Oil Separator Longitudinal Ribs Capture Condensed Oil

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing oil separators face a decrease in removal efficiency of oil from target gas due to increased speed of the gas cleaning device, causing separated oil to be discharged with the target gas.

Innovation Solution

The oil separator incorporates a spindle with rotatable separation disks, a nozzle for oil injection, and a housing with longitudinal ribs and a guide rib to capture and condense oil, reducing its upward movement and enhancing removal efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the gas cleaning device rotates at a higher speed to separate mist oil from target gas, then the separation speed increases, but the separated oil is carried upward by the turning flow and discharged with the target gas, reducing removal efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverotation speed of gas cleaning deviceVSAvoidremoval efficiency of oil
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The inner surface of the upper chamber is segmented into multiple longitudinal ribs extending in the vertical direction. These ribs divide the continuous surface into discrete segments that can independently capture and channel oil downward, preventing the oil from being carried upward by the turning flow even at high rotation speeds

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The longitudinal ribs act as intermediary structures between the turning flow and the oil. They intercept the oil that would otherwise be carried upward by the turning flow, providing a downward path for the oil to flow along the ribs, thus mediating the conflict between high-speed rotation and oil removal efficiency

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

The design effectively captures and condenses oil, reducing its discharge with the target gas, thereby increasing the removal efficiency of oil from the oil separator.

Implementation Method 1

a nozzle that is projected from a part of a peripheral surface of the spindle, the part being located below with respect to the separation disks, and that injects oil from an injection hole to rotate the spindle around an axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRocket principle: Rocket

Implementation Method 2

a plurality of separation disks that are rotatable together with a spindle and that are laminated in an axial direction of the spindle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal separation: Centrifugal Separation

Implementation Method 3

the oil moving along the inner surface of the side wall of the upper case is captured by the longitudinal ribs and condenses. Since condensation increases the weight of oil, the condensed oil flows down along the longitudinal ribs against turning flow

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentEP3112031B1Oil separator
Publication Date: 2025.03.26 TOKYO ROKI CO LTD
  • EP3112031B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3112031B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3112031B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to increase, in an oil separator, the removal efficiency of the oil contained in target gas. The oil separator 2 according to the present invention includes: a plurality of separation disks that are rotatable together with a spindle and that are laminated in an axial direction of the spindle; a nozzle that is projected from a part of a peripheral surface of the spindle, the part being located below with respect to the separation disks, and that injects oil from an injection hole to rotate the spindle around an axis; and a housing 11 that includes a cylindrical side wall and defines a chamber accommodating the spindle, the separation disks, and the nozzle. The oil separator 2 is characterized in that a plurality of longitudinal ribs 24 extending in the vertical direction are circumferentially formed on the inner surface of a body cover 22 (the side wall).