Apparatus and process for gas-solids separation
A process and apparatus of a gas-solids separator are provided in which a cap is disposed across an upstream end of swirl blades in a cyclonic separator to protect the blades from erosion by fast traveling solids.
1. A cyclonic separator, comprising:
a cyclone barrel;
a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel;
a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel;
a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel;
a cap extending radially across an upstream end of the swirl vane;
a plurality of swirl blades wrapped around a hub positioned in the upstream end of the cyclone barrel and the cap extends radially across an upstream end of all of the swirl vanes; and
a lug secured to the hub and the cap to hold the cap in place above the hub.
2. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said swirl blades have upstream ends disposed circumferentially around the hub.
3. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said cap has a side wall that extends to a window which allows access to said swirl blades.
4. The cyclonic separator of claim 3 wherein a downstream end of said side wall is positioned upstream of said swirl vane to define said window.
5. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said swirl blades are disposed in an annular space between the hub and the cyclone barrel.
6. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said hub has a closed end downstream of the cap.
7. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said hub has a flat top end.
8. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said hub extends above an upstream end of said swirl blades.
9. The cyclonic separator of claim 1 wherein said cap has a hemispherical roof.
10. A gas-solids separator, comprising:
a vessel having a flue gas inlet, an entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas outlet;
an upstream tube sheet and a downstream tube sheet within the vessel and defining therewith a gas inlet chamber fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet, an entrained solids chamber fluidly coupled to the entrained solids outlet, and a clean gas chamber fluidly coupled to the clean gas outlet; and
a cyclonic separator, comprising:
a cyclone barrel extending into the entrained solids chamber and fluidly coupled to the flue gas inlet;
a swirl vane positioned in an upstream end of the cyclone barrel;
a gas outlet centrally disposed in a downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly coupling the gas inlet chamber to the clean gas chamber;
a solids outlet peripherally disposed in the downstream end of the cyclone barrel and fluidly connected to the entrained solids outlet;
a cap extending radially above an upstream end of the swirl vane;
a plurality of swirl blades wrapped around a hub positioned in the upstream end of the cyclone barrel and the cap extends radially above upstream ends of all of the swirl blades disposed circumferentially around the hub; and
a lug secured to the hub and the cap to hold the cap in place upstream of the hub.
11. The gas-solids separator of claim 10 wherein said cap of said cyclonic separator has a side wall that has a downstream end spaced from the swirl blades to provide a window which fluidly couples said flue gas inlet to said swirl blades.
12. The gas-solids separator of claim 10 wherein said swirl blades of said cyclonic separator are disposed in an annular space between the hub and the cyclone barrel.
13. The gas-solids separator of claim 10 wherein said cap of said cyclonic separator has a hemispherical top.