus for separating particles from a gas stream according to claim 22, further comprising a fan connected between the output of said bag filter and the inlet passage of said pre-charging vessel for assisting gas flow therebetween.
Parent Case Info
The present application is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 08/399,732, filed on Mar. 7, 1995 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,253.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
714367 |
Jul 1965 |
CAX |
221644 |
May 1985 |
DEX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
399732 |
Mar 1995 |
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