Air-oil separator with jet-enhanced impaction and method associated therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879578-B2
Application number	US-201414780076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

The combination of a gas-pressure-driven pump jet nozzle or alternatively Coanda effect nozzle with an impactor nozzle(s) in an air-oil separator for separating oil from blow-by gasses from a crankcase of an internal combustion engine, or for separating liquid aerosol from gas, in general. Such combination enhances impaction efficiency and enables operation at higher pressure differentials (or pressure drop) (“dP”) without causing excessive backpressure in the air-oil separator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas-liquid separator, the gas-liquid separator comprising:
a housing having an inlet for receiving a gas-liquid stream;
an impactor nozzle plate supported by the housing and situated downstream of the inlet, the impactor nozzle plate receiving the gas-liquid stream;
an impactor nozzle extending through the impactor nozzle plate and providing a passage for the gas-liquid stream to pass through the impactor nozzle plate, thereby creating a pressure differential between an upstream end of the impactor nozzle and a downstream end of the impactor nozzle when the gas-liquid stream is passed through the impactor nozzle plate; and
a pressurized gas jet nozzle comprising a circular plenum surrounding the impactor nozzle that injects a high-velocity gas stream radially into the impactor nozzle such that the high-velocity gas stream is injected into the gas-liquid stream so as to decrease the pressure differential.

2. The gas-liquid separator of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas jet nozzle injects the high-velocity gas stream into the gas-liquid stream at the upstream end of the impactor nozzle.

3. The gas-liquid separator of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas jet nozzle injects the high-velocity gas stream into the gas-liquid stream between the upstream end of the impactor nozzle and the downstream end of the impactor nozzle.

4. The gas-liquid separator of claim 1 ,
wherein the gas-liquid separator comprises an air-oil separator for a crankcase ventilation system;
wherein the air-oil separator is located remotely from the crankcase ventilation system; and
wherein the high-velocity gas stream is hotter than the gas-liquid stream.

5. A method for enhancing collection of liquid particles in an inertial gas-liquid separator, the method comprising:
receiving a first stream of gas mixed with liquid particles;
directing the first stream through an impactor nozzle and at an impaction media, thereby creating a pressure differential between an upstream end of the impactor nozzle and a downstream end of the impactor nozzle when the first stream is directed through the impactor nozzle; and
injecting a second stream of gas into the first stream radially into the impactor nozzle so as to decrease the pressure differential and increase a velocity of the liquid particles as the first stream is directed at the impaction media.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising concentrating the liquid particles in the first stream towards a center of the first stream so as to enhance impaction of the liquid particles at the impaction media.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising injecting the second stream into the first stream before directing the first stream through the impactor nozzle.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising injecting the second stream along a central axis of the impactor nozzle.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising injecting the second stream into the first stream within the impactor nozzle.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the impaction media comprises a flowthrough media.

11. A gas-liquid separator, the gas-liquid separator comprising:
an impactor nozzle receiving a gas-liquid stream and providing a passage for the gas-liquid stream to pass through the impactor nozzle, thereby creating a pressure differential between an upstream end of the impactor nozzle and a downstream end of the impactor nozzle when the gas-liquid stream is passed through an impactor nozzle plate;
a plenum surrounding the impactor nozzle, the plenum providing a stream of pressurized air to the impactor nozzle; and
a jet nozzle injecting the stream of pressurized air radially into the passage.

12. The gas-liquid separator of claim 11 , wherein the jet nozzle injects the stream of pressurized air into the passage between the upstream end of the impactor nozzle and a downstream end of the impactor nozzle.

13. The gas-liquid separator of claim 11 , wherein the jet nozzle includes a turned lip.

14. The gas-liquid separator of claim 13 , wherein the jet nozzle further includes a rounded discharge opposite the turned lip.

15. The gas-liquid separator of claim 11 , wherein the stream of pressurized air forms a ring jet.

16. The gas-liquid separator of claim 11 , wherein the plenum is a circular plenum.

Assignees

• Cummins Filtration Ip Inc

Inventors

• Herman Peter K
• Holm Christopher E
• Janakiraman Arun

Classifications

• B01D45/08 Primary

  by impingement against baffle separators · CPC title

• B01D45/04

  by utilising inertia (B01D45/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D46/10

  Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, using filter plates, sheets or pads having plane surfaces · CPC title

• F01M2013/0433

  with a deflection device, e.g. screen · CPC title

• B01D50/002

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic