A vacuum cyclonic separator that includes: a main body having a top surface with an air outlet, a bottom perimeter defining a bottom aperture of the main body, at least two downwardly facing air inlets and at least one side wall extending between the top surface and the bottom portion and shaped such that air received within an interior cavity of main body moves in a cyclone and wherein the at least two downwardly facing air inlets are in at least substantially the same plane as the bottom perimeter of the main body; and a dump valve assembly capable of being opened and closed with one hand where the dump valve is engaged with the bottom portion to seal the bottom aperture of the main body.

An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder having a cylinder axis, a piston positioned within the cylinder and configured to reciprocate along the cylinder axis, a crankshaft configured to rotate about a crankshaft axis, an air-fuel mixing device configured to provide an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, a cyclonic air filter positioned entirely below the air-fuel mixing device, and a duct coupling the cyclonic air filter to the air-fuel mixing device and configured to provide air filtered by the cyclonic air filter to the air-fuel mixing device.

An internal combustion engine includes an engine block including a cylinder having a cylinder axis, a piston positioned within the cylinder and configured to reciprocate along the cylinder axis, a crankshaft configured to rotate about a crankshaft axis, an air-fuel mixing device configured to provide an air-fuel mixture to the cylinder, a cyclonic air filter positioned entirely below the air-fuel mixing device, and a duct coupling the cyclonic air filter to the air-fuel mixing device and configured to provide air filtered by the cyclonic air filter to the air-fuel mixing device.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for growing agricultural products with a reduced abundance of radioactive carbon-14 (.sup.14C) by employing centrifugal separation of atmospheric gases to selectively remove carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) with .sup.14C. Agricultural products with reduced .sup.14C content can be grown in controlled environments with filtered atmospheric gases for the benefit of reducing harmful damage to human DNA that is unavoidable with our current food chain, due to the natural abundance of .sup.14C in atmospheric gases. Bilateral and unilateral compression helikon vortex apparatus provide efficient and economical removal of CO.sub.2 with .sup.14C from atmospheric gases with a single filtration pass, which is ideally suited for large scale agricultural production.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for growing agricultural products with a reduced abundance of radioactive carbon-14 (.sup.14C) by employing centrifugal separation of atmospheric gases to selectively remove carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) with .sup.14C. Agricultural products with reduced .sup.14C content can be grown in controlled environments with filtered atmospheric gases for the benefit of reducing harmful damage to human DNA that is unavoidable with our current food chain, due to the natural abundance of .sup.14C in atmospheric gases. Bilateral and unilateral compression helikon vortex apparatus provide efficient and economical removal of CO.sub.2 with .sup.14C from atmospheric gases with a single filtration pass, which is ideally suited for large scale agricultural production.

A bioreactor system for culturing cells, comprising: —at least one bioreactor (3); and —at least one hydrocyclone (5a; 5b; 5c; 5d, 5d′; 5e) comprising: —a cell culture inlet (7) which is connected to a cell culture outlet (9) of the bioreactor (3) via a pump (11), whereby a cell culture from the bioreactor can be transferred to the hydrocyclone (5a: 5b; 5c; 5d, 5d′; 5e) when a cell culture is provided in the bioreactor, —a hydrocyclone separation part (13) into which cell culture can be introduced from the cell culture inlet (7), —a top outlet (15) through which a part of the cell culture with decreased cell concentration can be transferred after separation in the hydrocyclone separation pan (13); and —a bottom outlet (17) through which a pan of the cell culture with increased cell concentration can be transferred after separation in the hydrocyclone separation part (13), wherein said bottom outlet (17) of the hydrocyclone (5a; 5b; 5c; 5d, 5d′; 5e) is provided in a position such that when the bioreactor system is used for culturing cells the bottom outlet (17) is in connection with a headspace (21) of the bioreactor (3) and wherein said bottom outlet (17) is provided such that the bottom outlet (17) has a free space around it such that a cell culture transferred out form the bottom outlet (17) is allowed to freely discharge around the bottom outlet.

A bioreactor system for culturing cells, comprising: —at least one bioreactor (3); and —at least one hydrocyclone (5a; 5b; 5c; 5d, 5d′; 5e) comprising: —a cell culture inlet (7) which is connected to a cell culture outlet (9) of the bioreactor (3) via a pump (11), whereby a cell culture from the bioreactor can be transferred to the hydrocyclone (5a: 5b; 5c; 5d, 5d′; 5e) when a cell culture is provided in the bioreactor, —a hydrocyclone separation part (13) into which cell culture can be introduced from the cell culture inlet (7), —a top outlet (15) through which a part of the cell culture with decreased cell concentration can be transferred after separation in the hydrocyclone separation pan (13); and —a bottom outlet (17) through which a pan of the cell culture with increased cell concentration can be transferred after separation in the hydrocyclone separation part (13), wherein said bottom outlet (17) of the hydrocyclone (5a; 5b; 5c; 5d, 5d′; 5e) is provided in a position such that when the bioreactor system is used for culturing cells the bottom outlet (17) is in connection with a headspace (21) of the bioreactor (3) and wherein said bottom outlet (17) is provided such that the bottom outlet (17) has a free space around it such that a cell culture transferred out form the bottom outlet (17) is allowed to freely discharge around the bottom outlet.

A sand trap for oil and gas extraction includes a cyclonic flow section having a longitudinal axis, an inlet for receiving a high-pressure fluid stream with particulates, an upper portion, a choke area, and a funnel portion narrowing from the upper portion to the choke area. The inlet has an axis generally perpendicular but askew to the longitudinal axis. A vortex finder extends downwardly from a cap and defines a passageway coaxial with the longitudinal axis for fluid to exit. A spherical accumulator extends downwardly from the cyclonic flow section and has a center axis coaxial with the longitudinal axis. Upper and lower ends of the spherical accumulator each have an opening centered along the longitudinal axis, and the spherical accumulator is unobstructed from the upper opening to the lower opening for the particulates to pass unimpeded and accumulate in the accumulator.

A sand trap for oil and gas extraction includes a cyclonic flow section having a longitudinal axis, an inlet for receiving a high-pressure fluid stream with particulates, an upper portion, a choke area, and a funnel portion narrowing from the upper portion to the choke area. The inlet has an axis generally perpendicular but askew to the longitudinal axis. A vortex finder extends downwardly from a cap and defines a passageway coaxial with the longitudinal axis for fluid to exit. A spherical accumulator extends downwardly from the cyclonic flow section and has a center axis coaxial with the longitudinal axis. Upper and lower ends of the spherical accumulator each have an opening centered along the longitudinal axis, and the spherical accumulator is unobstructed from the upper opening to the lower opening for the particulates to pass unimpeded and accumulate in the accumulator.

A separator apparatus is described for separating liquids and solids from a gas. The separator apparatus includes a reverse flow cyclone comprising a cylindrical section, a conical section, and a top, the cylindrical section having a feed inlet, the top having a gas outlet, and the conical section having a reject outlet at the bottom thereof. An axial cyclone is disposed in the cylindrical section, the axial cyclone oriented with a first end located proximate to the top of the apparatus and a second end opposite the first end, the axial cyclone having a tapered entrance fixture at the second end thereof and having a wall with a plurality of openings located between the first end of the axial cyclone and a midpoint of the axial cyclone. A drain plate is coupled to the cylindrical section below the openings of the axial cyclone.