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 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.

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.

A cyclone separator for separating at least two phases of a fluid, with a base housing through which the fluid can flow in an essentially helical pattern, that has a separation chamber with an upper and a lower end, wherein the upper and lower end each respectively have a wall, and a central axis that extends between the two ends, and furthermore a central separation tube arranged inside the conical separation chamber, concentric to the central axis of the base housing, with an essentially cylindrical wall having a surface facing toward the inner cross-section with a first surface profile, and a surface facing away from the inner cross-section with a second surface profile. The base housing has at its upper end a header section with an inner radius and with at least one essentially tangentially attached inlet opening for the fluid, as well as at least one light fraction outlet opening with a cross-section and, at its lower end, at least one expansion chamber and at least one heavy fraction outlet opening. The separation chamber tapers conically in the direction of the lower end at least incrementally in sections, preferably with a constant cone angle α.

A cyclone separator for separating at least two phases of a fluid, with a base housing through which the fluid can flow in an essentially helical pattern, that has a separation chamber with an upper and a lower end, wherein the upper and lower end each respectively have a wall, and a central axis that extends between the two ends, and furthermore a central separation tube arranged inside the conical separation chamber, concentric to the central axis of the base housing, with an essentially cylindrical wall having a surface facing toward the inner cross-section with a first surface profile, and a surface facing away from the inner cross-section with a second surface profile. The base housing has at its upper end a header section with an inner radius and with at least one essentially tangentially attached inlet opening for the fluid, as well as at least one light fraction outlet opening with a cross-section and, at its lower end, at least one expansion chamber and at least one heavy fraction outlet opening. The separation chamber tapers conically in the direction of the lower end at least incrementally in sections, preferably with a constant cone angle α.

A separator apparatus includes an intake nozzle, first cyclone device, and a second cyclone device. The first and second cyclone devices each include an inlet section, a scroll, a barrel centered on a first axis, a vortex finder, and an underflow portion. The scroll is attached to the inlet section and to the barrel such that the scroll connects the inlet section to the barrel. The vortex finder has a vortex tube arranged concentrically on the axis in an interior volume of barrel. The underflow portion defines an annular gap in fluid connection with the interior volume. The intake nozzle is fluidly connected to the inlet sections of the first and second cyclone devices.

A separator apparatus includes an intake nozzle, first cyclone device, and a second cyclone device. The first and second cyclone devices each include an inlet section, a scroll, a barrel centered on a first axis, a vortex finder, and an underflow portion. The scroll is attached to the inlet section and to the barrel such that the scroll connects the inlet section to the barrel. The vortex finder has a vortex tube arranged concentrically on the axis in an interior volume of barrel. The underflow portion defines an annular gap in fluid connection with the interior volume. The intake nozzle is fluidly connected to the inlet sections of the first and second cyclone devices.

A cyclonic separator (10) comprises a separation chamber (14), a feed inlet (16) leading into the separation chamber and an underflow discharge (18) leading from the separation chamber. The cyclonic separator further comprises a vortex finder which has an inlet end positioned in the separation chamber, an outlet end defining an overflow discharge, and a bleed opening (48) defined by the inlet and outlet ends of the vortex finder and through which a portion of an overflow stream can be bled from the vortex finder to remove oversized particles from the overflow stream.

A cyclonic separator (10) comprises a separation chamber (14), a feed inlet (16) leading into the separation chamber and an underflow discharge (18) leading from the separation chamber. The cyclonic separator further comprises a vortex finder which has an inlet end positioned in the separation chamber, an outlet end defining an overflow discharge, and a bleed opening (48) defined by the inlet and outlet ends of the vortex finder and through which a portion of an overflow stream can be bled from the vortex finder to remove oversized particles from the overflow stream.

A reject chamber for use with a hydrocyclone for separating a fiber suspension into a heavy fraction substantially containing heavy contaminants and a light fiber fraction substantially containing fibers, the reject chamber having an internal cavity, a reject inlet into the internal cavity, and a reject outlet out of the internal cavity, the longitudinal axis of the reject outlet being angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the reject inlet. The reject chamber has a stem that extends into the internal cavity at the elbow of the reject chamber, and at least two bumps, each of which extend into the chamber on opposite sides of the stem, the reject chamber taken along a cross section through the stem and between the bumps having symmetrical sides.