Swirler elements for nozzles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724709-B2
Application number	US-201414161974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A swirl element for swirling fluid in a nozzle has a swirler body. The swirler body defines a feed channel including an axially oriented channel surface and a swirl chamber in fluid communication with the feed channel. The swirl chamber defines a radially oriented swirler surface substantially normal to the channel surface. The swirl chamber and the axially oriented channel are in fluid communication through a tangential slot for imparting swirl on fluids passing from the feed channel into the swirl chamber. The tangential slot includes a smoothly rounded surface transitioning from the channel surface to the swirler surface for providing a smooth, substantially separation free transition in fluid flow from the channel into the swirl chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A swirl element for swirling fluid in a nozzle comprising:
a swirler body defining:
a feed channel including an axially oriented channel surface;
a swirl chamber in fluid communication with the feed channel; and
a narrow neck portion defined by an end of the swirler body opposite the swirl chamber,
wherein the swirl chamber defines a radially oriented swirler surface substantially normal to the channel surface,
wherein the swirl chamber and the feed channel are in fluid communication through a tangential slot for imparting swirl on fluids passing from the feed channel into the swirl chamber,
wherein the tangential slot includes a smoothly rounded surface transitioning from the channel surface to the swirler surface for providing a smooth, substantially separation free transition in fluid flow from the feed channel into the swirl chamber,
wherein the tangential slot has a metering orifice defining the smallest flow area between the feed channel and the swirl chamber for metering flow into the swirl chamber,
wherein the smoothly rounded surface is upstream of the metering orifice and the swirl chamber is downstream of the metering orifice,
wherein the smoothly rounded surface is tangent to the swirler surface at the metering orifice.

2. A swirl element as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the feed channel has an axial flow area, the axial flow area being bounded by an arcuate segment defined by the channel surface, the arcuate segment intersecting a circumference of the swirler body at opposite ends, and the smoothly rounded surface of the tangential slot joining the feed channel along a portion of the arcuate segment disposed between the opposite ends of the arcuate segment.

3. A swirl element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the smoothly rounded surface transitioning from the channel surface to the swirler surface is tangent with at least one portion of the channel surface.

4. A spray nozzle, comprising:
a nozzle body defining an interior bore extending from an inlet to an opposed outlet with an interior locating surface defined in the interior bore;
a swirl element as recited in claim 1 disposed within the interior bore and engaged with the locating surface such that the swirl chamber positioned proximate the outlet of the nozzle body; and
an orifice disc disposed within the central bore between the swirl element and the outlet of the nozzle body, wherein the orifice disc defines an orifice therethrough in fluid communication with the swirl chamber and the outlet of the nozzle body for issuing a swirling spray from the nozzle body outlet.

5. A spray nozzle, as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a locking member engaged within the central bore for locking the swirl element and the orifice disc within the central bore,
the locking member defining a flow passage from the inlet of the nozzle body to the feed channel of the swirl element.

6. A spray nozzle as recited in claim 4 , wherein the channel surface defines an arcuate cross-section, wherein the central bore is circular, and wherein the channel surface and the central bore define flow passage with a biconvex lens shaped cross-section for swirling a fluid flow in a swirl unit at a predetermined velocity with reduced pumping pressure.

7. A spray nozzle as recited in claim 4 , wherein the smoothly rounded surface transitioning from the channel surface to the swirler surface is tangent with at least one portion of the channel surface.

8. A spray nozzle, comprising:
a nozzle body defining an interior bore extending from an inlet to an opposed outlet with an interior locating surface defined in the interior bore;
a swirl element as recited in claim 1 disposed within the interior bore engaged with the locating surface with the swirl chamber positioned proximate the outlet of the nozzle body;
an orifice disc disposed within the central bore between the swirl element and the outlet of the nozzle body, wherein the orifice disc defines an orifice therethrough in fluid communication with the swirl chamber and the outlet of the nozzle body for issuing a swirling spray from the nozzle body outlet,
wherein the channel surface defines an arcuate cross-section, wherein the central bore is circular, and wherein the channel surface and the central bore define flow passage with a biconvex lens shaped cross-section for swirling a fluid flow in a swirl unit at a predetermined velocity with reduced pumping pressure,
wherein the smoothly rounded surface transitioning from the channel surface to the swirler surface is tangent with the swirler surface, and
wherein the smoothly rounded surface transitioning from the channel surface to the swirler surface is tangent with at least one portion of the channel surface; and
a locking member engaged within the central bore for locking the swirl element and orifice disc within the central bore, wherein the locking member defines a flow passage from the inlet of the nozzle body to the feed channel of the swirl element.

9. A spray nozzle as recited in claim 8 , wherein the swirler body includes a narrow neck portion centrally defined along an axis defined by the swirler body and disposed on an end of the swirler body opposite the swirl chamber, wherein the neck portion axially abuts the locking member.

10. A swirl element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metering orifice is tangent to the smoothly rounded surface.

11. A swirl element as recited in claim 1 , wherein the channel surface is tangent to the smoothly rounded surface.

Assignees

• Delavan Inc
• Delavan Ltd

Inventors

• Prociw Lev A
• Smith Neil
• Whittaker Frank

Classifications

• B05B1/3436 Primary

  the interface being a plane perpendicular to the outlet axis · CPC title

• B05B15/18

  for improving resistance to wear, e.g. inserts or coatings; for indicating wear; for handling or replacing worn parts · CPC title

• B05B1/3426

  the channels emerging in the swirl chamber perpendicularly to the outlet axis (B05B1/3436 takes precedence) · CPC title