Labyrinth disk stack having disks with integral filter screens

• US 4,267,045 A
• Filed: 12/13/1979
• Issued: 05/12/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Company (Babcock International Group PLC)
• Inventors: Hoof, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spitzer, Robert H.
• Application Number:
  US06/103,256
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 137/625.3, 137/625.37, 138/42, 210/322, 210/323 R, 210/447, 210/488, 210/492, 210/498, 251/127
• US Class Current: 210/322
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 25/26 Cell-type stack filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/46 of flat, stacked bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/06 by reversal of direction of flow
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 47/08 for decreasing pressure or noise level and having a throttling member separate from the closure member , e.g. screens, slots, labyrinths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86791 Piston

Abstract

A multi-turn labyrinth disk (10) is provided for a pressure reduction disk stack (12) which has an integral filter screen (34). The filter screen (34) comprises a series of small area passages (A₂) located on the periphery of the disk (10) which lead to a common high capacity radial passage (32) used to supply a series of multi-turn labyrinth paths (18).

Claims

1. A device for subjecting particulate fluid flow to a labyrinth passage between the inlet and outlet of the device comprising:

a multi-turn labyrinth disk stack with integral inlet filter having a series of disks with inlet and outlet circumferences forming the inlet and outlet of said disk stack;

means for allowing fluid flow in the device to flow from the inlet circumference of the disk stack to the outlet circumference of the disk stack;

each disk of said series having a series of small area openings located around the entire inlet circumference of said disk forming an inlet filter for the particulate fluid flow through the device and leading to a large circumferential passageway;

each of said series of disks having a series of multi-turn passages located proximately to said large circumferential passageway, each multi-turn passage having a substantially constant area significantly larger than the area of each of said series of circumferential passages to prevent the blocking of the passageway by a particle of the particulate fluid flow passing through the inlet filter of said disk; and

outlet means located on each of said series of disks proximate to said multi-turn passages to exhaust the particulate fluid from the disk stack of the device.

2. A disk stack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outlet means on each of said series of disks includes a pressure equalization passageway radially extending proximate to the outlet of said series of multi-turn labyrinths.

3. A disk stack as set forth in claim 1 wherein the area of said multi-turn labyrinth passages of each of said series of disks is significantly less than the total area of the series of small openings.

4. A disk stack as set forth in claim 3 wherein on each of said series of disks the area of said large circumferential passage is significantly larger than the area of one of said multi-turn passages.

5. A disk stack as set forth in claim 4 wherein on each of said series of disks said multi-turn passages are formed by lands extending from the surface of said disk to a common height to allow a flat surface to seal the passageways therebetween.