Particle concentrator
AssigneeL-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.
InventorsThomas D. Plamondon, Nikolay Rolshud, Peter F. Cram, Mark Fraser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Concentrating particles in a turbulent gas flow may include receiving, in a receptacle, a turbulent gas flow that includes particles. The concentration of particles in a gas flow exiting the receptacle at a first port is increased as compared with a concentration of the particles in the gas flow received by the receptacle. The increased concentration of particles is accomplished by removing a portion of the gas flow by using a second port, and fluidly communicating the gas flow through a tube in the receptacle. The tube has a smaller diameter at the end of the tube at which the gas flow exits the tube than diameter at the end of the tube at which the gas flow is received.
Claims30
An apparatus for collecting particles from a gas flow comprising:
- a receptacle including:
- a cone section comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein:
- the cone section is configured to receive a non-condensable, turbulent gas flow, the gas flow including particles of matter,
- a diameter of the first inlet of the cone section is greater than diameter of the first outlet of the cone section;
- the cone section is configured to fluidly communicate gas from the first inlet to the first outlet;
- and
- an outlet tube comprising a second inlet and a second outlet and being separated from the cone section by a gap, the gap enabling a first portion of the gas flow to exit the receptacle through a bypass output port, and the gap being between the first outlet of the cone section and the second inlet of the outlet tube, such that the first outlet opens to the gap and the gap separates the cone section and the outlet tube along a direction of gas flow.
A detection system comprising:
- a space configured to receive a target to be screened;
- a particle concentrator comprising:
- a cone section comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein:
- the cone section is configured to receive a non-condensable, turbulent gas flow from the space, the gas flow including particles of matter,
- a diameter of the first inlet of the cone section is greater than diameter of the first outlet of the cone section;
- the cone section is configured to fluidly communicate gas from the first inlet to the first outlet;
- and
- an outlet tube comprising a second inlet and a second outlet and being separated from the cone section by a gap, the gap enabling a first portion of the gas flow to exit the particle concentrator through a bypass output port, and the gap being between the first outlet of the cone section and the second inlet of the outlet tube, such that the first outlet opens to the gap and the gap separates the cone section and the outlet tube along a direction of gas flow;
- and
- a particle collector configured to receive gas from the second outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.