Separator assembly

A separator assembly for removing material that is entrained in a fluid stream, comprising:

• a. a housing having inlet and outlet ports for the fluid from which material is to be removed, the inlet and outlet ports being located toward the upper end of the housing, and having a flow director positioned so that fluid flowing into the housing flows over the flow director so that the incoming fluid is made to follow a generally helical path within the housing;
• and
• b. a shield which extends across the housing towards the lower end thereof so as to leave a collection space between it and the lower end in which material that is separated from the fluid stream can collect, with at least one opening in or around the shield through which the material can flow past the shield into the collection space, in which the face of the shield which is directed towards the upper end of the housing is bowl-shaped when the shield is viewed in cross-section from one side, and wherein the part of the cross-sectional shape of the shield which is closest to its perimeter is straight, and the cross-sectional shape of the shield curves smoothly in the concave sense to its center point so that the shape of the face is the inverse of an inverted cone with a rounded tip.

A separator assembly for removing material that is entrained in a gas stream comprising:

• a. a housing having inlet and outlet ports for the gas from which material is to be removed, the inlet and outlet ports being located toward the upper end of the housing, and having a flow director positioned so that gas flowing into the housing flows over the flow director so that the incoming gas is made to follow a generally helical path within the housing;
• and
• b. a shield which extends across the housing towards the lower end thereof so as to leave a collection space between it and the lower end in which material that is separated from the gas stream can collect, with at least one opening in or around the shield through which the material can flow past the shield into the collection space, in which the face of the shield which is directed towards the upper end of the housing has a concave bowl shape with i) straight, conical sidewalls from the outer distal periphery of the shield and ii) a rounded central portion which curves smoothly from the sidewalls to the center point of the shield such that helical fluid flow reflected from the shield maintains a helical flow directed toward the outlet port.