APPARATUS FOR CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATION OF LIQUID PARTICLES FROM A GAS

Abstract

In order to prevent air from being sucked into the separation chamber (12) of a counter-current type of centrifugal separator through the liquid outlet (24) thereof during the normal operation the separator a liquid trap in form of a well (28) is provided in the bottom of the separator housing (10). An outlet conduit (32) opens into the lower part of the well (28), wherein the well (28), at least in its upper part, has a substantially larger cross-sectional area than that of the outlet conduit (32).

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning of a gas by centrifugal separation of liquid and possible solid particles contained therein, comprising: a housing (10); a gas inlet (20) in the housing for uncleaned gas; a rotor (14) rotatably supported in the housing (10) and having a plurality of adjacent surface elements (16) for catching liquid particles in a gaseous flow through the rotor during the rotation thereof and throwing these out towards an inner wall of the housing (10); an outlet for discharging the gas that has passed through and been cleaned in the rotor (14); and an outlet (24) in a bottom part of the housing (10) for discharging the liquid collected on and flowing downwardly from the inner wall of the housing, characterized in that the liquid outlet (24) is formed by a well (28) in a lower part of the housing (10), in the bottom of which a tubular outlet conduit (32) for the separated liquid ends, wherein the well (28), at least in its upper part, has a substantially larger cross-sectional area than that of the outlet conduit (32) and such a height that it during normal operation of the apparatus forms a durable liquid trap with a substantially constant liquid level thereby preventing air from flowing into the housing through the outlet conduit (32) due to a sub pressure prevailing in the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the outlet conduit (32) is provided with a vent (34).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates the outside of the housing of an apparatus of the invention;

[0008] FIG. 2 is a cut out perspective view of the apparatus of the invention; and

[0009] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of the liquid trap in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0010] FIG. 2 shows a cut up portion of an apparatus for cleaning of a gas by centrifugal separation of liquid and possible solid particles contained therein. The apparatus comprises a housing 10 which delimits a separation chamber 12. In this embodiment the housing 10 is adapted to enclose two vertical, rotatably supported rotors 14, only one of which is shown. The rotor 14 has, in a manner known per se, a plurality of sedimentation or surface disc elements 16 separated a small distance from each other. Only one surface element 16 is shown. The surface elements 16 are treaded upon radial spokes 18 of the rotor core and have preferably the shape of conical discs. In one of the side walls of the housing 10 there is an inlet 20 (FIG. 1) for the gas medium to be cleaned from liquid particles. The housing 10 has an upper through-opening (not shown) for the upper part of the rotor 14. A fan wheel 22 at the upper end of the rotor 14 is situated in a fan housing (not shown) above and separated from the separation chamber 12 and generates during rotation of the rotor 14 a sub pressure in the separation chamber 12 via a central outlet shaft for cleaned gas in the rotor 14. The rotors 14 are driven by a common drive motor (not shown) below the housing 10 through a belt.

[0011] In a lowest part of the bottom of the housing 10 there is an outlet generally denoted 24 for the liquid separated by the rotors 14. The outlet 24 is formed by a bottom hole 26 (FIG. 3) which opens e.g. into a cylindrically shaped well, in this case a pipe socket 28 with an inclined bottom wall 30. The lower end of the pipe socket 28 communicates with an outlet conduit 32 having a substantially smaller cross-sectional area than that of the pipe socket 28, e.g. a fifth of the cross-sectional area of the pipe socket. The outlet conduit 32 may be formed by a pipe or a hose which leads the separated liquid further to a container or a tank (not shown). Alternately, the outlet 24 may have the form of a bowl or a conical shape.

[0012] At the start-up of the operation of the apparatus the gas to be cleaned from liquid or solid particle will be sucked into the separation chamber 12 of the housing 10 through the gas inlet 20 due to the sub pressure generated by the rotation of the fan wheels 22 of the rotors 14. Initially the gas flows into the gaps or interspaces between the conical disc elements 16 of the rotors 14, where the liquid particles in the gas are caught upon the insides of the discs facing the center axis of the rotor 14 by the centrifugal forces acting on the particles during the passage of the gas towards the center of the rotors. The caught particles are forced outwardly towards the outer periphery of the discs 16 by the centrifugal force and are then thrown upon the insides on the housing 10, where they can flow down to the liquid outlet 24 in the bottom of the housing. Initially, the liquid is prevented from flowing out through the outlet conduit 32 due to an air stream flowing in the opposite direction through the conduit created by the sub pressure in the separation chamber 12. More and more liquid is collected in the pipe socket 28 until the liquid level therein corresponds to the sub pressure prevailing in the separation chamber 12 whereby balance or an equilibrium is obtained. Inflow of air into the separation chamber 12 through the outlet conduit 32 is thereby prevented by the liquid in the pipe socket 28, so that liquid can flow out through the conduit 32 without being withdrawn back to the separation chamber 12. As new separated liquid falls down into the pipe socket 28 of the outlet 24, it will be emptied to the same extent so that the liquid level therein will be constant.

[0013] The outlet conduit 32 is provided with a vent 34 in an upper portion thereof, such that separated liquid can unimpededly flow out to a subsequent container, regardless if the end of the conduit is positioned below a liquid surface or not.