Patent Application
20160067719
The present invention is related to components and systems for removing liquid and solid contaminants such as oils, coolants and particles dispersed in air which is collected from machining equipment.
Machining equipment used in manufacturing for cutting and forming metal typically employ cutting fluid (coolant) to cool and lubricate the cutting tools. The coolant is typically directed in jets at the cutting tools during machining, and the coolant draining from the part and the tools is collected and directed to filtration equipment for removal of contaminants and particle chips. The filtered coolant is then returned for reuse. Typically, the coolant is a type of oil or oil-water mix and as a result of the high speeds of the cutting tools, an oil or oil-water mist, which also contains solid particles and dusts from the machining operation, is often generated and dispersed into the air surrounding the cutting tools. In order to prevent the oil or oil-water mist from spreading around the facility, cutting operations are typically carried out within a contained area that includes a specific ventilation system for removing the oil or oil-water mist-laden air. The oil or oil-water mist (hereafter referred to as mist) needs to be removed from the air to prior to releasing the air into the surrounding environment.
The present invention seeks to provide a hybrid cyclone mist collection device that receives mist-laden air from a cutting operation environment and takes the initial steps of purifying the air by removing as much of the mist from the air as possible prior to further air treatment processes. It is desirable to provide a hybrid cyclone mist collection device that can be located near the machine tool station in order to prevent mist from collecting in ventilation components located further downstream of the cutting tool, as well as to reduce or prevent coolant evaporation within the ventilation system. It is further an object of the present invention to locate the hybrid cyclone mist collection tool near the cutting tool station in order to redirect collected coolant back to the cutting tool for re-use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a hybrid cyclone mist collection device that reduces or eliminates coolant from leaving the outlet of the mist collection device.
The present invention relates to a hybrid cyclone mist collection device having a housing containing an inlet and an outlet. The housing further includes a cyclone body forming a cylindrical wall extending about a vertical axis. Centered on the same axis is a vortex finder which extends partially downward into the cyclone body, and has an annular drip collar attached near its bottom. Mist-laden air flows into the cyclone body from the inlet in a tangential arrangement, creating a spiral flow path. Mist-laden air enters the spiral flow path and then moves downwardly within the cyclone body causing mist to collect on the interior surface of the cyclone body. The mist is typically composed of droplets of coolant which often also contain solid particulate matter. The mist collects on the interior surface of the cyclone body, agglomerates, and moves downward along the surface due to the downward spiral airflow as well as gravity.
At the bottom of the cyclone body is an annular drain channel that continuously receives the collected and agglomerated coolant that has moved downward along the cyclone body wall. The collected coolant is continuously removed through a drain. Located above the drain channel is a vortex deflector plate that has an annular shed sheet attached. The vortex deflector plate stops the downward spiral airflow and redirects it upward toward the vortex finder and outlet. When the system is turned off and all airflow stops, any coolant that may have accumulated on the vortex finder or drip collar will drip down onto the shed sheet and will then be directed into the drain channel.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
The present invention involves placing a single or a plurality of hybrid cyclone mist collection device(s), each installed at the machine tool station, combined with a central filter housing into which air from each hybrid cyclone mist collection device is drawn.
Referring to the drawings, and particularly
According to the present invention, the mist-laden air within the vicinity or within each tool station 10A, 10B, 10C is collected in a short duct 16A, 16B, 16C and drawn into an individual hybrid cyclone mist collection device 18A, 18B, 18C.
The collected coolant mist passes through the hybrid cyclone mist collection device 18A, 18B, 18C and is collected in an integrated annular drain channel 54 of the hybrid mist collection device 18A, 18B, 18C. Collected coolant and other debris in the annular drain channel 54 is directed via a drain 56, drain pipe 22A, 22B, 22C, and a drain valve 24A, 24B, 24C back to the dirty coolant collection space, such as sumps 14A, 14B, 14C, as indicated in
The de-misted air is drawn up out of each hybrid cyclone mist collection device 18A, 18B, 18C via branch ducts 26A, 26B, 26C and connected to the top of air plenum 28. The air is drawn down the plenum 28 and through a main duct 30 connected to a conventional central filter housing 32. The filter housing 32 may include a replaceable HEPA or similar filter or filters, which remove any residual fine mist, fine particles, etc., prior to being discharged back into the ambient atmosphere via a stack 34. The filter housing also includes a fan 33 which pulls the air through the entire ventilation system.
It can be appreciated that by removing coolant mist from the air at each tool station, coolant evaporation throughout the entire ventilation system is minimized, and the airflow back to the central filter housing 32 is much less likely to become polluted with coolant vapor. Furthermore, by returning the collected coolant back to each tool station, the need for disposal of the collected coolant is avoided. Finally, the hybrid cyclone mist collection devices 18A, 18B, 18C are passive and do not require controls, etc., and only a single central filter housing 32 is required. Maintenance is held to a minimum and the system is much simplified over other types of systems.
Referring now to
The spiral flow path within the cyclone body 53 terminates at a vortex finder 48. The vortex finder 48 is an elongated cylindrical tube connected to the outlet 40 that extends just below the bottom of the flow straightening area 46. The cyclone body 53 is configured to have a flow path that flows around the vortex finder 48. Air entering the cyclone body 53 tangentially creates a spiraling vortex flow path about the X-X axis that moves downward between the cyclone body wall and the vortex finder 48 toward a vortex deflector plate 58 located above the bottom of the cyclone body 53. The vortex deflector plate 58 is mounted above a raised portion 52 of the bottom of the cyclone body 53. The raised portion 52 is circumscribed by an annular drain channel 54 that is connected to a drain 56.
The raised bottom 52 of the cyclone body 53 prevents any collected coolant from migrating toward the center of the cyclone body floor, which would happen if the floor was flat. By raising the bottom and thus creating the drain channel 54, all the collected coolant, along with any solid particles, is directed into the drain 56.
The vortex finder 48 extends parallel with the vertical axis X-X and has an outside surface that connects to the cyclone body 53 and extends downward toward the vortex deflector plate 58. The vortex finder 48 includes a drip collar 64 formed on the outside surface of the vortex finder 48 and circumscribes an aperture 66 of the vortex finder 48 that leads to a passage through the vortex finder 48 into the outlet 40. The drip collar 64 directs any coolant that may have adhered to the outside surface of the vortex finder 48 away from the aperture 66 so that the coolant does not get sucked upward through the aperture 66 toward the outlet 40. The vortex deflector plate 58 is a solid planar surface. An annular shed sheet 60 extends at an angle below the vortex deflector plate 58. The annular shed sheet 60 is connected to the bottom side of the vortex deflector plate 58 and extends beyond an edge 62 of the vortex deflector plate 58. The annular shed sheet 60 extends downward toward the annular drain channel 54 at an angle such that any liquid located on the annular shed sheet 60 will flow downward and drip off of the annular shed sheet 60 into the annular drain channel 54. The circumference of the drip collar 64 is larger than the circumference of the vortex deflector plate 58. Upon shut down of the hybrid mist collection devices 18A, 18B, 18C liquid that has accumulated on the outer surface of the vortex finder 48 will migrate downward to the drip collar 64 and then drip downward onto the annular shed sheet 60.
As shown in
One of the advantages of the present invention is that the vortex deflector plate 58 does not provide any areas where liquid or solid particles can become trapped or stuck and then get sucked upward toward the vortex finder 48. In the present invention, once the spiraling airflow contacts the vortex deflector plate 58, the airflow is deflected upward toward the vortex finder 48 at an angle that is inverse to the angle of the downward spiral airflow angle. This causes airflow deflected from the vortex deflector plate 58 to pass through the aperture 66 of the vortex finder 48 and exit through the outlet 40. The air that is deflected from the vortex deflector plate 58 has reduced or eliminated liquid and solid particles so the airflow leaving the hybrid cyclone mist collection device is as clean as possible before it enters the central filter housing 32. Liquid along with any solid particles collected in the annular drain channel 54 is removed through the drain 56 and then is returned to the machine tool station 10A, 10B, 10C or sump 14A, 14B, 14C for reuse as shown in
Referring now
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
