Multi-Cyclone Collector With Liquid Seal And Segmented Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-cyclone collectors face challenges in maintaining high separation accuracy and collection efficiency while preventing rescattering of contaminating particles, especially when cyclones have a small radius, leading to clogging and reduced air volume, and require frequent maintenance due to clogging and pressure imbalances.
Innovation Solution
A multi-cyclone collector design featuring a suction port, cyclone accommodation chamber, reversing cyclones, and a drain discharge chamber with a liquid level control mechanism to prevent rescattering, ensuring high separation accuracy and efficiency by sealing the discharge pipe opening with liquid, and facilitating maintenance through dividable cyclone units and a cleaning system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the cyclone radius is decreased to improve separation accuracy, then the separation limit particle diameter decreases, but the inlet port size decreases and processable air volume is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides a single large cyclone into multiple smaller cyclones arranged in parallel. Each small cyclone maintains high separation accuracy due to its small radius, while the collective arrangement of multiple cyclones provides sufficient total inlet port area and processable air volume. This segmentation approach resolves the contradiction by distributing the air flow across multiple independent separation units.
2Productivity
If multiple cyclones are arranged in parallel to increase processable air volume, then sufficient air volume is achieved, but rescattering of contaminating particles occurs between cyclones and collection efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a partition wall as an intermediary structure between adjacent cyclones. This partition wall prevents the swirl flow from one cyclone from extending into the space below another cyclone, thereby eliminating the rescattering of contaminating particles. The partition wall acts as a physical barrier that maintains the independence of each cyclone's flow field while allowing parallel operation for high air volume processing.
3Measurement precision
If the cyclone radius is decreased to improve separation accuracy, then separation accuracy is improved, but clogging of air flow path occurs with highly adhesive contaminating particles
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into multiple small cyclones with optimized dimensions, the invention achieves high separation accuracy while managing clogging risks. The segmented design allows for better control of flow distribution and reduces the likelihood of complete blockage compared to a single small cyclone, as the failure of one unit does not affect others.
4Productivity
If conventional cyclones with large radius are used to maintain sufficient air volume, then processable air volume is sufficient, but separation accuracy is low and filter clogging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces a single large-radius cyclone with multiple small-radius cyclones arranged in parallel. This segmentation enables each cyclone to operate at optimal separation accuracy while the collective arrangement maintains sufficient total air volume capacity. The multiple small cyclones provide larger cumulative inlet port area equivalent to or greater than a single large cyclone.
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
The design achieves high separation accuracy, sufficient air volume, and efficient collection of contaminating particles without rescattering, while minimizing the apparatus size and facilitating maintenance by preventing liquid from reaching the reversing portion and allowing for easy replacement of cyclone units.
Implementation Method 1
The cyclone transforms a contaminated air flow taken therein to a swirl flow, applies centrifugal force to contaminating particles in the air flow, separates the contaminating particles from the air flow with the centrifugal force
Implementation Method 2
A cyclone is one of devices that are capable of separating contaminating particles such as dust and oil mist with high accuracy
Implementation Method 3
The discharge pipe has a lower opening sealed by liquid stored in the drain discharge chamber
Data Source
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AI summary
A multi-cyclone collector includes a suction port (11) for sucking an air flow including contaminating particles, a cyclone accommodation chamber (12) allowing the sucked air flow to be guided thereinto, a plurality of cyclones (13) accommodated in the cyclone accommodation chamber (12), a cyclone exit chamber (23) allowing a purified air flow from the cyclones (13) to be guided thereinto, and a drain discharge chamber (51) for collecting the contaminating particles separated by the cyclones (13). Each of the cyclones (13) has a swirling portion (131) allowing a downward swirl flow to travel therethrough, a reversing portion (132) for reversing the swirl flow to the upward swirl flow, and a discharge pipe (134) for guiding the contaminating particles separated from the air flow into the drain discharge chamber. The discharge pipe (134) has a lower opening (134a) sealed by liquid (56) stored in the drain discharge chamber (51). There is provided a communication pipe (24) for controlling liquid level so that the liquid in the discharge pipe (134) does not reach the reversing portion (132).