Oil centrifuge
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsVipul P. Patel, Allen K. MacKnight, Steven R. Eccles, Leonard Walitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A centrifuge is employed to continuously remove particulates from a fluid. In one embodiment, the centrifuge removes small particles of soot from lubricating oil of diesel engines. The fluid is introduced into the centrifuge through a distribution rotor so that vortexes are not propagated in the fluid. Laminar flow of the fluid down the sides of the outer rotor may contribute to the soot-removal effectiveness of the centrifuge.
Claims19
An apparatus for extracting particulates from a fluid, comprising:
- a distribution rotor rotating with rotation of a spindle;
- a spindle passageway, inside the spindle, delivering the fluid to the distribution rotor;
- an outer rotor, rotating with rotation of the spindle, receiving the fluid expelled from the distribution rotor through centrifugal force,
- wherein the centrifugal force holds at least a portion of the particulates in the fluid to the outer rotor while the fluid may flow down an interior surface of the outer rotor.
A centrifuge for extracting particulates from a fluid, comprising:
- a spindle, having a spindle passageway therewithin;
- a distribution rotor having distribution rotor channels, the distribution rotor channels fluidly communicating with the spindle passageway;
- and
- an outer rotor receiving fluid expelled from the distribution rotor channels through centrifugal force during rotation of the spindle, distribution rotor and outer rotor, wherein
- the centrifugal force holds at least a portion of the particulates in the fluid to the outer rotor while the fluid may flow down an interior surface of the outer rotor, and
- the portion of the particulates held to the outer rotor includes particulates having a size less than 2 microns.
A method for removing particulates from a fluid, the method comprising:
- producing a flow of the fluid down an outer rotor of a centrifuge;
- and
- imparting centrifugal force on the fluid in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the flow of the fluid to capture the particulates from the fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.