Accelerated hydrocyclone

Abstract

A hydrocyclone machine having a cylindrical part 31 that is movable and rotates by means of a motor which causes it to rotate in the same direction as the fluid introduced tangentially through an orifice 21 adapted into the hydrocyclone, forming part of a supply tube 22 attached to the inner tube 23, to accelerate the fluid velocity by means of the rotation of the cylindrical part 31. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Accelerated hydrocyclone

[0001] The field of the present invention relates to that of sorting bulk products by density using a hydrocyclone.

[0002] In several fields of industry, agriculture, recycling of materials, water sanitation or treatment of contaminated fluids, there is the hydrocyclone to separate a fraction of floating products from a fraction of sinking products.

[0003] A hydrocyclone is a machine that operates according to the cyclone effect using centrifugal force and replaces the gas with a liquid such as water.

[0004] The fluid enters the upper part of the hydrocyclone tangentially into the cylinder and descends in rotation as it goes, creating a vortex around an inner tube.

[0005] In the conical part of the hydrocyclone, the flowing fraction in the fluid tends to be slowed down. The floating fraction remains in the vortex.

[0006] Thanks to the fluid continuously introduced by the pump, the fluid is pushed towards the inner tube to rise up in this tube.

[0007] The restricted diameter of the bottom of the hydrocyclone allows the flow to be evacuated downwards with a minority flow rate.

[0008] The adapted diameter of the inner tube allows the floats to come out from the top together with a majority flow rate of the flow.

[0009] The state of the art indicates that the hydrocyclone is capable of separating a floating fraction from a sinking fraction depending on the density of the fluid used.

[0010] This hydrocyclone process has certain advantages over a traditional flotation separation tank, including speed. The pump that injects the fluid into the hydrocyclone speeds up the hydrocyclone process compared to a traditional flotation separation tank by adding speed and thus increasing the flow rate of the hydrocyclone.

[0011] For this, the fluid dynamics must be adapted to it. That is, the fluid must be able to carry the suspended particles with the speed and pressure that are necessary inside.

[0012] Depending on the applications chosen, such a hydrocyclone, for example, separates floating dust from sinking minerals or between floating plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene and plastics sinking in fresh water such as PVC or PET.

[0013] It is important that the particles do not exceed a size greater than 20 mm so that the separation is carried out according to the physical possibilities of the dynamics of the fluids.

[0014] The pump of the fluid mixed with different solids must produce a pressure and a speed which make it possible to create the vortex inside the hydrocyclone.

[0015] Pumping large particles, for example larger than 100 mm, and creating a vortex in the hydrocyclone poses a feasibility problem. There are few pumps suitable for this particle size and the dimensions of the hydrocyclone would have to be adapted to the particle size according to the state of the art. This would require large machines. This is the reason why there are no hydrocyclones for larger particles such as 100 mm for example.

[0016] In terms of grinding, we speak of shredding when the grinder creates large particles, for example greater than 100 mm, and of refining grinding when the grinder creates small particles such as those smaller than 20 mm.

[0017] In waste recovery, there is no solution with a hydrocyclone for large particles from a shredder.

[0018] A first objective of the present invention is therefore to demonstrate the technical viability of a modified small-sized hydrocyclone for large particles greater than 100 mm.

[0019] One washing process calls for a traditional flotation separation tank or similar process instead of a hydrocyclone which is not functional with large particles.

[0020] A second objective then consists of obtaining an economical process for washing large particles, for example greater than 100 mm, instead of a traditional flotation separation tank.

[0021] To this end, the invention relates to a hydrocyclone machine which has a cylindrical part 31 which is movable and which rotates thanks to a motor which makes it rotate in the same direction as the fluid introduced tangentially through an orifice 21 adapted in the hydrocyclone. The orifice 21 is part of a feed tube 22 attached to the inner tube 23, because the cylindrical part 31 being in rotation, the orifice 21 could not be housed therein.

[0022] Thus, the speed of the fluid is increased thanks to the rotation of the cylindrical part 31. The inlet pump is therefore no longer the only organ to create and adapt the vortex created inside the hydrocyclone.

[0023] For large particles, the rotation of the cylindrical part makes it possible to create a cyclone effect that is impossible according to the state of the art.

[0024] Advantageously, the drive motor of the cylindrical part 31 is regulated by a frequency converter giving the speed adapted to the cylindrical part 31 thanks to an appropriate transmission such as a toothed wheel or a belt 32 driven by the wheel 33 of the motor.

[0025] This speed will depend on the result of separation between floating and sinking fraction.

[0026] According to another characteristic of the invention, the inner surface of the cylindrical part 31 has a surface roughness or height differences in order to facilitate the acceleration of the vortex by rotation.

[0027] Ideally, the conical part 11 of the hydrocyclone is vertically adjustable by means of a jack or an adjustment screw 12 whose fixed part 13 is attached to the fixed frame of the machine.

[0028] Thus, the functional height of the hydrocyclone is adjustable in order to influence the descent of the flowing fraction.

[0029] For leak-free operation, ideally, a seal is created between the rotating cylindrical part 31 and the sliding conical part 11 by means of a lip seal or an O-ring 14.

[0030] According to another characteristic of the invention, the inner tube 23 is adjusted by an adjustment screw 24, the fixed part 25 of which is installed on the fixed frame of the machine to adapt the rise of the floating products in the inner tube 23.

[0031] Therefore, the depth of the inner tube is adjustable to influence the rise of the floating fraction.

[0032] For ease of operation, ideally, the inner tube 23, the feed tube 22 and the cover 26 constitute a screwed, glued or welded assembly, thus creating a fixed upper part.

[0033] For leak-free operation, ideally, a seal is created between the rotating cylindrical part 31 and the cover 26 by means of a lip seal or by means of an O-ring 27.

[0034] According to the state of the art, the feed tube enters tangentially into the cylindrical part of the cyclone.

[0035] Since the cylindrical part of the invention is movable, it is convenient to move the attachment of the feed tube towards the fixed upper part.

[0036] Another characteristic of the invention consists in the fact that the supply tube 22 is attached to the inner tube 23, while keeping the tangential introduction of the flow inside the cylindrical part 31.

[0037] Ideally, the feed tube 22 creates a circular tube around the inner tube 23.

[0038] [Fig-1] shows a section which visualizes all the elements of the machine put to parts 32 and 33.

[0039] [Fig.2] shows a partial view from above along section AA to indicate parts 32 and 33.

[0040] [Fig.3] shows a partial view from above along section BB to indicate in particular the arrival of the tube 22 around the inner tube 23.

[0041] The machine according to the invention represents a form of accelerated hydrocyclone thanks to elements making it possible to adapt the operation of the machine to very different incoming products.

[0042] The lower part of the machine according to the invention is composed of the conical part 11 of the hydrocyclone, the height adjustment screw 12, the fixed part 13 which connects this adjustment screw to the frame of the machine, and the seal, ideally by O-ring 14, with the rotating cylindrical part 31.

[0043] The adjusting screw 12 allows the conical part 11 to be extracted downwards from the cylindrical part 31 to extend the functional height of the hydrocyclone.

[0044] For this reason, the bottom outlet 15 has a flexible connection with the piping downstream of the machine for the flowing outgoing fraction.

[0045] The functional height adjustment is useful for using the machine with varying fluid vortex shapes depending on the size of the incoming particles as well as the pressure applied by the inlet pump.

[0046] According to the state of the art, the diameter of the bottom outlet 15 is adapted using flanges of different diameters.

[0047] The cylindrical part 31 has a driven disc 34 in the form of a toothed wheel or ideally a belt wheel which is connected by the belt 32 to the wheel 33 of the motor. Ideally, this motor is equipped with a frequency converter to adapt the rotation speed to the needs of the incoming products.

[0048] The fixed upper part has several functions integrated into this fixed part attached to the frame of the machine.

[0049] The orifice 21 allows a tangential introduction of the incoming products mixed with the fluid.

[0050] The hydrocyclone is fed by a feed tube 22 which is charged with pressure by the pump.

[0051] The adjusting screw 24, attached to the frame of the machine by means of the fixed part 25 of the screw, makes it possible to adjust the depth with which the inner tube 23 is immersed inside the cylindrical part 31 of the hydrocyclone.

[0052] To simplify assembly and adjustment, the feed tube 22, the inner tube 23 and the cover 23 create an assembly fixed to the frame or support of the machine.

[0053] In this case, the adjusting screw 24 raises or lowers the entire upper part including the cover 26 and the feed tube 22.

[0054] To maintain fluid tightness, the cover has an effective seal. An O-ring 27 is the simplest solution according to the state of the art.

[0055] For this reason, this feed tube 22 and the inner tube 23 of the floating outgoing fraction have a flexible connection with the upstream piping towards the pump. and for the downstream piping for the floating fraction respectively.

[0056] The two adjustment screws 12 and 24 make it possible to create a machine whose separation result can be adapted at any time in the event of a change in the characteristics of the incoming products.

[0057] Thus, a traditional flotation separation tank is more demanding in terms of space and price compared to an accelerated hydrocyclone, given the slow flow rate entering such a tank.

Claims

Claims

1. A hydrocyclone machine which has a cylindrical part 31 which is movable and which rotates thanks to a motor which makes it rotate in the same direction as the fluid introduced tangentially through an orifice 21 adapted in the hydrocyclone, forming part of a feed tube 22 attached to the inner tube 23, to accelerate the speed of the fluid thanks to the rotation of the cylindrical part 31.

2. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the drive motor of the cylindrical part 31 is regulated by a frequency converter giving the speed adapted to the cylindrical part 31 thanks to an adequate transmission such as a toothed wheel or a belt 32 driven by the wheel 33 of the motor.

3. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the inner surface of the cylindrical part 31 has a surface roughness or height differences in order to facilitate the acceleration of the vortex by rotation.

4. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the conical part 11 of the hydrocyclone is vertically adjustable by means of a jack or an adjustment screw 12 whose fixed part 13 is attached to the fixed frame of the machine.

5. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that a seal is created between the rotating cylindrical part 31 and the sliding conical part 11 by means of a lip seal or by means of an O-ring 14.

6. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the inner tube 23 is adjusted by an adjustment screw 24 whose fixed part 25 is installed on the fixed frame of the machine to adapt the rise of the floating products in the inner tube 23.

7. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the inner tube 23, the feed tube 22 and the cover 26 constitute a screwed, glued or welded assembly thus creating a fixed upper part.

8. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that a seal is created between the rotating cylindrical part 31 and the cover 26 by means of a lip seal or by means of an O-ring 27.

9. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the feed tube 22 is attached to the inner tube 23, while keeping the tangential introduction of the flow inside the cylindrical part 31.

10. Machine according to claim 1 characterized in that the feed tube 22 creates a circular tube around the inner tube 23.

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