Particulate separator

1. A two-stage particulate separator, comprising:

a primary cyclone;

a plurality of secondary cyclones circumferentially spaced around the primary cyclone;

each of the cyclones having an inlet at an upper end thereof and a discharge outlet at a lower end thereof, the inlets of the secondary cyclones being in communication with the primary cyclone; and

an airlock coupled to the discharge outlets of the cyclones,

wherein the airlock comprises a secondary airlock connected to the discharge outlets of the secondary cyclones and a primary airlock stacked with the secondary airlock in a vertical direction and coupled to the outlet of the primary cyclone.

2. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary airlock comprises an annular rotatable body having a central aperture and being penetrated by a plurality of circumferentially-spaced apertures shaped to receive and dispense particulates discharged from the secondary cyclones.

3. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 2 wherein a discharge conduit from the primary cyclone passes through the central opening of the rotatable body.

4. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 2 wherein the rotatable body comprises a ring gear driven to rotate by a pinion located in the central opening of the rotatable body.

5. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 4 wherein the primary airlock comprises:

a top having an inlet opening and a bottom having an outlet opening wherein the inlet opening and outlet opening are circumferentially spaced apart from one another; and

a rotatable barrier member comprising radially-extending vanes between the top and bottom of the primary airlock.

6. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 5 wherein the pinion is coupled to rotate with the rotatable barrier member.

7. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 5 wherein, relative to an axis of rotation of the barrier member the inlet opening and the outlet opening of the primary air lock are angularly offset from one another by an angular separation larger than an angular separation of adjacent ones of the paddles.

8. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 5 wherein the secondary airlock comprises an outlet located to discharge particulates into the primary airlock through an opening that is circumferentially offset from the outlet opening of the primary air lock.

9. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 1 wherein the primary airlock comprises:

a top having an inlet opening and a bottom having an outlet opening wherein the inlet opening and outlet opening are circumferentially spaced apart from one another; and

a rotatable barrier member comprising radially-extending vanes between the top and bottom of the primary airlock.

10. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 1 wherein the secondary airlock comprises one or more outlets and at least one of the one or more outlets is connected to discharge into the primary airlock.

11. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 2 , wherein the body comprises a plurality of ring-shaped discs stacked in the vertical direction, the discs having the apertures defined in the body, and wherein the apertures are on circles of the same diameter.

12. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 11 , the airlock further comprising an outlet plate positioned between the primary and secondary airlocks, the outlet plate comprising an outlet aperture positioned in alignment with an inlet aperture defined in the primary airlock.

13. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 12 , wherein the apertures defined in the rotatable body can be rotated into communication with the outlet aperture defined in the outlet plate and the inlet aperture defined in the primary airlock.

14. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 13 , wherein the particulates discharged from the primary and the secondary cyclones exit through a discharge opening defined in a bottom cover of the primary airlock.

15. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 14 , the airlock further comprising a rotor operable to rotate the body of the secondary airlock, the rotor having:

a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally along a length of the airlock coupled to a radially extending vanes positioned within a housing mounted on top of the bottom cover of the primary airlock; and

a gear having a plurality of outward teeth being in engagement with a plurality of inward teeth defined in one of the discs in the secondary airlock.

16. A two-stage particulate separator, comprising:

a primary cyclone;

a plurality of secondary cyclones circumferentially spaced around the primary cyclone;

each of the cyclones having an inlet at an upper end thereof and a discharge outlet at a lower end thereof, the inlets of the secondary cyclones being in communication with the primary cyclone;

the secondary cyclones having secondary outlets in communication with a connector;

an airlock coupled to the discharge outlets of the cyclones; and

a pipe connected to the connector at a first end and to an air splitter at a second end, the air splitter having a first output port adapted to exhaust air to the atmosphere, and a second output port adapted to recycle air into one or more enclosures.

17. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 16 , wherein the first and second output ports are proportionately sized to allow a major portion of the total airflow to exhaust to the atmosphere, and a minor portion of the total airflow to recycle into the one or more enclosures.

18. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 17 , wherein the first and second output ports are proportionately sized to allow about 75% of the total airflow to exhaust to the atmosphere, and about 25% of the total airflow to recycle into the one or more enclosures.

19. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 18 , wherein the one or more enclosures each enclose a point of particulate generation.

20. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 18 , wherein at least one of the one or more enclosures encloses a saw.

21. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 19 , wherein the one or more enclosures further comprises a first separation system.

22. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 21 , wherein the first separation system comprises:

two curved plates positioned under the cutting source, each having a curvature,

two diverging ducts positioned near an end of the curvature of each curved plate, the two diverging ducts having a first duct extending in a downward direction towards an outlet of the system and a second duct extending in a transverse direction;

two upper discharge ducts, each positioned at an outer side of its respective curved plates, opposite to the side of the curvature, wherein the second ducts and upper discharge ducts merge to form a suction pipe connectable to the primary inlet.

23. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 16 , comprising a blower operable to draw air out of the secondary cyclones, the blower located between the connector and the air splitter.

24. A two-stage particulate separator, comprising:

a primary cyclone having a tangential air inlet and an axial air outlet at an upper end thereof, a generally conical lower portion and a particle discharge opening at a lower end of the lower portion;

at least three secondary cyclones circumferentially spaced around the primary cyclone, the secondary cyclones each comprising a tangential air inlet and an axial air outlet at an upper end thereof, a generally conical lower portion and a particle discharge opening at a lower end of the lower portion wherein the air inlets of the secondary cyclones are connected to receive air from the air outlet of the primary cyclone;

a secondary airlock comprising a plurality of inlet openings spaced circumferentially apart around a generally circular path where in the particulate outputs of each of the secondary cyclones is coupled to one of the inlet openings of the secondary airlock, the secondary airlock having at least one outlet opening and the at least one output opening is offset relative to each of the input openings, the secondary airlock comprising an annular body mounted for rotation between the inlet openings and the outlet openings, the annular body penetrated by a plurality of angularly spaced apart apertures lying on the circular path;

a drive motor connected to rotate the rotatable member to carry the apertures past the inlet openings to receive particulate material from the secondary cyclones and to carry the received particulate material to the outlet openings; and

a primary airlock located below the secondary airlock, the primary airlock comprising an inlet opening connected to receive particulate material from the particle discharge opening of the primary cyclone along a path passing through a central aperture of the annular rotatable member of the secondary air lock.

25. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 24 wherein the primary air lock comprises a barrier member comprising radially extending paddles mounted for rotation about an axis that is offset from the inlet opening of the primary airlock and a primary airlock outlet opening angularly spaced apart from the inlet opening, the paddles having a radial extent such that the paddles sweep past the primary airlock inlet opening and the primary airlock outlet opening upon rotation of the barrier member.

26. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 25 wherein the airlock comprises a top plate, a middle plate and a bottom plate, the annular body of the secondary airlock lies between the top plate and the middle plate and the barrier member of the primary airlock lies between the middle plate and the bottom plate.

27. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 25 wherein the drive motor is connected to drive rotation of both the barrier member and the annular body.

28. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 27 comprising a speed reducer coupled between the barrier member and the annular body.

29. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 28 wherein a gear ratio of the speed reducer is in the range of 3 to 1 to 6 to 1.

30. The two-stage particulate separator according to claim 27 wherein the speed reducer comprises internal gear teeth on the annular body in engagement with a pinion driven by the drive motor.