Criticality safe vacuum and safe geometry transport vehicle

An apparatus for removal of particulates including radioactive particles entrained in gas comprising:

• a filter housing including a gas collection end and a gas exhaust end, said gas collection end having a diameter less than the diameter of said gas exhaust end;
• an interior housing disposed within said gas exhaust end of said filter housing, said interior housing including a first end having a filtration media disposed for flow of gas therethrough;
• a cyclone housing having a connection end, an intake port disposed through a perimeter wall proximal to said connection end, and having a particle collection end opposed from said connection end, said connection end having a sufficient first diameter for insertion therein of said gas collection end of said filter housing, said cyclone housing having an elongated length extended to said particle collection end, said particle collection end having a second diameter of a lesser diameter than said first diameter of said connection end, said second diameter of said particle collection end having a size-limited geometry for passage through of radioactive particles without occurrence of a criticality reaction, and
• a vacuum means releasably attached to said gas exhaust end of said filter housing, said vacuum means operates to induce a cyclonic movement of the gas and particulates within said cyclone housing;
• whereby the particulates are removed from the gas by the cyclonic movement of the gas and particulates within said cyclone housing, with the particles collected at said cyclone housing particle collection end and the gas simultaneously flows through said filtration media for flow from said gas exhaust end of said filter housing.

An apparatus for removal of particulates including radioactive particles from a gas having an aerosol mixture of particulates and liquids, comprising:

• a filtration separation segment including a filter housing having an insertion end and a gas exhaust end opposed from said insertion end,
• a cyclonic flow segment including a cyclone housing having a connector end, an opposed particle collection end and an enclosed void space therebetween, said filter housing insertion end is inserted into said connector end a sufficient length to extend to about a mid-portion within said void space, said cyclone housing having an intake port disposed proximal to said connector end, said cyclone housing having a size-limited geometry for containment of gas and particulates therein without criticality reactions between radioactive particles therein;
• said insertion end of said filter housing having an end opening positioned below said intake port, said end opening receives gas therein for gas flow through said insertion end toward said gas exhaust end;
• a pressure differential maintained between said particle collection end and said gas exhaust end, said pressure differential provides a cyclonic movement of gas around said selected length of said cyclone housing having said insertion end therein;
• and
• a first filter removably disposed within said filter housing, said first filter having an internal opening surrounded by an external perimeter of filtration media whereby gas flows from said insertion end and into said internal opening and through said external perimeter of filtration media for gas flow toward said gas exhaust end of said filter housing;
• whereby the particulates including radioactive particles are separated from the gas during cyclonic flow within said cyclone housing, the radioactive particles are collected at said particle collection end simultaneously with gas flow through said first filter for entrapment of residual particles within said first filter before gas exits from said first filter.

An apparatus for removal of particulates including radioactive particles entrained in gas comprising:

• a filter housing including a gas collection end and a gas exhaust end, said gas collection end having a diameter less than the diameter of said gas exhaust end;
• an interior housing disposed within said gas exhaust end of said filter housing, said interior housing including a first end disposed proximal to said gas collection end of said filter housing and having an opposed second end, said first end having a first filtration media removably attached thereto for flow through of gas from said gas collection end, said second end having a second filtration media removably attached thereto for flow through of gas after the gas passes through said first filtration media;
• a cyclone housing having a connection end, having an intake port disposed through a perimeter wall proximal to said connection end, and having a particle collection end opposed from said connection end, said connection end having a sufficient first diameter for insertion therein of said gas collection end of said filter housing, said cyclone housing having an elongated length extended to said particle collection end, said particle collection end having a second diameter of a lesser diameter than said first diameter of said connection end, said second diameter of said particle collection end having a size-limited geometry for passage of radioactive particles without occurrence of a criticality reaction;
• a forced air generator including a vacuum device releasably attached to said gas exhaust end of said filter housing, said vacuum device operates to induce a cyclonic flow of gas and particulates around said gas collection end inserted within said connection end of said cyclone housing;
• and
• a collection container releasably connectable to said particle collection end, said collection container having a sufficient size-limited internal geometry for storage without occurrence of a criticality reaction within the collected radioactive particles, said collection container is substantially translucent to allow an operator to visually observe the volume of collected particulates within said collection container for verification that a preselected limit is not exceeded for the volume therein of the radioactive particles;
• whereby the particulates are removed from the gas by the cyclonic flow of the gas and particulates around said gas collection end inserted within said cyclone housing, with the particulates collected at said cyclone housing particle collection end and the flow of gas concurrently through said first and second filtration media for flow of gas without particles therein from said gas exhaust end of said filter housing.