Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D45/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces
  • B01D45/04—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia
  • B01D45/08—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia by impingement against baffle separators

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a separator for separating material particles from a gas, especially liquid droplets from gases.
• mist eliminator vane A very successful apparatus for separating liquid particles from gases, which is also referred to as a mist eliminator vane, is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,953,183.
• the mist eliminator vanes are profiles that are in a wave or sinusoidal shape which has a separating chamber (also called a collection pocket) opening to the direction of the gas flow.
• the separating chamber distorts the gas flow along the vane because of the sudden changes of direction in the profile and the position of the chamber.
• the curved vane and separating chamber structure of the mist eliminator disclosed in Patent No. 3,953,183 produces an improved separation efficiency.
• the shape of the mist eliminator vanes and the placement and positioning of the separating chamber formed by the flange on the vane cause a substantial pressure drop in the gas flowing from the inlet side of the vane to the outlet side of the vane.
• the evaporative cooler is not operated and no mist is created, but air escaping from the cooling tower or other device must still pass through the mist eliminator and encounter the resulting pressure drop, thereby unnecessarily consuming energy.
• Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a separator or mist eliminator vane that includes an integral separating chamber for separating material particles from a gas while allowing the shape of the separating chamber to be selectively varied in order to vary pressure drop along the vane .
• Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved mist eliminator vane structure.
• a separator of particles from gases i.e., a mist eliminator vane, or separator
• the vane includes an upstream end on the first vane section and a downstream end on the second vane section.
• the second vane section has projecting flange or blade which extends away from the second vane section towards the first vane section adjacent the means which pivotally connects the opposed ends of those vane section.
• the vane sections may pivot relative to each other about the pivotally connecting means between a first position wherein the flange is spaced from the first vane section to open the mouth of the separating chamber and a second position wherein a portion of the flange is adjacent the first vane section to substantially close the mouth of the separating chamber thereby to reduce pressure drop of gas flowing past the separator when the action of the separator is not needed.
• Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a plurality of profiles or mist eliminator vanes arranged in parallel and vertically with regard to each other, illustrating the prior art structure
• Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view similar to Figure 1 of two vanes constructed in accordance with the present invention with their separating chamber in the open position;
• Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the separator vanes in their closed position
• Figure 4 is an enlarged view similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing a single vane, its mounting arrangement and its movement from its open to its closed position;
• Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating another embodiment of the present invention with the separating chamber of the vane in its open position;
• Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the position of the vane of Figure 5 with its separating chamber in the closed position;
• Figure 7 is a pressure chart showing the difference in pressure loss between the open and closed positions of an exemplary mist eliminator vane constructed in accordance with the present invention.
• each vane or wave profile 10 is mounted in any convenient and known manner in the discharge end of an evaporative cooler or other structure which discharges particles in a gas stream. In an evaporative cooler application the particles are small liquid droplets in a mist in air.
• the vanes 10 are arranged parallel to each other at the discharge end of the evaporative cooler to receive the discharged mist and gas stream.
• the gas stream enters the inlet end 12 of the pack of mist eliminator vanes at the inlet edges 14 of the vanes.
• the vanes are generally sinusoidal in shape and the air is deflected along the vanes as indicated by the arrows.
• the mist eliminator vane is formed of three arc sections, including a first or inlet convex section 16, a second central concave section 18 and a third convex discharge section 20 which leads to the discharge end 22 of the vane. From the discharge end the air escapes to the atmosphere.
• the particular curvatures of these vane sections are described in detail in Patent No. 3,953,183 and those details do not form part of this invention.
• the central sections 18 of the vanes have a plurality of serrations 24 formed therein.
• the second or central section 18 of each vane also has a flange or blade 26 extending tangentially therefrom towards the direction of air flow to define a separating chamber 30 having an open mouth 28 between the flange and vane section 18.
• each duct is at a minimum at the throat 21 defined between the flanges or blades 26 of one vane and the serrations 24 of an adjacent vane.
• the ducts 32 from that point, enlarge further downstream towards the discharge ends of the vanes.
• mist particles from the gas tend to move straight because of their inertia force and so part of the particles are separated from the gas because they tend to enter the separating chamber.
• the gas stream is deflected around flange 26 into throat 21 where the particles are moved in the radial direction by centrifugal force and impinge against the concave surface of the section 18 where they are caught by the serrations 24.
• These particles mainly liquid droplets, then flow down vertically along the serrations and are removed from the gas stream.
• this structure or mist eliminator vane has been found to have a very large separation efficiency.
• vanes 10 are formed as two separate vane sections, namely, an inlet or first section 40 and a second or outlet section 42.
• Vane section 40 has an inlet end 14 and an opposite end 44. It includes the first arc section 16 and part of the second arc section 18.
• the vane 42 includes the discharge end 22 and an opposite end 46 which is opposed to and faces the end 44 of vane 16. It also includes the third arc section 20 and part of the second arc section 18 as well as flange or blade 26.
• the opposed ends 44, 46 of the first and second vane sections 40-42 are shaped to cooperate with each in order to allow relative pivotal movement between the two vane sections.
• vane end 44 has a longitudinal pocket 48 formed wherein while vane end 46 has a longitudinal bead or bar-like configuration 50 formed therein which is received in pocket 48.
• This arrangement allows the two vane sections to pivot relative to one another from the open position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 3 wherein the separating chamber 30 is closed.
• flange 26 has a free end 54 which is located near the pivot point so that, in the closed position, it overlies a portion of the first vane section 40 to substantially close separating chamber 30.
• the reduction or elimination of the separating chamber in the configuration shown in Figure 3 reduces the pressure drop of air flowing through ducts 32 between adjacent profiles. As can be seen by comparing Figures 2 and 3 the deflection of the gases flowing in the duct is reduced by this relative pivotal movement of the profile section.
• Figure 4 is an enlarged illustration of one of the mist eliminator vanes shown in Figures 2 and 3 showing the open position of the separating chamber 30 in solid lines and the closed position in dotted lines.
• the vanes can be supported adjacent the evaporative cooler with which they are used in any convenient manner as would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
• the inlet end 14 of the vanes are supported in recessed vertical bars 60 which have an open pocket 62 that receives the end 14. These bars are in turn fixed to a support structure 64 at the bottom end of the vanes.
• a similar support structure (not shown) can be provided at the top edges of the vanes as viewed in Figure 4.
• the vanes are moved from their open to closed position by the operating mechanism 66. This mechanism is shown schematically in Figure 4 and can be altered as desired as would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
• mechanism 66 includes an operating plate 68 having vertical bars 70 extending therefrom which are received within the separating chambers 30 to engage between flange 26 on the convex side of vane section 18.
• Plate 68 is mounted in any convenient manner to move from a first position also shown in solid lines in Figure 4 to a second position shown in dotted lines.
• An appropriate guide track mechanism (such as an angled slot and pin guide) can be used to guide the movement of the plate between the two positions shown.
• Plate 68 is moved from one position to another in any convenient manner such as for example either manually or by a hydraulic ram 74 or the like.
• the ram is connected to the plate in any convenient manner to move the plate in the appropriate reciprocal motion illustrated in the drawing.
• ram 74 is operated to move plate 68 from its solid line position to its dotted position the separating chamber 30 is closed.
• FIGS 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the invention.
• the separator vanes 10 are formed as one piece integral units, with the first section 40 being integrally connected to the second section 42 by a live hinge.
• a live hinge is a reduced section of thickness in the vane which allows the sections on opposite sides thereof to move or pivot relative to one another.
• the vanes can move from the position of Figure 5 to position of Figure 6 to close pocket 30.
• the hinge portion can be formed by co-extruding a flexible plastic material between first and second separation vane sections formed of a rigid plastic.
• Figure 7 is a pressure graph illustrating a comparison of the pressure drop within a standard size mist eliminator vane structure between the open and closed position of the vanes.
• the solid or "normal” line as shown Figure 7 represents the pressure drop in inches of water with the separating chamber open.
• the thinner line labeled “folded” shows the pressure drop through the mist eliminator with the same vanes having their separating chamber in the closed position. This - in ⁇
• mist eliminator or separator vane structure which has all of the advantages of the prior art in terms of efficiency of particle separation, but which avoids the limitation of the prior art, i.e., the high pressure losses when mist elimination is not needed.
• a simple structure has been developed which allows the vanes to be selectively moved between positions wherein the vanes will operate at maximum efficiency for separation when required and at minimal pressure drop loss when particle separation is not required.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Separating Particles In Gases By Inertia (AREA)
• Filtering Of Dispersed Particles In Gases (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (6)

Citations (3)

• 2000
  • 2000-06-22 CA CA 2312148 patent/CA2312148A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-23 WO PCT/US2000/017196 patent/WO2001000299A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-06-23 AU AU58838/00A patent/AU5883800A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-06-27 MX MXPA00006451 patent/MXPA00006451A/es unknown

Patent Citations (3)

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