Concentrator
First Claim
1. A concentrator, wherein said concentrator comprises an air processor that comprises:
- a sampled airflow inlet slot that is operable to receive a sampled airflow that contains particles containing target material; and
a secondary airflow inlet slot that is located downstream from said sampled airflow inlet slot;
wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to use centrifugal force to concentrate at least some of said particles containing target material into a central portion of said sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot;
wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to produce a non-collimated sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot;
wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot and said secondary airflow inlet slot share a common plane of symmetry;
wherein said secondary airflow inlet slot is operable to divide a secondary airflow from at least a part of said central portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, is operable to divide a left primary airflow from at least a part of a left portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, and is operable to divide a right primary airflow from at least a part of a right portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot; and
wherein said secondary airflow flows through said secondary airflow inlet slot.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A concentrator that is operable to concentrate particles of target material from a high flow rate sampled airflow into a low flow rate secondary airflow. The concentrator may have an array of radially arranged blades. Each blade may have a sampled airflow inlet that uses centrifugal force to concentrate the particles into a central portion of the sampled airflow passing through it. Downstream, the blade may also have primary airflow outlets and knife-edged secondary airflow inlets that divide the sampled airflow into a pair of lateral, high flow rate primary airflows from which the particles have been depleted, and a central, low flow rate secondary airflow which carries the concentrated particles.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A concentrator, wherein said concentrator comprises an air processor that comprises:
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a sampled airflow inlet slot that is operable to receive a sampled airflow that contains particles containing target material; and a secondary airflow inlet slot that is located downstream from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to use centrifugal force to concentrate at least some of said particles containing target material into a central portion of said sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to produce a non-collimated sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot and said secondary airflow inlet slot share a common plane of symmetry; wherein said secondary airflow inlet slot is operable to divide a secondary airflow from at least a part of said central portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, is operable to divide a left primary airflow from at least a part of a left portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, and is operable to divide a right primary airflow from at least a part of a right portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot; and wherein said secondary airflow flows through said secondary airflow inlet slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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21. A concentrator, wherein said concentrator comprises an air processor that comprises:
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a sampled airflow inlet slot that is operable to receive a sampled airflow that contains particles containing target material; and a secondary airflow inlet slot that is located downstream from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to use centrifugal force to concentrate at least some of said particles containing target material into a central portion of said sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to produce a non-collimated sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot and said secondary airflow inlet slot share a common plane of symmetry; wherein said secondary airflow inlet slot is operable to divide a secondary airflow from at least a part of said central portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, is operable to divide a left primary airflow from at least a part of a left portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, and is operable to divide a right primary airflow from at least a part of a right portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said secondary airflow flows through said secondary airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot has a pair of sides;
wherein each of said sides has a respective upstream surface at a point where said sampled airflow enters said sampled airflow inlet slot, and has a respective downstream surface at a point where said sampled airflow exits said sampled airflow inlet slot;
wherein each of said sides has a smoothly varying convex profile that extends at least most of a distance between its-said respective upstream and downstream surfaces of each of said sides;
wherein a pressure drop is produced when said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot and is divided by said secondary airflow inlet slot into said left primary airflow, said right primary airflow, and said secondary airflow;
wherein said pressure drop is minimized by said smoothly varying convex profiles of said sides as compared to if said sides did not have said smoothly varying convex profiles;wherein said air processor further comprises a central longitudinal axis and at least two blades;
wherein each said blade comprises a respective said sampled airflow inlet slot;
a respective said secondary airflow inlet slot, and a respective blade secondary airflow outlet port;
wherein a respective said secondary airflow exits from each said blade secondary airflow outlet port;
wherein said blades are radially arranged about said axis; and
wherein said respective said secondary airflows flow radially inwardly toward each other and toward said axis.
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22. A concentrator, wherein said concentrator comprises an air processor that comprises:
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a sampled airflow inlet slot that is operable to receive a sampled airflow that contains particles containing target material; and a secondary airflow inlet slot that is located downstream from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to use centrifugal force to concentrate at least some of said particles containing target material into a central portion of said sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to produce a non-collimated sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot and said secondary airflow inlet slot share a common plane of symmetry; wherein said secondary airflow inlet slot is operable to divide a secondary airflow from at least a part of said central portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, is operable to divide a left primary airflow from at least a part of a left portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, and is operable to divide a right primary airflow from at least a part of a right portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said secondary airflow flows through said secondary airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot has a pair of sides;
wherein each of said sides has a respective upstream surface at a point where said sampled airflow enters said sampled airflow inlet slot, and has a respective downstream surface at a point where said sampled airflow exits said sampled airflow inlet slot;
wherein each of said sides has a smoothly varying convex profile that extends at least most of a distance between its-said respective upstream and downstream surfaces of each of said sides;
wherein a pressure drop is produced when said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot and is divided by said secondary airflow inlet slot into said left primary airflow, said right primary airflow, and said secondary airflow;
wherein said pressure drop is minimized by said smoothly varying convex profiles of said sides as compared to if said sides did not have said smoothly varying convex profiles;wherein said air processor further comprises at least one blade and a hollow outer hub having an outer hub central cavity;
wherein said blade comprises said sampled airflow inlet slot and said secondary airflow inlet slot;
wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot of said blade is located in said outer hub;
wherein said left and right primary airflows flow into said outer hub central cavity;
wherein said air processor further comprises a pair of end plates;
wherein one of said end plates comprises a primary airflow outlet that is in fluid communication with said outer hub central cavity; and
wherein at least part of said left and right primary airflows flow out of said outer hub central cavity through said primary airflow outlet. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32)
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28. A concentrator, wherein said concentrator comprises an air processor that comprises:
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a sampled airflow inlet slot that is operable to receive a sampled airflow that contains particles containing target material; and a secondary airflow inlet slot that is located downstream from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to use centrifugal force to concentrate at least some of said particles containing target material into a central portion of said sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot is operable to produce a non-collimated sampled airflow as said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot and said secondary airflow inlet slot share a common plane of symmetry; wherein said secondary airflow inlet slot is operable to divide a secondary airflow from at least a part of said central portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, is operable to divide a left primary airflow from at least a part of a left portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot, and is operable to divide a right primary airflow from at least a part of a right portion of said sampled airflow that is received by said secondary airflow inlet slot from said sampled airflow inlet slot; wherein said secondary airflow flows through said secondary airflow inlet slot; wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot has a pair of sides;
wherein each of said sides has a respective upstream surface at a point where said sampled airflow enters said sampled airflow inlet slot, and has a respective downstream surface at a point where said sampled airflow exits said sampled airflow inlet slot;
wherein each of said sides has a smoothly varying convex profile that extends at least most of a distance between said respective upstream and downstream surfaces of each of said sides;
wherein a pressure drop is produced when said sampled airflow flows through said sampled airflow inlet slot and is divided by said secondary airflow inlet slot into said left primary airflow, said right primary airflow, and said secondary airflow;
wherein said pressure drop is minimized by said smoothly varying convex profiles of said sides as compared to if said sides did not have said smoothly varying convex profiles;wherein said air processor further comprises a central longitudinal axis;
a hollow outer hub; and
at least two blades;
wherein each said blade comprises a respective said sampled airflow inlet slot and a respective said secondary airflow inlet slot;
wherein said sampled airflow inlet slot of each said blade is located in said outer hub; and
wherein said at least two blades are radially arranged about said axis. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification