Classifying – separating – and assorting solids – Magnetic – Paramagnetic
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-11
2001-02-27
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
Magnetic
Paramagnetic
C209S231000, C209S232000, C209S213000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193071
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a separator which diverts selected components of a fluid stream out of the main stream using magnetic force fields.
2) Prior Art
Magnetic force fields can be created by electric currents and are known a magnetic fields. In magnetic separators, field gradients are produced which are changes in field strength with respect to position in the field volume. Magnetic field gradients produce forces on molecules or particles which have a non zero magnetic susceptibility.
Previously patented separators using magnetic fields such as magnetic separators use a high strength magnetic field to produce magnetic gradients in the fluid flow. Magnetic materials in the fluid interact with the magnetic gradients because of the magnetic forces between them.
The intermittent type of magnetic separators such as the Kolm type, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,337, have the magnetic gradients randomly distributed throughout the volume of fluid flow and rely on the magnetic forces to embed the magnetic materials in the magnetic gradient areas. They must be turned off and periodically flushed to clean the magnetic materials away.
To overcome the requirement of periodically flushing, several continuous magnetic separators have been proposed.
Kelland in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,815, discloses a separator apparatus in which a grid of fine ferromagnetic wires are arranged parallel to the flow of the fluid to be separated and a strong magnetic field is produced perpendicular to the wires and flow. The wires distort the magnetic field and result in a magnetic gradient around the wires which concentrates magnetic materials on opposite sides along each wires axis. As the wires near the end of the magnetic field there is a grid matrix for separation of the flows from each wire. This results in the need for small openings for each wire, which can become clogged and are difficult to fabricate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,006 I previously patented a continuous magnetic separator which employs rods comprised of alternating sections of nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic materials. This invention is an improvement on that patent because this invention is more efficient because the field gradients are continuous across the separation region.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic separator much smaller in size and less expensive in cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved magnetic separator to more efficiently separate materials of different magnetic susceptibilities over a wider range of susceptibilities and particle sizes.
A further object of the present invention is to provide separation of molecules from a fluid stream with lower energy expenditure.
These and still further objects are discussed hereinafter and are particularly delineated in the appended claims.
The foregoing objects are achieved in a force field separator which receives a fluid stream or slurry containing materials which will be subjected to a force when they enter the 3 dimensional array of field gradients inside the separator. The fluid stream is propelled axially through the separator in the initial flow direction. The array of field gradients is produced by a repetitive pattern of rods arranged at an angle between parallel and perpendicular to the initial flow direction into the separator. Those materials will move toward the outside walls of the separator because of the resultant force on them due to the combination of the force propelling them axially through the separator and the force fields set up inside the separator. The separator includes an elongate outer housing that receives the fluid, which flows axially through the housing and means for providing a field between a plurality of small diameter wires or rods disposed within the housing and oriented at a given angle between parallel and perpendicular to the direction of flow of the fluid stream. The given angle is designed based on the relative magnitude of the force propelling the fluid stream axially through the separator and the forces on the selected materials due to the field gradients between the plurality of small diameter rods. The combination of those forces and the angle of the rods produces resultant forces on those select molecules or particles sensitive to the field gradients, which are different in relation to the particle or molecules location relative to the rods. When the field gradient force has a component opposite in direction to the propelling force, the resultant force moves the particle towards the outside wall, and also within a channel parallel to the rods, because the angle of the rods is the same as the angle of the resultant force. These particles tend to maintain the same relation relative to the rods, and remain in the channel moving towards the outside wall. When the field gradient force has a component in the same direction as the propelling force, the resultant force moves the particle to a location where the field gradient has a component opposite in direction to the propelling force or the first case. Thus, the select molecules or particles will concentrate in the channels parallel to the rods where the resultant force is towards the outside wall. At the outside walls, partitions or slits to an cuter plenum are located to divert the flow into separate plenum streams, where the select molecules or particles are removed from the main fluid stream.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2792115 (1957-05-01), Medearis
patent: 3676337 (1972-07-01), Kolm
patent: 4261815 (1981-04-01), Kelland
patent: 4668383 (1987-05-01), Watson
patent: 4941969 (1990-07-01), Schonert et al.
patent: 5169006 (1992-12-01), Stelzer
patent: 5465849 (1995-11-01), Wada et al.
patent: 5568869 (1996-10-01), Turkenich et al.
patent: 5772043 (1998-06-01), Saveliev
patent: 2444578 (1976-04-01), None
patent: 2094183 (1982-09-01), None
Jones David
Walsh Donald P.
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