Fluid/particle separator unit and method for separating particles from a flowing fluid

• US 4,382,804 A
• Filed: 03/02/1981
• Issued: 05/10/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1978
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fred Mellor
• Original Assignee: Fred Mellor
• Inventors: Mellor, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): LACEY, DAVID LYNN
• Application Number:
  US06/239,530
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 55/338, 55/339, 55/396, 55/398, 55/400, 55/406-409, 55/422, 55/DIG. 3, 55/1, 55/401, 55/403, 55/404, 55/405, 55/202, 55/205, 55/414, 55/416, 55/40 2, 210/512.3, 210/787, 209/143, 209/144, 15/353
• US Class Current: 95/270
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/102 Dust separators cyclones A47L9/16
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/08 by impingement against baffle separators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A fluid/particle separator assembly includes an apertured rotary separator mounted substantially to close an inlet to a chamber through which a fluid is forced by a pump or impeller. The separator is rotated at such a speed that inclined faces bounding its apertures, and facing in the circumferential direction of motion, occlude direct flow through the separator; particles in the flow rebound from the separator to remain on its inlet side while the cleansed fluid passes through the rotor, is centrifuged outwardly and ducted by baffles in the chamber to an outlet. A method of separating particles from a flowing fluid by means of said rotary separator is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A fluid/particle separator assembly comprising in combination:

(a) a centrifugal impeller mounted on a rotor drive shaft;

(b) a rotary separator mounted coaxially on said drive shaft adjacent said impeller, said separator having apertures bounded, at least in part, by surfaces inclined to the axis of said separator and facing in a circumferential direction with respect to said separator and away from said centrifugal impeller;

(c) drive means connected to rotate said drive shaft so that said impeller and said separator expels fluid centrifugally from the periphery of said impeller and induce a fluid flow through said separator towards said impeller and to move said surfaces of said separator in said circumferential direction, whereby the action of said separator separates particles from said fluid and fluid containing a substantially reduced concentration of particles is centrifuged outwardly by said impeller.

2. A method of separating particles from a flowing fluid wherein said flow is directed at an inlet side of a rotary separator having apertures bounded, at least in part, by surfaces inclined to the axis of said separator and being on an outlet side of said separator, and facing in a circumferential direction with respect to said separator and towards said flow, and said rotary separator is rotated in a sense to move said surfaces in said circumferential direction so as to occlude direct flow through said apertures;

the relationship of said surfaces, the speed of rotation of the separator and the fluid flow rate being such that particles in said fluid rebound from said separator to the inlet side thereof, the fluid passing through said separator and being centrifuged by said surfaces.

3. A fluid/particle separator unit for separating particles from a flow of particle-containing fluid, comprising in combination:

(a) a housing defining a chamber and including a circular fluid inlet to said chamber and a fluid outlet from said chamber,

(b) means for creating said flow of fluid in the direction from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet across said chamber, in use,

(c) a rotary separator cooperating with said inlet and peripherally spaced from the housing by a clearance which is small compared with the diameter of the separator, said separator having apertures bounded at least in part by surfaces inclined to the axis of the rotor and facing upstream of said flow of fluid towards said inlet and in a circumferential direction with respect to said separator,

(d) rotor drive means for rotating said rotary separator in a sense to move said surfaces in said circumferential direction,

(e) whereby in use of said assembly, particles in the fluid flowing to the inlet rebound from the separator and remain outside said chamber and fluid containing a substantially reduced concentration of said particles passes through said apertures in said separator and is centrifuged by said inclined surfaces, a major part of said fluid containing a substantially reduced concentration of particles leaving said chamber through said outlet and a minor part thereof being forced through said clearance to prevent a flow of particle-laden fluid through the clearance into the chamber in use.

4. A fluid/particle separator unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for creating said flow of fluid comprises a motor-impeller assembly positioned and arranged to exhaust fluid from said chamber through said fluid outlet.

5. A fluid/particle separator unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said rotary drive means including a common drive shaft with said motor impeller assembly and said rotary separator mounted thereon for rotation thereby.

6. A fluid/particle separator assembly for separating particles from a flow of fluid said assembly comprising in combination:

(a) a housing, said housing having an inlet for the flow of particle-containing fluid into said housing and an outlet aperture spaced from and positioned coaxial with said inlet for receiving said fluid containing a reduced concentration of the particles;

(b) a rotary separator having apertures bounded, at least in part, by surfaces inclined to the axis of said separator and facing in a circumferential and axial direction with respect to said separator, said rotary separator substantially closing said inlet;

(c) mounting means mounting said rotary separator within said housing in the path of said flow of particle-containing fluid with said surfaces facing upstream of said flow towards said inlet;

(d) flow-directing baffle means mounted in said housing coaxially with said housing, said baffle means being positioned coaxial with and axially adjacent said rotary separator between said rotary separator and said outlet aperture and facing in the opposite axial direction from said inclined surfaces, said baffle means including a circular baffle plate separated from said housing by an annular space and being arranged to direct the fluid centrifuged by said rotary separator surfaces to said outlet aperture;

(e) rotor drive means connected to said rotary separator for rotating said rotary separator to move said surfaces in said circumferential direction, whereby particles in said flow of fluid rebound from said rotary separator and remain upstream of said rotary separator with respect to the direction of said fluid flow and fluid containing a substantially reduced concentration of particles passes through said apertures and is centrifuged outwardly by the inclined separator surfaces.

7. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said outlet aperture is smaller than said inlet and further including a plurality of stator vanes fixed relative to said housing and defining between them radial ducts extending between said annular space and said outlet.

8. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rotor drive means include a drive shaft and wherein said circular baffle plate is mounted on said drive shaft for rotation thereby.

9. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said baffle plate supports impeller blades connected to said drive shaft for rotation thereby, said impeller blades being arranged to enhance the centrifugal action of said separator, in use.

10. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said housing has an annular wall defining said inlet, said rotary separator is spaced from said annular wall by an annular clearance and wherein said rotary separator, said baffle plate and said housing are so arranged that fluid centrifuged by said rotary separator, in use, is expelled from said housing through said clearance to prevent the entry of particle-containing fluid therethrough.

11. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said aperture of said rotary separator is elongate and is inclined at an angle of from 0°

to substantially 45°

to a radius through the center of a longitudinal edge thereof.

12. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said outlet aperture is smaller than said inlet and the sum of the flow cross-sections of said apertures of said rotary separator is of the same order of magnitude as the cross-section of said outlet aperture.

13. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said inclined surfaces bounding said apertures are inclined at an angle from 10°

to 75°

to a plane of the rotary separator perpendicular to its axis of rotation.

14. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein said inclined surfaces bounding said apertures are inclined at an angle of from 25°

to 45°

to said plane.

15. A fluid/particle separator assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rotary separator comprises a disc having formed therein said apertures and having vanes projecting therefrom to provide said inclined surfaces.

16. A suction cleaner comprising a container having inlet means and outlet means and a motor/impeller assembly arranged to withdraw air from said container through said outlet means, wherein said suction cleaner includes said fluid/particle separator assembly of claim 6 mounted within said container by said housing so that air withdrawn from said container through said outlet means, in use, is constrained to flow through said rotary separator, whereby particles separated by said rotary separator are trapped in said container and cleansed air passes through said separator to said outlet means.