Particle separator
OwnerGeorge Hylkemainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and methods for the separation of macroscopic solid body particles (SBPs) from a fluid stream contained in a conduit, such as a hose or pipe. The method involves utilizing a particle separator having a fluid inlet port connected to a fluid inlet conduit and a fluid outlet port connected to a fluid outlet conduit to change the direction (and optionally the velocity) of the fluid stream within a lumen of an enclosed vessel component of the particle separator sufficiently to permit SBPs to fall by gravity (and/or to descend due to inertia) into a removable receptacle within a bottom portion of the vessel component while directing the flow of cleansed fluid to the fluid outlet port of the particle separator.
Claims19
An apparatus for the separation of solid body particles (SBPs) from a fluid, said apparatus comprising:
- a) a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port, and
- b) a fluid-tight vessel component in fluid communication with said fluid inlet port and said fluid outlet port;
- said vessel component defining a lumen therewithin, said lumen being substantially symmetrical in cross section along its length and being oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of fluid flow entering the fluid inlet port;
- said vessel component having
- a. a top portion,
- b. a middle portion comprising said fluid inlet port and fluid outlet port, and
- c. a bottom portion comprising a removable bottom cap;
- and
- c) a tongue component positioned within the lumen of the vessel component and oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of fluid flow entering the fluid inlet port;
- said tongue component substantially fluid-sealingly dividing said lumen into two sections having substantially equal volumes along the length of the tongue component, each said lumen section being bounded by a surface of the tongue component and an inner lumen wall, said lumen sections comprising:
- A) a first lumen section in direct fluid communication with said fluid inlet port and extending downward along a first surface of said tongue component through the middle portion of said vessel component and extending partly into the bottom portion of the vessel component, and
- B) a second lumen section in direct fluid communication with said fluid outlet port and extending downward along a second surface of said tongue component through the middle portion of said vessel component and extending partly into the bottom portion of said vessel component;
- wherein a bottom tip of said tongue component extends into the bottom portion of the vessel component, but terminates above the bottom of the lumen.
A method for removing solid body particles (SBPs) from a fluid comprising
- a) introducing fluid containing (SBPs) into a fluid inlet port of a particule separator apparatus comprising
- i) said fluid inlet port,
- ii) a fluid outlet port,
- iii) a vessel component in fluid communication with said fluid inlet port and said fluid outlet port;
- said vessel component defining a lumen and being otherwise substantially fluid-tight, said lumen being substantially symmetrical in cross section along its length and being oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of fluid flow entering the fluid inlet port;
- said vessel component having a top portion, a middle portion comprising said fluid inlet port and fluid outlet port, and a bottom portion comprising a removable bottom cap, and
- iv) a tongue component positioned within the lumen of the vessel component and oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of fluid flow entering the fluid inlet port;
- said tongue component substantially fluid-sealingly dividing said lumen into two sections having substantially equal volumes along the length of the tongue component, each said lumen section being bounded by a surface of the tongue component and an inner lumen wall, said lumen sections comprising:
- A) a first lumen section in direct fluid communication with said fluid inlet port and extending downward along a first surface of said tongue component through the middle portion of said vessel component and extending partly into the bottom portion of the vessel component, and
- B) a second lumen section in direct fluid communication with said fluid outlet port and extending downward along a second surface of said tongue component through the middle portion of said vessel component and extending partly into the bottom portion of said vessel component;
- wherein a bottom tip of said tongue component extends into the bottom portion of the vessel component, but terminates above the bottom of the lumen;
- and
- b) collecting fluid depleted of solid body particles (SBPs) from the fluid outlet port of said particule separator apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.