Liquid purification or separation – Processes – Using magnetic force
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-11
2002-05-07
Reifsnyder, David A. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
Processes
Using magnetic force
C210S222000, C210S223000, C210S323200, C210S324000, C210S330000, C209S223100, C209S232000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06383397
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for separating magnetic particles mixed in a fluid by making use of the action of magnetic attraction, wherein the method includes causing the magnetic particles dispersed in an original fluid such as liquid or gas to be attached magnetically by the magnetic attraction, and separating those magnetic particles from the fluid. The present invention also provides a separating system and a separator that attract the magnetic particles in the fluid magnetically and separates them from the fluid by operating in accordance with the steps of such method.
2. Prior Art
There is a conventional separator that is used to separate ferromagnetic metals by attracting the metals in a particular object such as a fluid magnetically and separating them from the object.
It is also known that even for certain magnetic substances, other than the ferromagnetic substances, that possess less magnetization when placed in a magnetic field (referred hereinafter to as “less magnetic substances” or “less magnetic particles”), they may be attracted magnetically and separated if the magnetic force that is applied is increased. A process is also proposed, which deals with fine white day, such as kaolin, whose composition contains magnetic impurities, and allows those magnetic impurities to be removed by making use of the energy of the applied magnetic field (as disclosed in Japanese patent Publication No. 63- 95908).
In the mineral dressing field where foreign ferromagnetic substances or elements contained in a particular mineral and that should be removed are attracted magnetically and separated from the mineral, or in the field where foreign ferromagnetic objects such as works are attracted magnetically and separated from objects such as works being processed, there is a process that is used to separate those foreign substances or elements, or works by separating them by attracting them magnetically. In this process, the separation occurs by making one side of an electromagnet in contact with objects being processed, thereby magnetizing and attracting any foreign objects magnetically, and then rotating the electromagnet to demagnetize the magnetically attracted portions of those objects. However, this process is primarily designed to separate the foreign ferromagnetic substances or elements, or works, by the magnetic attraction, and is not suitable for use in separating less magnetic substances or elements, or works, that possess less magnetization when placed in a certain magnetic field. The process as mentioned above that utilizes the energy of the normal magnetic field to process the kaolin composition cannot be used for separating any less magnetic substances or elements.
Those less magnetic substances or elements require a powerful magnetic force (or example, 1000 Gauss or more) to be magnetized and attracted magnetically, and the substances or elements that have thus been magnetized and attracted must be removed before they become saturated magnetically. When a powerful magnetic force is applied, it is difficult to remove the residual magnetism that remains in the magnetized substances or elements, shortly after the magnetic field is removed by cutting the electrical current. Thus, this process has several problems in that it cannot be utilized for the industrial applications. For example, even when the less magnetic substances or elements are magnetized and attracted by applying the powerful magnetic force of 1000 Gauss or more across them, if there are any less magnetic substances or elements that are attached to the magnetized surface, other less magnetic substances or elements that make contact with those less magnetic substances or elements will not be magnetized and attracted, and will be allowed to flow away without being attracted magnetically at all. Thus, this process is not efficient in separating the less magnetic substances or elements. This problem may be solved if the less magnetic substances or elements that have been magnetized and attached by the magnetic attraction are to be removed frequently. It is difficult to remove those substances or elements in a short time, however, because the residual magnetism remains in them. Accordingly, the separating process must be suspended until the residual magnetism disappears, each time the substances or elements that are attached by the magnetic attraction are to be removed completely. This prevents the efficient separation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems of the prior art by providing a method for separating magnetic particles in a fluid, which comprises the steps of feeding an original fluid containing magnetic particles dispersed therein into a magnetized tube as an object being processed (referred hereinafter to as “object fluid”), rotating the magnetized tube, adding free ferromagnetic elements into the tube as required to increase the effective magnetized surfaces within the tube, thereby making effective use of the magnetized surfaces, attracting the magnetic particles magnetically to the magnetized surfaces, demagnetizing the magnetized surfaces before they reach their magnetic saturation, feeding an exhaust fluid into the tube, and removing the magnetically attracted magnetic particles from the demagnetized surfaces by carrying them with the exhaust fluid. According to the method, several magnetized tubes may be provided in parallel, and those individual tubes may be operated so that the magnetic attraction of the magnetic particles and the removal of the magnetic particles thus attracted magnetically can occur alternately for each individual tube. In this way, at least any one of those tubes may be kept running at any time without having to discontinue the separating process, and the separating efficiency may be improved accordingly.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for separating magnetic particles, which includes the steps of feeding an original fluid containing magnetic particles dispersed therein into a magnetized tube as an object being processed (also called “object fluid”), allowing the magnetic particles in the object fluid to be attached to the magnetized surfaces within the tube by the magnetic attraction, and removing the magnetic particles from the magnetized surfaces by demagnetizing the tube, wherein the method is characterized by the fact that the magnetic attraction of the magnetic particles to the magnetized surfaces within the tube occurs by rotating the tube.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for separating magnetic particles, which includes the steps of feeding an original fluid containing magnetic particles dispersed therein into a magnetized rotary tube as an object being processed (also called “object fluid”), allowing the magnetic particles in the object fluid to be attracted magnetically to the magnetized surfaces within the tube, suspending the feeding of the object fluid before the magnetic attracting capability of the magnetized surfaces within the tube becomes lower below a certain value, demagnetizing the magnetized surfaces within the tube, feeding an exhaust fluid into the tube under the applied pressure for carrying the detached magnetic particles therewith, removing the magnetic particles together with the exhaust fluid from the tube, and separating the magnetic particles from the exhaust fluid that contained the magnetic particles therein. In this case, the exhaust fluid may be clean water or air, and may be fed into the tube in the direction opposite to that in which object fluid is fed. The surfaces being magnetized may include both the inner wall of the tube and the surfaces of the free ferromagnetic substances or elements that may be added as required into the tube.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for separating magnetic particles mixed into an original fluid, which comprises means for crashing an original object into fine particles, if the object is in its sol
Reifsnyder David A.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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