Multiple modular in-line rotary separator bundle

• US 8,821,362 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Kidd, H. Allan, Maier, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): COOLEY, CHARLES E
• Application Number:
  US13/810,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20130210598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 494/31, 494/33, 494/37, 494/43, 210/380.1, 210/380.3
• US Class Current: 494/33
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0057 the centrifugal movement being caused by a vortex, e.g. using a cyclone, or by a tangential inlet
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 1/04 with inserted separating walls
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 11/06 Arrangement of distributors or collectors in centrifuges
• CPC Class Codes: B04B 5/10 Centrifuges combined with other apparatus, e.g. electrostatic separators; Sets or systems of several centrifuges B04B5/12 takes precedence; magnetic or electrostatic separators B03C; amassing particles by electric fields, e.g. by agglomeration B03C3/0175
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 2003/003 Shapes or dimensions of vortex chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 2003/006 Construction of elements by which the vortex flow is generated or degenerated
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 2009/007 with internal rotors, e.g. impeller, ventilator, fan, blower, pump
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 3/04 Multiple arrangement thereof combined with types according to other groups, B04C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 3/06 Construction of inlets or outlets to the vortex chamber

Abstract

An apparatus and method for separating a mixed flow into a higher-density component and a lower-density component is provided. The apparatus may include a casing having a fluid entrance assembly, a fluid outlet assembly, and a drain. The apparatus may also include a plurality of rotary separators disposed in the casing. Each of the plurality of rotary separators may include an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid entrance assembly, a discharge in fluid communication with the fluid outlet assembly, and an outlet passage in communication with the drain. At least one of the plurality of rotary separators may include a stationary housing and a rotatable drum disposed at least partially in the stationary housing. The stationary housing may define a slot at least partially providing the outlet passage, and the rotatable drum may be configured to centrifuge the mixed flow.

Claims

1. An apparatus for separating a mixed flow into a higher-density component and a lower-density component, comprising:

a casing having a fluid entrance assembly, a fluid outlet assembly, and a drain; and

a plurality of rotary separators disposed in the casing, wherein

each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators has an inlet in fluid communication with the fluid entrance assembly, a discharge in fluid communication with the fluid outlet assembly, and an outlet passage in communication with the drain, and

at least one rotary separator of the plurality of separators includes

a stationary housing that defines a slot that at least partially provides the outlet passage; and

a rotatable drum disposed at least partially in the stationary housing, the rotatable drum being configured to centrifuge the mixed flow.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two rotary separators of the plurality of rotary separators are disposed in parallel in the casing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators further includes a fluid shield aligned with the slot and configured to prevent fluid from entering the stationary housing via the outlet passage.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the fluid shield is curved to turn the higher-density component expelled through the outlet passage from a radially-outward direction to a substantially axial direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid entrance assembly includes:

a flow divider defining sections and configured to divide the mixed flow in the fluid entrance assembly; and

an inlet manifold including a plurality of flow guides fluidly coupled to the flow divider and extending therefrom to the plurality of rotary separators, each flow guide of the plurality of flow guides being configured to introduce a flow from one of the sections to at least one rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the flow divider includes a plurality of vanes, with the number of the plurality of vanes included being equal to the number of the plurality of rotary separators included in the casing.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fluid outlet assembly includes an outlet manifold coupled to the discharge of each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators, wherein the outlet manifold is a mirror image of the inlet manifold.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fluid entrance assembly includes:

a pipe;

a ramp disposed between the pipe and the flow divider; and

one or more distribution vanes disposed in the pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ramp has a slope of about 30 degrees.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each distribution vane of the one or more distribution vanes has a height that is between about 5% and about 10% of a diameter of the pipe.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more distribution vanes are spaced apart from the flow divider by a distance of between about 1.0 to about 2.0 times a diameter of the pipe.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more distribution vanes are oriented to produce an exit angle of between about 40 degrees and about 70 degrees with respect to straight axial in the pipe.

13. A modular fluid separator assembly, comprising:

a pressurized casing having a fluid outlet assembly, a drain, and a fluid entrance assembly including a flow divider defining sections, distribution vanes disposed upstream the flow divider, and a ramp disposed upstream the flow divider, the distribution vanes and the ramp being configured to distribute a mixed fluid flow;

a plurality of flow guides fluidly coupled to the flow divider, each flow guide of the plurality of flow guides being configured to receive the mixed fluid flow from one of the sections of the flow divider;

a plurality of rotary separators disposed in parallel in the pressurized casing, each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators having a discharge and an inlet fluidly coupled to one of the plurality of flow guides, and defining an outlet passage in fluid communication with the drain, wherein each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators is configured to separate the mixed fluid flow and to expel a higher-density component thereof to the drain; and

an outlet manifold extending from and fluidly coupling the discharge of each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators to the fluid outlet assembly,

wherein each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators includes

a stationary housing defining circumferentially-extending slots therein, the circumferentially-extending slots at least partially providing the outlet passage; and

a rotatable drum disposed in the stationary housing, the rotatable drum configured to rotate to at least partially separate the higher-density component of the mixed fluid flow from a lower-density component thereof.

14. The modular fluid separator assembly of claim 13, wherein each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators includes an upstream end and a downstream end, the upstream ends of each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators being disposed substantially in a common axial plane, and the downstream ends of each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators being disposed substantially in a common axial plane.

15. The modular fluid separator assembly of claim 13, wherein each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators further includes one or more fluid shields extending radially from an outside of the stationary housing and configured to shield the circumferentially-extending slots.

16. The modular fluid separator assembly of claim 13, wherein the circumferentially-extending slots are separated by tenons defined by the stationary housing, the tenons having an arc length of less than about 5 degrees and disposed at an angle of between about 10 degrees and about 30 degrees with respect to a tangency of the stationary housing.

17. A method for separating a higher density component of a mixed flow from a lower density component of the mixed flow, comprising:

receiving the mixed flow through a fluid entrance assembly of a pressurized casing;

dividing the mixed flow;

introducing the divided mixed flow to a plurality of flow guides;

distributing the mixed flow in the fluid entrance assembly with a ramp disposed upstream of the plurality of flow guides;

receiving the mixed flow from the plurality of flow guides with a plurality of rotary separators disposed in parallel in the pressurized casing;

centrifuging the mixed flow in the plurality of rotary separators to at least partially separate the higher-density component of the mixed flow from the lower-density component thereof;

expelling at least a portion of the higher-density component of the mixed flow from the plurality of rotary separators via an outlet passage defined in each rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators;

draining the at least a portion of the higher-density component of the mixed flow through a drain in the pressurized casing;

receiving at least a portion of the lower-density component from the plurality of rotary separators in an outlet manifold; and

discharging the at least a portion of the lower-density component through a fluid outlet assembly of the pressurized casing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising distributing the mixed flow in the fluid entrance assembly with one or more distribution vanes disposed upstream of the plurality of flow guides.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

shielding the outlet passage of at least one rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators with at least one fluid shield; and

turning the at least a portion of the higher-density component expelled via the outlet passage of the at least one rotary separator of the plurality of rotary separators from a radially-outward direction to a substantially axial direction with the at least one fluid shield.