Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D45/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces
  • B01D45/04—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia
  • B01D45/06—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia by reversal of direction of flow

Definitions

• ENTRAINMENT SEPARATOR relates to separators, in particular- but not exclusively, for use in the sugar industry wherein it is required to separate entrained sugar juices and liquors being evaporated by either evaporators or vacuum pans in sugar factories or refineries.
• sugar juice or liquor boiling in an evaporator or massecuite in a vacuum pan
• sugar juice, syrup or massecuite wherein it is held in suspension and carried over t ⁇ ' a contact condensor by * the high velocities of the evaporated water vapour (boiling is conducted at about 24 to 26 inches of mercury ⁇ . If this process is allowed to continue unchecked, there is a resultant loss of sugar which is far too excessive for economic sugar production in sugar factor ⁇ ies or refineries .
• separators have been used to extract entrained sugar in the vapours from evaporators and vacuum pans and the like. However the separators utilised to date have been either inefficient in use or costly to install.
• this invention aims to provide an entrainment separator for the sugar refining industry wherein entrained sugar liquid may be removed by the separator and returned to the evaporator. It is also an object of this invention to provide an entrainment separator which will be of a form which is economical to manufacture and reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.
• this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a separator for separating liquid from a. fluid, said separator including a blade assembly adapted to be disposed in a fluid flow and providing a plurality of fluid contacting faces arranged to cause said fluid to flow circuituously across or through said blade assembly whereby liquid entrained in said fluid will coalesce on said fluid contacting faces.
• the contacting faces are substantially uprig -t in use when installed in an evaporator vessel or in a vacuum pan.
• the blade assembly may be attached in a desired location within the evaporator vessel or vacuum pan and is so constructed and arranged that the vapour entrained with sugar liquid follows a tortuous or twisting path past or through the plurality of fluid contacting faces. Because of the constant changes in direction associated with the construction of the blade assembly, the entrained sugar liquid will gather or coalesce on the faces exposed to the vapour flow and may be returned to the evaporator or vacuum pan by any suitable means.
• Each blade assembly suitably has a cross sectional profile that is discontinuous and thus nay adopt a substantially zig-zag or sawtooth shaped profile.
• the cross sectional profile may be sinusoidal or adopt a -wave form shaped profile.
• a sawtooth shaped profile is used with the leading face of the blade assembly exposed to the vapour flow * being located inclined to the longitudinal direction of the vapour flow such as by being located at 45 to the said longitudinal direction.
• the next exposed face may then be located at 9.0 to _the plane of the first exposed face and in effect be providing a second exposed face at the opposite side thereof at 45 to the direction of vapour flow.
• a third and fourth exposed face of similar shape to the first and second exposed faces there may then be provided a third and fourth exposed face of similar shape to the first and second exposed faces, and even a fifth and sixth exposed face of similar shape to the first and second exposed faces.
• a discontinuity adapted to cause turbulence in the vapour flow and prevent tracking of the fast moving vapour and entrained liquid between the blades without separation of the liquid by impingment against the respective blade surfaces.
• the sugar liquid associated with the water vapour will coalesce on the said exposed faces of the blade.
• a plurality or bank of blade assemblies each suitably having a cross sectional profile as described.
• any appropriate number of blade assemblies may be used with a suitable number being eight.
• the liquid after contacting the exposed faces of the blade assemblies may then fall to the bottom of the substantially upright blades where the velocity of the water vapour impinging on the exposed faces of the bank of blades may seep or draw the sugar liquid out onto a sloping baffle which leads to a drain returning the separated sugar liquid to the evaporator or vacuum pan.
• a suitable support frame for the bank, of blades may comprise a plurality of bottom frame members which are provided with upwardly extending cleats having a base flange bolted to the frame members.
• Each frame member may itself be bolted to a support platform or partition located in the head space of the evaporator or vacuum pan.
• FIG 1 is a perspective view of one form of entrainment separator constructed in accordance with the invention with the top blade attachments removed for clarity;
• FIG 2 is a top plan view of the separator of FIG 1 attached to an eliminator vessel or vacuum pan vessel;
• FIG 3 is an end view of the lower portion of the apparatus of FIG 2 in the direction of the vapour flow;
• FIG 4 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG 2 taken in the direction A;
• FIG 5 is a schematic diagram showing the separator of FIG 1 attached to an evaporator vessel;
• FIG 6 is a schematic diagram of the separator of FIG 1 attached to a vacuum pan.
• the separator 10 includes a plurality or bank of blades 11 having faces 12, 12A, 15,
• the bank of blades 11 are supported on base frame members 20 and are attached thereto by cleats 19 and 19A and bolts 21.
• the frame members 20 are supported on a partition 23 of the eliminator vessel and are attached to the side wall 2& of the circular vessel by attachment member 24 which has flanges 27 attached to the wall 26.
• Bolts 22 also attach the separator assembly to partition 23 as shown.
• Angle iron brackets 25 also assists in the attachment of the support member 20 to partition 23 as shown in FIG 4.
• Brackets 25 interconnect member 24 to the separator 10 as shown in FIG 2.
• each blade 11 includes flow interruption means 30, extending outwardly into the fluid flow path from the junction between respective faces of the blades 11.
• Each flow interruption means in this embodiment is in the form of continuation portion 7 of the trailing end of the exposed face.
• Each continuation portion 7 extends substantially at right-angles to the direction of fluid flow.
• the continuation portion 7 extends between the trailing end 9 of an exposed face and the leading end 8 of the adjacent exposed face at the opposite side of the blade 11.
• This arrangement provides a blade whic can be easily formed from sheet metal or the like such as by folding , roll-forming or pressing.
• the flow interruption means 30 in adjacent blades are substantially in register in the direction of fluid flow into the separator 10 whereby a direct flow path from one side of the separator to the other is prevented.
• the entrainment separator 10 is suitably arranged in a vertically extending outlet opening 31 provided in the upper portion of an evaporation housing 32.
• the outlet 31 extends between a first ceiling member 33 which extends part way across the housing 32 and a second ceiling member 34 spaced downwardly from, the first ceiling member 33 and extending across the remainder of the housing 32.
• This arrangment provides a flow path for vapour from the boiling juices contained in the evaporator and which extends upwardly and then passes substantially horizontally through the entrainment separator 10 and along the lower ceiling portion 34. The vapour then passes upwardly from the housing 32 through a conduit 35 to be conveyed for further treatment as desired.
• the vapour and entrained droplets pass through the separator and are subject to a number of sudden changes of direction which causes the liquid droplets to impinge on the blade surfaces where they accumulate.
• the liquid drains to the bottom of the entrainment separator 10 where the accumulated liquid is swept out by the vapour flow, and in the same direction, towards the draining baffle 36.
• the vapour velocity is reduced while the direction of flow is altered upwards and away from the liquid flow towards the baffle thus alleviating the possibility of re-entrainment of the separated liquid.
• the liquid which accumulates at the baffle 36 flows gravitationally through the drain 38 back to the boiling juices 37.
• FIG 6 illustrated a further embodiment of the invention adapted for use with a vacuum pan apparatus.
• the principal of operation is substantially the same as the embodiment described in FIG 5.
• the separated liquid flows from the entrainment separator 10 down the inclined roof portion of the vacuum tank 40 to return drains 41 located exteriorally of the vacuum tank 40
• each blade assembly could be constituted of a plurality of louvre type blades spaced from one another and of course the arrangement of the blades could be such that they are aligned in the direction of flow or staggered or otherwise arranged as desired.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Separating Particles In Gases By Inertia (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3768959

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 1982
  • 1982-02-12 EP EP19820900498 patent/EP0070864A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1982-02-12 WO PCT/AU1982/000014 patent/WO1982002674A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1982-02-12 JP JP57500534A patent/JPS58500433A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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