Centripetal separation system for cleaning particulate-pervaded air or gas

• US 10,118,115 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andover Protection Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Andover Protection Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Roston, Edward, Lynch, Andrew W., Wetjen, Johnathan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Dung H
• Application Number:
  US15/019,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20160158680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0217 by centrifugal force
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/14 generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 2005/125 the rotors comprising separating walls
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 9/00 Combinations with other devices, e.g. fans, expansion chambers, diffusors, water lockswith filters B01D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 7/01 using gravity
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 7/083 generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums, or brushes
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 13/04 having means for purifying air before leaving crankcase, e.g. removing oil
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2013/0422 Separating oil and gas with a centrifuge device

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a centripetal air or gas cleaning apparatus for removing particulates from air or gas. The apparatus comprises an inlet, housing, impeller, a clean air outlet, and a particulate outlet. The housing has an inner conical surface. The impeller'"'"'s rotation creates negative pressure towards the inlet that intakes particulate-pervaded air or gas into the housing. The rotation also induces an accelerating force that throws the particulate-pervaded air or gas against the outer walls of the housing. Here, the particulates separate from the air or gas, penetrate a high-pressure zone, and are ejected through the particulate outlet located in the high-pressure zone. The air or gas, having less inertia, deflects away from the high-pressure zone where it is then subjected to a centripetal force that drives the air or gas towards the center of the housing behind the impeller where it is ejected through the clean air outlet.

Claims

1. An air or gas cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising (i) an internal cavity enclosed by a rounded wall, (ii) an intake receiving particulate-pervaded air or gas into the internal cavity, (iii) a particulate outlet providing an aperture from which particulates separated from the particulate-pervaded air or gas exit the housing, and (iv) a cleaned air or gas outlet providing an aperture from which air or gas separated from the particulate-pervaded air or gas exit the housing;

a powered impeller positioned behind the intake about centrally within the housing, the powered impeller having an axis of rotation aligned with the intake, the powered impeller inducing suction of the particulate-pervaded air or gas at the intake and accelerating the particulate-pervaded air or gas within the internal cavity about radially to the intake;

a set of supports onto which the powered impeller mounts, said set of supports suspending the powered impeller about centrally within the internal cavity;

a motor powering the powered impeller coupled, in conjunction with the powered impeller, to the set of supports; and

a surface directly extending at an acute angle from the rounded wall over an opening of the particulate outlet within said housing and towards the powered impeller, said surface trapping and guiding particulates from the particulate-pervaded air or gas to the particulate outlet based on said accelerating, whereas cleaned air or gas, having less momentum than the particulates, separates from the particulates and moves towards the cleaned air or gas outlet based on said accelerating.

2. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface in combination with said accelerating creates a high-pressure zone around an inside surface of the internal cavity into which the particulates, having greater momentum than the cleaned air or gas, penetrate, but the cleaned air or gas, having less momentum than the particulates, cannot penetrate thereby separating from the particulates and exiting the housing through the cleaned air or gas outlet.

3. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said surface comprises a channel in alignment with or leading to the particulate outlet, said channel directing the particulates towards the particulate outlet.

4. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an unobstructed opening in the internal cavity between the surface and the impeller through which the cleaned air or gas separating from the particulate-pervaded air or gas passes by the particulate outlet towards the cleaned air or gas outlet.

5. The air or gas cleaning apparatus of claim 4, wherein said unobstructed opening is aligned with the cleaned air or gas outlet.

6. An apparatus for removing particulates from particulate-pervaded air or gas, the apparatus comprising:

a housing comprising a front face at a proximal end, a set of supports at a distal end, a set of sidewalls connecting to the front face, an internal cavity between the set of sidewalls, a first opening providing an inlet for the particulate-pervaded air or gas into the internal cavity, a second opening dispensing particulates from the particulate-pervaded air or gas within the internal cavity, and a third opening from which cleaned air or gas exits the housing;

a powered impeller disposed within the internal cavity behind the first opening by the set of supports, the impeller is a centrifugal air or gas accelerator accelerating the particulate-pervaded air or gas towards an interior side of the set of sidewalls;

a motor powering the powered impeller coupled, in conjunction with the powered impeller, to the set of supports; and

a channel comprising a discrete barrier that directly extends at an acute angle from the set of sidewalls over an opening of the second opening within an interior of the housing and towards the powered impeller.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising an unobstructed opening between the channel and the impeller.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the unobstructed opening provides an open area towards a rear of the housing through which the cleaned air or gas passes to the third opening or out the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the powered impeller has a radius equal to or greater than a radius of the first opening and the third opening.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the particulates comprise at least one of coal dust, saw dust, metal dust, dirt, sand, and liquid suspended in air or gas.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first opening is exposed to a surrounding environment comprising the particulate-pervaded air or gas.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first opening is coupled to a duct funneling the particulate-pervaded air or gas from another machine.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said apparatus is made of steel, aluminum, other metal, or plastic.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second opening comprises a spout or a coupling to a receptacle retaining the particulates ejected from the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a channel into which the particulates accumulate when separated from the particulate-pervaded air or gas.

16. An air or gas cleaning apparatus comprising:

housing comprising an intake receiving particulate-pervaded air or gas;

a powered impeller positioned behind the housing in alignment with the intake, the powered impeller inducing suction of the particulate-pervaded air or gas at the intake and accelerating the particulate-pervaded air or gas about radially within the housing;

a set of supports onto which the powered impeller mounts, said set of supports suspending the powered impeller about centrally within the housing;

a motor powering the powered impeller coupled, in conjunction with the powered impeller, to the set of supports; and

a particulate outlet comprising an opening disposed about a particular side of the housing;

a cleaned air or gas outlet; and

a surface directly extending at an acute angle from the particular side of the housing, adjacent to and over an opening of the particulate outlet within the housing towards the powered impeller, wherein the accelerating of the particulate-pervaded air or gas by the powered impeller pushes heavier particulates towards the housing sides with the surface deflecting the heavier particulates out the particulate outlet, while cleaned air or gas, having less momentum than the heavier particulates, moves away from the heavier particulates and around said surface before exiting out the cleaned air or gas outlet.