Particle concentrator

Inventors

Saaski, Elric W. • Jung, Charles C.

Assignees

Research International Inc

Abstract

A particle concentrator, having a top and a bottom and including a hollow outer hub, having a top and bottom and bottom wall, and a side wall defining a plurality of sampled airflow inlet slots. An inner hub is placed in the outer hub and has a hollow interior, and which for each one of the sampled airflow inlet slots, supports a blade defining a secondary airflow slot aligned to a sampled airflow inlet slot, is sealed at its top, and is in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the inner hub, and wherein each adjacent two blades define a space between blades. A fan assembly is for blowing air out of the top of the outer hub, from the spaces between blades, causing air inflow through the sampled airflow inlet slots, some air then flowing into the secondary airflow slots, where it flows into the inner hub.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to a particle concentrator that includes a hollow outer hub with a side wall defining a plurality of sampled airflow inlet slots. An inner hub is placed in the outer hub with a hollow interior, and for each sampled airflow inlet slot a corresponding blade is supported. Each blade defines a secondary airflow slot aligned in fluid communication with the corresponding sampled airflow inlet slot through the hollow interior of the inner hub.

Each blade further has a top side forming a fluid-tight seal configured to inhibit secondary airflow from the top side from flowing through the corresponding secondary airflow slot. Each adjacent two blades define a space between blades, and a fan assembly blows air out of the top of the outer hub from the spaces between blades. This blowing causes rapid air inflow through the sampled airflow inlet slots, with some air then flowing into the secondary airflow slots and into the inner hub.

In the method, particles are concentrated by providing the same air processor and using a blower to blow air out of the top of the outer hub from the spaces between blades. Air flows into the sampled airflow inlet slots, most of the airflow changing direction and flowing into the spaces between blades, while some of the airflow having a higher concentration of particles and greater mass flows into the secondary airflow slots. The airflow then flows into the inner hub as part of the particle concentrating process.

Claims Coverage

The document includes two independent claims, a device claim and a method claim. The independent claims share the same core inventive structure of sampled airflow inlet slots, blade-supported secondary airflow slots, fluid-tight top-side sealing, and a fan or blower that drives rapid inflow while separating more particle-laden airflow into the secondary airflow slots through a hollow inner hub.

Across the independent claims, particle concentration is achieved by directing rapid inflow through sampled airflow inlet slots in a hollow outer hub, using blade-defined spaces and fluid-tight blade top-side sealing, and channeling a particle-laden portion through secondary airflow slots aligned to the sampled slots into a hollow inner hub. The device claim emphasizes a fan assembly driving the flow, while the method claim emphasizes airflow direction change and the resulting flow partition based on particle-laden higher-mass airflow.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found