Cyclone for separating fine solid particles from a gas stream

A cyclone separator for use between an upper and a lower tube sheet, the cyclone comprising:

• a) a substantially vertical cyclone body having a closed bottom end and a top end fixed with respect to the upper tube sheet, the cyclone body defining a feed gas inlet at its top end, the feed gas inlet extending above the upper tube sheet for receiving a particle-contaminated gas stream therefrom, the cyclone body further defining a sidewall of the cyclone body, the sidewall defining a plurality of discharge openings located between the upper and the lower tube sheets for discharging particles and a minor amount of an underflow gas stream, said discharge openings having a total open area from about 0.05% to about 5% of the surface area of the cyclone body;
• b) one or more swirl vanes located proximate the gas inlet to induce centripetal acceleration of the particle-contaminated gas stream;
• c) a gas outlet tube defining a clean gas inlet end located centrally within the cyclone body for receiving a purified gas stream and further defining a clean gas outlet located below the lower tube sheet for discharging the purified gas stream, the gas outlet tube extending through the closed bottom end of the cyclone body and further extending through the lower tube sheet.

A cyclone separator for use between an upper and a lower tube sheet the cyclone comprising:

• a) a substantially vertical cyclone body having a closed bottom end and a top end fixed with respect to the upper tube sheet, the cyclone body defining a feed gas inlet at its top end, the feed gas inlet extending above the upper tube sheet for receiving a particle-contaminated gas stream therefrom, the cyclone body further defining a sidewall of the cyclone body, the sidewall defining a plurality of discharge openings located between the upper and the lower tube sheets for discharging particles and a minor amount of an underflow gas stream, said discharge openings define substantially rectangular slots having lengths substantially parallel to the axis of the cyclone body, the slots spaced uniformly about the circumference of the cyclone body;
• b) one or more swirl vanes located proximate the gas inlet to induce centripetal acceleration of the particle-contaminated gas stream;
• c) a gas outlet tube defining a clean gas inlet end located centrally within the cyclone body for receiving a purified gas stream and further defining a clean gas outlet located below the lower tube sheet for discharging the purified gas stream, the gas outlet tube extending through the closed bottom end of the cyclone body and further extending through the lower tube sheet.