Aerosol concentrating apparatus for use with aerosol aging drum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084046-B2
Application number	US-201715723448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Oct 3, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides an aerosol concentrating apparatus for use with an aerosol aging drum, where the aerosol concentrating apparatus includes an outer housing, an aerosol inlet tube connected to the outer housing, and an extraction tube connected to the outer housing. An axle connected to the outer housing is axially centered within the outer housing, where the axle is formed from porous material. An inner housing is connected to the axle, such that the axle is axially centered within the inner housing, and such that the inner housing is adapted to spin about the axle within the outer housing to separate aerosol particles by size. Aerosol particles below a first threshold size are forced out of the aerosol concentrating apparatus through the axle; and, aerosol particles between the first threshold size and a second threshold size are suspended within the inner housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerosol concentrating apparatus for use with an aerosol aging drum, said aerosol concentrating apparatus comprising:
an outer housing;
an aerosol inlet tube connected to said outer housing;
an extraction tube connected to said outer housing;
an axle connected to said outer housing such that said axle is axially centered within said outer housing, said axle being formed from porous material; and
an inner housing connected to said axle, such that said axle is axially centered within said inner housing, such that said inner housing is adapted to spin about said axle within said outer housing to separate aerosol particles by size, and such that aerosol particles below a first threshold size are forced out of said aerosol concentrating apparatus through said axle, and aerosol particles between the first threshold size and a second threshold size are suspended within said inner housing.

2. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein aerosol particles above the second threshold size are forced against an inner wall of said outer housing.

3. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said outer housing has a cylindrical shape.

4. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus has a vertical orientation, and said inner housing has a cylindrical shape and an open end spaced from a top of said outer housing.

5. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said inner housing is formed from wire mesh.

6. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said inner housing is adapted to spin about said axis axle at a rate up to three thousand rotations per minute, and said outer housing is stationary.

7. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said porous material covers a substantial length of said axle,
said axle includes a closed end and an open end,
said inner housing is cylindrical and includes an open end facing said aerosol inlet tube and said extraction tube,
said aerosol inlet tube is spaced a shorter radial distance from said axle than a radius of said cylindrical inner housing, and
said outer housing is stationary and connected to said axle with a pair of bearings allowing rotation of said axle relative to said outer housing.

8. An aerosol concentrating apparatus for use with an aerosol aging drum, said aerosol concentrating apparatus comprising:
a pair of bearings;
an axle on which said bearings are mounted and spaced along said axle, said axle including porous material between said bearings, said porous material configured to allow aerosol particles below a first threshold size to pass therethrough;
an outer housing attached to said bearings such that said axle passes through an axial center of said outer housing, said outer housing including a chamber;
an aerosol inlet tube in fluid communication with said chamber of said outer housing;
an extraction tube in fluid communication with said chamber of said outer housing; and
an inner housing connected to said axle such that said axle is axially centered within said inner housing, said inner housing is within said outer housing, wherein said inner housing rotates with said axle, said inner housing configured to separate aerosol particles by size, and
wherein said porous material runs from where said inner housing connects to said axle to the furthest of said bearings.

9. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein aerosol particles above a second threshold size are forced against an inner wall of said outer housing and aerosol particles between the first threshold size and the second threshold size are suspended within said inner housing during operation of said apparatus.

10. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said extraction tube is configured to extract aerosol particles from an area defined by said inner housing.

11. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said outer housing has a cylindrical shape and said inner housing has a cylindrical shape.

12. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said inner housing includes a wire mesh for a cylindrical section parallel to said axle.

13. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said inner housing includes a wire mesh.

14. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said inner housing includes a wire mesh basket.

15. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said inner housing is adapted to spin about said axis axle at a rate up to three thousand rotations per minute.

16. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a flow into said outer housing from said aerosol inlet tube is equal to a flow out from said axle and said extraction tube.

17. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said axle includes a closed end and an open end.

18. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said outer housing includes ultraviolet transparent material.

19. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
said axle, said outer housing and said inner housing have a vertical orientation,
said axle includes a closed end and an open end,
said inner housing having an open end spaced from both ends of said outer housing and facing towards said aerosol inlet tube and said extraction tube, said inner housing having a closed end spaced from both ends of said outer housing, and
said aerosol inlet tube and said extraction tube are on the same end of said outer housing.

20. The aerosol concentrating apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said aerosol inlet tube extends into the chamber of said outer housing.

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Army

Inventors

• Anderson Jaime B
• Bailey Mark M
• Bowen Larry E
• Haupt Brett R

Classifications

• B01D45/14 Primary

  generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes · CPC title

• B04B5/08 Primary

  Centrifuges for separating predominantly gaseous mixtures · CPC title

• B04B11/02

  Continuous feeding or discharging; Control arrangements therefor · CPC title