Gas-Solid Separator with Guide Blades for Inertial Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas-solid separators lack efficiency in separating gas and solid particles, particularly in high-speed moving bed reactors where rapid separation is crucial for maintaining catalytic performance and preventing excessive decomposition reactions.

Innovation Solution

A gas-solid separator design where a mixture of solid particles and gas is supplied downward through an inner cylinder with long holes, causing the gas to swirl and invert direction, allowing solid particles to separate due to inertia and weight, with the length of each hole optimized to achieve a non-dimensional Stokes number of at least 0.3 for effective separation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional gas-solid separator designs are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the separation efficiency is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidseparation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The separator is divided into multiple functional zones: an inner cylinder with long holes for initial separation, an outer cylinder for secondary separation, and guide blades for flow control. This segmentation allows each zone to perform a specific separation function, progressively improving overall separation efficiency while maintaining reasonable structural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces a radial dimension by using concentric inner and outer cylinders with holes distributed around the circumference. This multi-dimensional hole arrangement creates multiple separation paths simultaneously, significantly enhancing separation efficiency compared to conventional single-direction designs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of time

If the contact time between solid particles and gas is reduced, then catalytic performance and product selectivity are improved, but the separation of solid particles from gas becomes more critical and difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact timeVSAvoidseparation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The long holes in the inner cylinder perform preliminary separation of solid particles from the gas stream before the mixture enters the outer cylinder. This preliminary action reduces the burden on subsequent separation stages, enabling rapid overall separation that matches the short contact time requirements of high-speed moving bed reactors

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Guide blades are introduced as intermediary elements that control and direct the gas flow between the inner and outer cylinders. These guide blades create controlled swirling motion that enhances separation efficiency without requiring increased contact time, thus maintaining the short residence time benefit

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design enhances the separation efficiency of gas and solid particles, ensuring effective separation and reducing residence time, thereby improving catalytic performance and preventing unnecessary decomposition reactions.

Implementation Method 1

When the downward direction of the gas flow is inverted to the upward direction, the solid particles accompanied with the gas are separated from the gas due to their inertia

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInertia: Inertia

Implementation Method 2

the solid particles accompanied with the gas are separated from the gas due to their inertia or deadweight and descend mainly along an inner wall while being swirled downward

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Implementation Method 3

The gas consequently flows upward along an outer surface of the guide blade provided to the edge part of the adjacent long hole and is thereafter discharged from the gas vent port

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure gradient: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP2039413B1Method of designing gas-solid separator
Publication Date: 2020.04.15 JAPAN COOPERATION CENT
  • EP2039413B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2039413B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2039413B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for operating a gas-solid separator that has: an inner cylinder 10 having a closed lower end 11 and an opened upper end 1, and extending in a vertical direction; an outer cylinder 2 that coaxially covers the inner cylinder 10 from the outside and has a gas vent port 6 formed on the upper end side of the inner cylinder and communicating with an exterior; and a plurality of axially extending long holes 4 having a length L[m/s] and formed on a side surface on the lower end 11 side of the inner cylinder 10 in a circumferential direction, one of long side edge parts of each of the long holes being provided with a guide blade 5 that protrudes outward and is inclined circumferentially so as to cover the long hole 4, wherein the length L of each long hole 4 is defined such as to satisfy an expression of non-dimensional Stokes number St = (ρpdp2/(18µ))·U/L ≥ 0.3, where U[m/s] represents a cross-sectional average linear velocity of a mixture of gas and solid particles that is supplied downward from the opening 1 of the inner cylinder 4, ρp[kg/m3] a particle density of the solid particles, dp[m] an average particle diameter of the solid particles, and µ[Pa·s] a viscosity of the gas.