A cyclone includes a hollow cylindrical upper portion and a hollow conical lower portion having an inclined wall and a base wall. The base wall and the inclined wall are continuous contact with each other, and the inclined wall of the hollow conical lower portion is in continuous contact with an outer wall of the hollow cylindrical upper portion. A total cyclone height is from about 10 to about 30 millimeters, and a ratio of the total cyclone height to an inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical upper portion is from about 0.7 to about 1.3. An angle between an inner surface of the base wall and an inner surface of the inclined wall is from about 110 to about 130 degrees.

A cyclone includes a hollow cylindrical upper portion and a hollow conical lower portion having an inclined wall and a base wall. The base wall and the inclined wall are continuous contact with each other, and the inclined wall of the hollow conical lower portion is in continuous contact with an outer wall of the hollow cylindrical upper portion. A total cyclone height is from about 10 to about 30 millimeters, and a ratio of the total cyclone height to an inner diameter of the hollow cylindrical upper portion is from about 0.7 to about 1.3. An angle between an inner surface of the base wall and an inner surface of the inclined wall is from about 110 to about 130 degrees.

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.

One illustrative cyclone separator disclosed herein includes an outer body, an inner body positioned at least partially within the outer body, an internal flow path within the inner body, the internal flow path having a fluid entrance and a fluid outlet, a first fluid flow channel between the inner body and the outer body, and a re-entrant fluid opening that extends through the outer body and is in fluid communication with the fluid flow channel, wherein the re-entrant fluid opening is positioned at a location upstream of the fluid entrance of the internal flow path in the inner body.

One illustrative cyclone separator disclosed herein includes an outer body, an inner body positioned at least partially within the outer body, an internal flow path within the inner body, the internal flow path having a fluid entrance and a fluid outlet, a first fluid flow channel between the inner body and the outer body, and a re-entrant fluid opening that extends through the outer body and is in fluid communication with the fluid flow channel, wherein the re-entrant fluid opening is positioned at a location upstream of the fluid entrance of the internal flow path in the inner body.

A cyclone separator arrangement includes a preceding apparatus having an outlet, and a cyclone separator having an inlet. The arrangement further includes a crossover duct connected to the outlet and the inlet for supplying gas flow including particles from the preceding apparatus to the cyclone separator. The preceding apparatus has a horizontal inner diameter (D), and a flow channel having a cross-section having a height (H) and a width (d), said width (d) relating to the inner diameter (D) such that 0.15×D<d<0.6×D.

A vortex reservoir for separation of an aerated portion of a hydraulic fluid includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, in fluid communication with the upper chamber, having a lower chamber sidewall. The lower chamber includes a lower lower chamber and an upper lower chamber. The lower chamber includes a lower chamber partitioning plate. The lower chamber partitioning plate is located between the lower lower chamber and the upper lower chamber. The lower lower chamber is in fluid communication with the upper lower chamber via a gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the lower chamber sidewall.

A vortex reservoir for separation of an aerated portion of a hydraulic fluid includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, in fluid communication with the upper chamber, having a lower chamber sidewall. The lower chamber includes a lower lower chamber and an upper lower chamber. The lower chamber includes a lower chamber partitioning plate. The lower chamber partitioning plate is located between the lower lower chamber and the upper lower chamber. The lower lower chamber is in fluid communication with the upper lower chamber via a gap between the lower chamber partitioning plate and the lower chamber sidewall.

A hydrocyclone having a mid-section having a longitudinal axis and a radius, and a fluid injection member releasably connected to the mid-section. The fluid injection member has a dilution passage therethrough and two spaced apart dilution ports, at least one dilution port being at an angle between 15 and 75 degrees relative to the mid-section radius. The injection member comprises a nozzle housing releasably connected to the mid-section, the nozzle housing having a dilution passage therethrough, and a nozzle adapted to be connected to the nozzle housing, the nozzle being planar and having at least one dilution port therethrough, the nozzle being receivable within the dilution passage.