Contaminant capture device and method for use

A contaminant capture device adapted to be immersed in a circulating fluid that is contained in an enclosed reservoir space that includes a wall formed with an opening, comprising:

• an installation cap configured to be removably installed into the opening in the reservoir enclosure;
• a non-magnetic high strength metallic, generally cylindrical capture element joined to the installation cap at a proximate end and configured with a substantially smooth finish on the exterior surface and having an interior recess;
• a plurality of cylindrical permanent magnets stacked together and separated by pole interfaces and received within the interior recess, each magnet having opposite north and south poles at generally planar ends, wherein the magnets are arranged so the north poles confront each other at the pole interfaces, whereby the resulting flux lines deflect outward from the pole interfaces with increased flux density relative to the flux density at regions distal to the pole interface;
• wherein each magnet of the plurality is selected to have different field strengths and wherein the magnets are stacked in order of increasing field strength from the proximate end to a distal end of the capture element;
• and
• whereby the quantities of magnetic contaminants in the circulating fluid that are attracted to and captured on the exterior surface proximate to the pole interfaces is greater than the contaminant quantities captured on the surface of the capture element in the regions between the pole interfaces.

A contaminant capture device for use in a circulating fluid bath that is contained in an enclosed reservoir space that includes a wall formed with an opening, comprising:

• an installation cap configured to be removably installed into the opening;
• a non-magnetic high strength metallic, generally cylindrical capture element joined to the installation cap and configured with a substantially smooth finish on the exterior surface and having an interior recess;
• at least three cylindrical permanent magnets stacked together and separated by pole interfaces and received within the interior recess, each magnet having opposite north and south poles at generally planar ends, wherein the magnets are arranged so the north poles confront each other at the pole interfaces, whereby the resulting flux lines deflect outward from the pole interfaces with increased flux density relative to the flux density at regions distal to the pole interface;
• and
• wherein the quantities of magnetic contaminants in the circulating fluid that are attracted to and captured on the exterior surface proximate to the pole interfaces is greater than the contaminant quantities captured on the surface of the capture element in the regions between the pole interfaces.

A contaminant capture device for use in a circulating fluid bath that is contained in an enclosed reservoir space that includes a wall formed with an opening, comprising:

• an installation cap configured to be removably installed into the opening;
• a non-magnetic high strength metallic, generally cylindrical capture element joined at a proximate end to the installation cap and configured with a substantially smooth finish on the exterior surface, a distal end, and having an interior recess between the ends;
• a plurality of cylindrical permanent magnets stacked together and separated by at least one pole interface and received within the interior recess, each magnet having opposite north and south poles at generally planar ends, wherein the magnets are arranged with the north and south poles confronting each other at the pole interfaces, whereby the density of the flux lines emanating from the distal end are greater than those spanning the distal and proximate ends;
• wherein the magnets of the plurality are each configured with different field strengths and are arranged in order of increasing field strength from the proximate end to the distal end;
• and
• wherein the quantities of magnetic contaminants in the circulating fluid that are attracted to and captured on the exterior surface proximate to the distal end is greater than the contaminant quantities captured on the surface of the capture element in the region between the distal and proximate ends.

A method using a capture device for removing contaminants from a circulating fluid that is contained in a machine that has an enclosed reservoir space that includes a wall formed with an opening, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a capture device adapted to be immersed in the fluid that includes an installation cap configured to be removably installed into the opening in the reservoir enclosure, a non-magnetic high strength metallic, generally cylindrical capture element joined to the installation cap and configured with a substantially smooth finish on the exterior surface and having an interior recess, a plurality of cylindrical permanent magnets stacked together and separated by at least one pole interface and received within the interior recess, each magnet having opposite north and south poles at generally planar ends, wherein the magnets are arranged so the north poles confront each other at the pole interfaces, whereby the resulting flux lines deflect outward from the pole interfaces with increased flux density relative to the flux density at regions distal to the pole interface, and whereby the quantities of magnetic contaminants in the circulating fluid that are attracted to and captured on the exterior surface proximate to the pole interfaces is greater than the contaminant quantities captured on the surface of the capture element in the regions between the pole interfaces;
• installing the capture device into the opening to protrude into the reservoir space for a period of time that includes operation of the machine whereby the circulating fluid passes proximate to the capture device;
• and
• removing the capture device from the opening during a period of non-operation of the machine for purposes of cleaning the captured contaminants therefrom.