An apparatus to separate water droplets from an air stream includes an elongated tube having a first end and a second end. The elongated tube includes an opening at a first end of the elongated tube, the opening may be positioned to accept the air stream. A reservoir is positioned at a second end of the elongated tube. A helix structure is positioned within the elongated tube. The helix structure includes an upper surface, a lower surface arranged opposite the upper surface, an outer edge, and a variable pitch along a length of the elongated tube. The variable pitch may provide a variable interior angle between an inner wall of the elongated tube and the upper surface of the helix structure.

A surface cleaning apparatus such as an extractor has a liquid delivery system, a separator, a collection chamber in communication a the separated element outlet of the separator, and a separated liquid collection container downstream from the collection chamber.

A device is provided for separating solid particles or liquid droplets from a fluid. The device comprises an entry tube having an inlet port for receiving a fluid flow and a vortex section, the diameter of which decreases in the flow direction. The vortex section comprises at least one internal wall forming at least one helical channel. The helical channel preferably surrounds a core body extending along a central axis of the entry tube. The varying diameter end sections of the core body preferably have a conical shape. The device further comprises an annular exit port section having at least one peripheral exit opening, and an outlet tube extending along the central axis. According to an embodiment, the device is provided with a pre-separation unit in the form of a cyclone.

An upright extractor has an upright section moveably mounted to a surface cleaning head. The upright section has a wand and hose assembly and a liquid separator. The liquid separator comprises a solid collection chamber that is separated from a liquid collection chamber by a porous divider. The upright extractor is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the handle is a driving handle of the upright extractor. The upright extractor is also operable in an above floor cleaning mode in which the inlet end of the wand is disconnected from fluid flow communication with the surface cleaning head dirty fluid inlet and an above floor air flow path extends from the inlet end of the wand to the clean air outlet and the liquid separator and the suction motor are provided in the above floor cleaning air flow path.

Systems and methods for removing contaminants from surfaces of a solid material using a flow of compressible fluid to draw incompressible fluid through pathways between fragments of the solid material. At least one method includes introducing solid material into a processing chamber, concurrently directing compressible fluid and incompressible fluid into the processing chamber via the inlet fluid distribution manifold, and operating a vacuum pump to maintain a pressure at a discharge outlet of the processing chamber sufficient to promote the compressible and incompressible fluids each achieving a velocity of at least 10 meters per second within the processing chamber.

An apparatus to separate water droplets from an air stream. The apparatus includes an elongated tube, a reservoir, and a helix structure. The elongated tube has a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, an inner surface, an inlet opening at the first end of the elongated tube, the inlet opening arranged to accept the air stream tangentially relative to the longitudinal axis, and an outlet opening at the second end of the elongated tube. The reservoir is positioned at a second end of the elongated tube. The helix structure is positioned within the elongated tube and includes an upper surface, a lower surface arranged opposite the upper surface, an outer edge, and a variable pitch along a length of the elongated tube, the variable pitch providing a variable interior angle between an inner wall of the elongated tube and the upper surface of the helix structure.

A uniflow cyclone that has multiple inlets, normally achieved via a vane, a barrel length, then a solids collection channel of larger diameter but concentric with the barrel and a tangential solids outlet to either a plenum or a dust hopper. The gas flows past the enlarged channel and continues through additional barrel length to an outlet zone. The cyclone would normally have a concentric center pipe the extends from the vane to the gas outlet of the cyclone.

A surface cleaning apparatus such as an extractor has a fluid flow path extending from a dirty fluid inlet head to a clean air outlet. The fluid flow path upstream of the separation stage comprises a removable portion.

Subject matter of the present invention is a device for the separation of flue gas particles and liquid droplets in the exhaustion of surgical gases during laparoscopic interventions.

The disclosure relates to an axial-flow centrifugal separator for separating particles from a dispersion, in particular a suspension, which contains the particles and a fluid, the separator including a hollow cylindrical pipe section for conducting the dispersion in a conducting direction. An inner wall of the hollow cylindrical pipe section may have an internal thread, the lead angle of which increases in the conducting direction.