Cyclonic separation systems and hydro excavation vacuum apparatus incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655300-B2
Application number	US-201816035081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Hydro excavation vacuum apparatus that process spoil material onboard the apparatus by separating water from the cut earthen material are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cyclonic separation system for separating surges of spoil material entrained in an airstream, the cyclonic separation system comprising:
one or more cyclones for separating material from the airstream, the one or more cyclones having a solids outlet;
a sealed conveyor, the one or more cyclones discharging material directly into the conveyor through the solids outlet; and
a discharge pump, the sealed conveyor discharging material into the discharge pump, the discharge pump configured to seal the system by preventing backflow of air through the discharge pump,
wherein the cyclonic separation system is onboard a mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus, the mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus comprising a chassis which supports the cyclones, conveyor and discharge pump, the chassis being connected to wheels to transport the hydro excavation vacuum apparatus, the mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus further comprising a wand for directing pressurized water toward an excavation site, a boom that removes material from the excavation site by vacuum, and a vacuum pump downstream of the boom and cyclones for generating a vacuum in the boom.

2. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the discharge pump is a peristaltic pump.

3. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the peristaltic pump comprises:
a tube through which material passes; and
two or more rotating rollers that contact the tube as the rollers rotate.

4. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the rollers are retractable.

5. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the separation system does not include an airlock.

6. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cyclone solids outlet is formed in the conveyor housing.

7. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 comprising two or more cyclones, wherein at least two cyclones discharge into the sealed conveyor.

8. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 comprising two sealed conveyors that discharge material into the discharge pump, each conveyor being connected to at least one cyclone.

9. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more cyclones having a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of the cyclones being orthogonal of a longitudinal axis of the conveyor.

10. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sealed conveyor comprises a rotating screw.

11. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the conveyor is a centerless screw.

12. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 10 wherein the sealed conveyor comprises one or more gaskets for sealing the conveyor.

13. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cyclonic separation system is configured to separate material entrained in an airstream that is under vacuum.

14. A cyclonic separation system for separating material entrained in an airstream comprising:
a vacuum pump having an inlet through which the airstream is introduced;
one or more cyclones comprising:
an airstream inlet;
an airstream outlet fluidly connected to the inlet of the vacuum pump; and
a solids outlet;

a sealed conveyor, the solids outlet of the one or more cyclones having an airtight seal to the sealed conveyor, the one or more cyclones discharging material directly into the sealed conveyor through the solids outlet; and
a discharge pump, the sealed conveyor discharging material into the discharge pump, wherein no portion of the airstream flows through the sealed conveyor or the discharge pump,
wherein the cyclonic separation system is onboard a mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus, the mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus comprising a chassis which supports the cyclones, conveyor and discharge pump, the chassis being connected to wheels to transport the hydro excavation vacuum apparatus, the mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus further comprising a wand for directing pressurized water toward an excavation site, a boom that removes material from the excavation site by vacuum, and a vacuum pump downstream of the boom and cyclones for generating a vacuum in the boom.

15. The cyclonic separation system as set forth in claim 14 wherein the discharge pump comprises an outlet, the outlet being exposed to an ambient atmosphere, the discharge pump sealing the cyclonic separation system from the ambient atmosphere.

16. A cyclonic separation system for separating material entrained in an airstream including:
one or more cyclones for separating material from the airstream, each cyclone comprising:
an inlet through which the airstream is introduced into the cyclone;
a solids outlet; and
a tapering section below the inlet, the tapering section tapering toward the outlet;

a sealed conveyor, the one or more cyclones discharging material directly into the conveyor through the solids outlet, the separation system being free of an airlock between the cyclones and the sealed conveyor; and
a discharge pump, the sealed conveyor discharging material into the discharge pump, an outlet of the discharge pump being exposed to an ambient atmosphere, the discharge pump sealing the cyclonic separation system from the ambient atmosphere,
wherein the cyclonic separation system is onboard a mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus, the mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus comprising a chassis which supports the cyclones, conveyor and discharge pump, the chassis being connected to wheels to transport the hydro excavation vacuum apparatus, the mobile hydro excavation vacuum apparatus further comprising a wand for directing pressurized water toward an excavation site, a boom that removes material from the excavation site by vacuum, and a vacuum pump downstream of the boom and cyclones for generating a vacuum in the boom.

Assignees

• Vermeer Mfg Co

Inventors

• Hofland Daniel J
• Meyer Nathan J

Classifications

• F04B23/02

  having reservoirs · CPC title

• B01D45/16

  generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes} · CPC title

• B07B1/30

  jigging or moving to-and-fro {within their own plane} in or approximately in {or transverse to} the direction of conveyance · CPC title

• E02F3/907

  Measuring or control devices, e.g. control units, detection means or sensors (E02F3/902 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F04B43/1253

  by using two or more rollers as squeezing elements, the rollers moving on an arc of a circle during squeezing · CPC title