Bladed drum for rotary separator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9731238-B2
Application number	US-201615392456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 9, 2010
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A separator method and apparatus that includes a rotatable drum defining an annular passageway therein, a plurality of blades coupled to the rotatable drum and located in the annular passageway, each of the plurality of blades including a leading section, a trailing section, a concave surface, and a convex surface, the concave and convex surfaces extending from the leading section to the trailing section, each of the plurality of blades disposed circumferentially adjacent to at least another one of the plurality of blades so as to define blade flowpaths therebetween, and a housing at least partially surrounding the rotatable drum and defining a fluid collection chamber fluidly communicating with the annular passageway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary separator, comprising:
a rotatable drum comprising an inner wall and an outer wall radially offset from the inner wall, the inner wall and the outer wall defining an inlet at a front surface of the rotatable drum, an outlet at a rear surface of the rotatable drum, and a fluid passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the rotatable drum is configured to separate a higher-density component of a fluid from a lower-density component of the fluid;
at least one row of blades circumferentially disposed in the fluid passageway, each blade of the at least one row of blades extending from the inner wall to the outer wall such that circumferentially adjacent blades of the at least one row of blades define respective blade flowpaths therebetween; and
a housing disposed adjacent the rotatable drum and defining a collection chamber in fluid communication with the fluid passageway via the outlet of the rotatable drum, wherein substantially all of the higher-density component of the fluid is directed into the collection chamber, and substantially all of the lower-density component of the fluid is directed through the outlet of the rotatable drum.

2. The rotary separator of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall and the outer wall define a radial length of the fluid passageway, and the radial length is substantially constant between the inlet and the outlet of the rotatable drum.

3. The rotary separator of claim 1 , wherein a radial length of the fluid passageway at the inlet of the rotatable drum is greater than a radial length of the fluid passageway at the outlet of the rotatable drum.

4. The rotary separator of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passageway is cylindrical.

5. The rotary separator of claim 4 , wherein the rotatable drum is cylindrical.

6. The rotary separator of claim 1 , wherein the fluid passageway is frustoconical.

7. The rotary separator of claim 6 , wherein the rotatable drum is frustoconical.

8. The rotary separator of claim 1 , wherein each blade of the at least one row of blades comprises a concave surface and a convex surface extending between a leading section and a trailing section thereof.

9. The rotary separator of claim 8 , wherein each blade of the at least one row of blades leans at an angle of from about 8 degrees to about 22 degrees relative to a radius of the rotatable drum.

10. The rotary separator of claim 9 , wherein the trailing section of each blade of the at least one row of blades extends a length that is at least about twice as long as a length of the leading section.

11. The rotary separator of claim 9 , wherein the trailing section of each blade of the at least one row of blades is oriented at an angle of from about 90 degrees to about 150 degrees with respect to the leading section.

12. A separator for separating a process fluid including a higher-density component and a lower-density component, comprising:
a rotatable drum comprising an inner wall and an outer wall radially offset from the inner wall, the inner wall and the outer wall defining an inlet at a front surface of the rotatable drum, an outlet at a rear surface of the rotatable drum, and a fluid passageway extending from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall define a radial length of the fluid passageway, and the radial length is substantially constant between the inlet and the outlet of the rotatable drum;
a plurality of blades disposed in the fluid passageway and at least partially extending between the inner wall and the outer wall of the rotatable drum; and
a housing disposed adjacent the rotatable drum and defining a collection chamber, a housing inlet, and a housing outlet,
wherein the collection chamber and the housing outlet are in fluid communication with the fluid passageway via the outlet of the rotatable drum, and
wherein substantially all of the higher-density component of the process fluid is directed into the collection chamber, and substantially all of the lower-density component of the process fluid is directed through the outlet of the rotatable drum.

13. The separator of claim 12 , wherein the fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the housing inlet via the inlet of the rotatable drum.

14. The separator of claim 12 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades comprises a concave surface and a convex surface extending between a leading section and a trailing section thereof.

15. The separator of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of blades comprises a first row of blades disposed in the fluid passageway and a second row of blades disposed axially adjacent the first row of blades.

16. A rotary separator, comprising:
a rotatable drum having an inner wall and an outer wall radially offset from the inner wall, the inner wall and the outer wall defining an annular passageway extending from an inlet at a front surface of the rotatable drum to an outlet at a rear surface of the rotatable drum, the rotatable drum being configured to separate a higher-density component of a fluid from a lower-density component of the fluid;
a plurality of blades disposed in the annular passageway and extending from the inner wall to the outer wall such that adjacent blades of the plurality of blades define respective blade flowpaths therebetween, each blade of the plurality of blades being substantially identical to the other blades of the plurality of blades; and
a housing disposed adjacent the rotatable drum and defining a collection chamber in fluid communication with the annular passageway via the outlet of the rotatable drum, wherein substantially all of the higher-density component of the fluid is directed into the collection chamber, and substantially all of the lower-density component of the fluid is directed through the outlet of the rotatable drum.

17. The rotary separator of claim 16 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades comprises a concave surface and a convex surface extending between a leading section and a trailing section thereof.

18. The rotary separator of claim 16 , wherein the annular passageway is cylindrical.

19. The rotary separator of claim 18 , wherein the inner wall and the outer wall of the rotatable drum are substantially parallel with one another.

20. The rotary separator of claim 18 , wherein the housing further defines a housing inlet and a housing outlet, and the annular passageway is in fluid communication with the housing outlet and the collection chamber via the outlet of the rotatable drum.

Assignees

• Dresser-Rand Company

Inventors

• Maier William C
• Chochua Gocha

Classifications

• B04B7/08

  Rotary bowls (centrifugal casting machines B22D) · CPC title

• B01D17/0217

  by centrifugal force · CPC title

• B01D46/0056

  with rotational movement · CPC title

• B04B1/04

  with inserted separating walls · CPC title

• F22B37/32

  using centrifugal force · CPC title