Particle concentrating device, concentrator element and assembly thereof, method for increasing concentration, method for directional drilling and use of the assembly

An assembly comprising:

• a circumferential enclosure for accommodating a stream of a fluid mixed with particles, the stream having a cross-section defined by the circumferential enclosure transverse to a flow direction of the stream;
• and
• a particle concentrating device that extends around an axis parallel to the flow direction, and that is arranged inside and connected to the circumferential enclosure,
• wherein the particle concentration device is configured for increasing a concentration of the particles in a target area of the cross-section of the stream, the target area being defined by an outlet of the particle concentrating device arranged at a downstream end thereof and having a cross-section corresponding to the target area, wherein the device is arranged inside the circumferential enclosure to discharge within the circumferential enclosure the stream as being composed of a target part, discharged by the outlet, and a remaining part,
• wherein the particle concentrating device comprises multiple deflectors, the deflectors each having a deflecting surface, and wherein the deflecting surfaces:
• are arranged about the axis, slanting in the flow direction in a direction from the circumferential enclosure towards the axis, for deflecting a part of the particles towards the axis, and thus towards the target area;
• extend over respective angular zones of the device with respect to the axis, the angular zones each being defined by side edges of the respective deflecting surface, the deflecting surfaces together extending over a collective angular zone between the angularly most remote side edges thereof, the angular zone covering a majority of the angular range around the axis;
• and
• define between the side edges thereof one or more bypass openings which thereby extend over angular zones complementary to the angular zones over which the deflecting surfaces extend,
• wherein, in operation of the device, the deflecting surfaces together are configured for forming the target part discharged by the outlet of the device, and wherein the bypass openings are together configured for discharging the remaining part of the stream between the circumferential enclosure and the outlet, and
• wherein respective ones of the deflectors are part of multiple concentrator elements of the device which are successively arranged in the flow direction, wherein each concentrator element has one or more of the deflectors, or wherein the deflectors are all part of a single concentrator element.