US3800510A

US3800510A - Separating assembly

Info

Publication number: US3800510A
Application number: US00251669A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Lamond
Original assignee: Celanese Corp
Current assignee: Celanese Corp
Priority date: 1972-05-09
Filing date: 1972-05-09
Publication date: 1974-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-02
Also published as: CA997683A

Abstract

A housing assembly for a separating medium disposed between upstream and downstream conduit members. The assembly comprises a first covering means communicating with the downstream conduit member. A first manifold means is spaced upstream from the first covering means and is connected at its upstream face to a first plurality of concentric cylinders. A second plurality of concentric cylinders are disposed in the annular spaces formed by the first plurality of concentric cylinders. This second plurality of concentric cylinders is connected to the downstream side of a second manifold means disposed upstream of the first manifold means. A second covering means the bottom section of which is disposed upstream of the second manifold means encloses the assembly. The enclosed assembly is sealed by means of a sealing means disposed between the covering means and the covering housing. A separating medium is disposed in the annular spaces formed by the first and second plurality of concentric cylinders. This arrangement provides maximum surface area for separation as well as excellent support for the medium.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Lamond SEPARATING ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor: Lee T. Lamond, Morris Plains, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Celanese Corporation, New York,

[22] Filed: May 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 251,669

Great Britain 55/497 France 55/380 Primary ExaminerBemard Nozick Attorney, Agent, or FirmThomas J. Morgan; Linn I. Grim; Marvin Bressler Apr. 2, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A housing assembly for a separating medium disposed between upstream and downstream conduit members. The assembly comprises a first covering means communicating with the downstream conduit member. A first manifold means is spaced upstream from the first covering means and is connected at its upstream face to a first plurality of concentric cylinders. A second plurality of concentric cylinders are disposed in the annular spaces formed by the first plurality of concentric cylinders. This second plurality of concentric cylinders is connected to the downstream side of a second manifold means disposed upstream of the first manifold means. A second covering means the bottom section of which is disposed upstream of the second manifold means encloses the assembly. The enclosed assembly is sealed by means of a sealing means disposed between the covering means and the covering housing. A separating medium is disposed in the annular spaces formed by the first and second plurality of concentric cylinders. This arrangement provides maximum surface area for separation as well as excellent support for the medium.

7 Claims, DrawingEigures PAIENIEDAIIR 21914 SHEET 1 UF 2 6 immy;

FIGURE] SEPARATING ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The instant invention is directed to a housing assembly. More particularly, the instant invention is directed to a housing assembly for a separating medium disposed therein.

2. Background of the Invention There is much prior art directed to separating devices such as filters, porous membranes and the like which are employed to separate one or more components from a fluid stream. Less attention has been paid in the prior art to housing assemblies which support the separating medium. A separating medium no matter how effective, is limited in its effectiveness to the efficiency of the housing assembly in which it is disposed. A well designed housing assembly for a separating medium provides a large surface area for separating per unit volume of housing volume. It also provides structural support for the separating medium to prevent breakage, tears, and the like. In addition, a separating assembly must be effectively sealed to prevent leakage. Leakage not only results in loss of some of the fluid stream being separated, but also may result in the formation of a bypass flow stream whereby a portion of the fluid stream does not flow across the separating medium. An obvious additional desirable feature of a housing a separating assembly is to provide all these desirable features in a compact form.

Although many housing assemblies of the prior art, combine one or more of these desirable features, very few such assemblies combine all of these desirable features in a single unit. Although every separating assembly is improved by the combination of these features, certain separating operations require that all four of these features be present for satisfactory operation of the separating medium.

An example of an assembly which must include all of these features is a housing which supports a liquidvapor separating medium disposed in a conduit communicating with a gasoline tank and a vapor sorbing means, such as charcoal canister in the currently built automobile. The separating medium permits the flow of gasoline vapors across its surface but bars gasoline liquids which would overload the canister. Such a device is of great importance to the successful operation of the canister, which is an important air pollution control device. It is evident that this type of assembly must be very compact, disposed as it is in a vapor line under the hood of an automobile. The other three requirements which exist in all separating operations are clearly necessary in such an application as that discussed herein.

Other applications in which all of these basic criteria are important include such devices as an automobile air filter. In an air filter the filter medium, which separates out solid material from the incoming air, must be suitably supported so as to maintain maximum structural strength and still provide a suitably large surface area per unit volume of filter housing. The relatively large percentage of such filters which fail in production due to inadequate structural support provides ample evidence for the desirability of an improved housing for the filter medium.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention is directed to a housing assem- 'bly for the disposition of a separating medium which instant invention is designed to prevent leakage by means of a well designed sealing assembly. All of these necessary features are provided in a compact designed housing assembly.

In accordance with the instant invention a housing assembly for a separating medium disposed in a conduit line, is provided. The housing assembly includes a first covering means provided with an orifice for communication with the downstream end of the conduit in which line the housing assembly is disposed. A first manifold means is spaced upstream of the first covering means. A first plurality of concentric cylinders is connected to the upstream face of the first manifold means. A second plurality of concentric cylinders is disposed in the annular spaces formed by the first plurality of concentric cylinders. A second manifold means, disposed upstream of the first manifold means, is connected to the second plurality of concentric cylinders at its downstream face. The housing is enclosed by a second annular covering means, the bottom portion of which is disposed upstream of the second manifold means and spaced therefrom. The second covering means is provided with an orifice for communication with the upstream conduit member with which the housing assembly is in communication. A sealing means disposed between the first and second annular covering means, is provided to seal the housing assembly against leakage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The instant invention may be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the housing assembly of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the separating assembly of the instant invention; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view of another preferred embodiment of the separating assembly of the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Turning now to the drawings in detail, a preferred embodiment of the housing assembly of the instant invention is generally indicated at 10. The assembly 10 includes a first annular covering means 12. The covering means 12 is provided with an orifice 14 disposed at the center of the annular covering means 12, for communication with the downstream conduit member with which the housing assembly 10 is in communication. In a preferred embodiment the covering means 12 is provided with a nipple, a small conduit section or the like 16 to facilitate connection of the first covering means 12 with the downstream conduit member with which the assembly 10 is in communication. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the first covering means 12 comprises a cylindrically shaped cover 17. The first covering means 12 further includes an annular extending lip 18 which is integrally connected to the cover 17. The function of the lip 18 will be described hereinafter.

In a second preferred embodiment of the instant invention, an alternate housing assembly 100 is provided. Housing assembly 100 differs from assembly due to a different design of the first covering means which denoted generally at 12. The first covering means 12' illustrated in drawings by FIG. 3 includes a top section 17 which comprises an annular plate integrally connected to a cylindrically upstream extending section 19. An annular extending lip 18 is again a feature of the first covering means 12. In assembly 100, however, lip 18 extends from the cover 17, as in the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the extending lip 18 extends from the upstream end of the cylindrical section 19.

A first inanifold means 20 is disposed upstream of the cover 17 of the first covering means 12. In a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the first manifold means 20 comprises an annular plate 21 provided with a plurality of apertures 22 extending through the plate 21. The first manifold means 20 also includes spacing means 24 provided on the downstream face of the plate 21. In a preferred embodiment, the spacing means 24 comprises a plurality of radial extending ribs. The radially extending ribs 24 may be, in a preferred, embodiment, integrally connected to the plate 21. In an alternate preferred embodiment,- the radial ribs 24 may be connected thereto by suitable fastening means.

A first plurality of concentric cylinders 26 extends upstream from the first manifold means 20 to which it is connected. The concentric cylinders 26 are connected to the upstream face of the plate 21 of the first manifold means 20. In a preferred embodiment, the first plurality of concentric cylinders 26 are integrally connected to the first manifold means 20. Alternately, the first plurality of concentric cylinders 26 may be connected to the first manifold means 20 by suitable fastening means, the type of fastening means depending upon the material of construction of the cylinders 26 and the manifold means 20. In a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, each of the concentric cylinders 26 has a pleated profile 27. The serrated or pleated profile 27 of the cylinders 26 has a fuction that will be described in detail below.

The plurality of concentric cylinders 26 defines a plurality of annular openings 28. In each of these annular openings 28 is disposed a second plurality of concentric cylinders 30. Each of the second plurality of concentric cylinders 30 is again, in a preferred embodiment, provided with a pleated or serrated profile denoted at 32. The pleated construction of the second plurality of concentric cylinders 30 has the same function as the pleated construction 27 of the first plurality of concentric cylinders 26 and will be discussed below. As shown in the drawing the outermost cylinder of the first plurality of concentric cylinders 26, denoted in the drawings at 29, extends beyond the outermost cylinder denoted at 31, of the second plurality of concentric cylinders 30. In addition the innermost cylinder 49 of the second plurality of cylinders 30, is preferably closed at its downstream end in the event the assembly is molded. In addition to improving moldability the enclosed innermost cylinder 49 improves the support for the separating medium to be discussed below.

The second plurality of concentric cylinders 30, like the first plurality of concentric cylinders 26, is connected to a manifold means. In the case of the second plurality of concentric cylinders 30, the manifold means to which they are connected is denoted at a second manifold means 34. The second manifold means 34 again comprises, in a preferred embodiment, an annular plate 35 provided with a plurality of apertures 36 extending therethrough. As shown in the drawings, the second plurality of concentric cylinders 30 is connected to the downstream face of plate 35. The connection, as in the case of the first manifold means 20 cylinders 26 connection may be integral or by suitable fastening means. The second manifold means 34 also includes a spacing means 38. The spacing means 38 is provided on the upstream face of the annular plate 35. Again, the spacing means 38, in a preferred embodiment, comprises a plurality of radially extending ribs. The ribs may be integrally connected to the plate 35 or may be fastened thereto by suitable fastening means. The spacing means 38, attached to the manifold means 34, are provided to provide a space between the downstream face of the manifold means 34 and the second covering means. The second covering means may take the form of one of two preferred embodiments. In the embodiment illustrated by housing assembly 10, corresponding to the embodiment which employs first covering means 12, a second covering means generally indicated at 40 is provided. The second covering means 40 comprises a bottom section 41. The bottom section 41, preferably an annular plate, is connected, preferably integrally with a second component of the second covering means 40, a cylindrical section 42 which extends downstream from the bottom section 41. The second covering means 40 also includes an annular lip 44 which extends integrally from the downstream end of the cylindrical section 42. The lip 44 is preferably provided with a groove 45 to accommodate a sealing means to be discussed hereinafter. Communication with the upstream conduit member is provided by an orifice 46 disposed in the center of the bottom section 41 of the second covering means 40.

Preferably, a small conduit section 48, i.e., a nipple or the like, is disposed upstream of the orifice 46 to provide a convenient connection with the upstream conduit member.

In a second preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 and corresponding to the embodiment in which first covering means 12' is employed, a second covering means denoted by 40 is provided. Second covering means 40 again includes a bottom section 41 provided with an orifice 46 in the center thereof and a conduit section 48 extending upstream from the orifice 46. The only distinguishing feature of covering means 40, as compared with covering means 40 is the cylindrical section 42 which extends downstream from the bottom section 41. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 the cylindrical section 42' is shorter than section 42 extending upstream approximately half way up the assembly 10 to meet the cylindrical section 19 of the first covering means 12' to enclose the housing assembly 100. This differs from housing assembly 10 in which the junction point for the first and second covering means, 12 and 40 respectively, is at the top of the assembly.

As in the case of the assembly 10, the cylindrical section 42' is provided with an annular extending lip preferably provided with a circular groove which is not shown in detail because it is exactly the same as the lip 44 of assembly 10.

Housing assemblies and 100 are sealed against leakage by a sealing means 50. The sealing means 50, in a preferred embodiment, comprises a gasket or the like. The gasket is constructed of a material which is chemically compatible with the stream flowing through the

housing

10 or 100. That is, the gasket material is inert to the stream with which it is in contact. Using assembly 10 to illustrate the principle of operation, the sealing means 50 is conveniently seated in the annular groove 45' provided on lip 44. The annular lip 18 of the first coveringv means 12 fits over the seal compressing it to seal the assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the annular lip 18 is additionally provided with an inwardly extending annularshoulder 50 which permits snap on and snap off locking and unlocking of the assembly 10. It should be understood that housing assembly 100 is provided with the same lips to provide a similar seal.

In order to insure that no leakage occurs and to insure uniform flow through both manifold means, the manifold means are sealedto the covering means. This is illustrated in housing assembly 10 by

reference numerals

43 and 47 respectively to indicate the seal between plate 21 of first manifold means and the first covering means 10 and between plate 35 of second manifold means 34 and the second covering means 40. The type of seal provided is, of course, a function of the material of construction of the assembly. For example, if the construction is metal a tack weld is preferred. If thehousing is plastic, depending on the plastic employed, a solvent weld, an epoxy cement or the like may provide a satisfactory seal.

This same sealing of the two manifold means and the covering means is provided in housing 100 although not shown in detail in FIG. 3.

In another preferred embodiment, not shown in the drawings, the

annular lips

18 and 44 of the first and second covering means respectively are provided with a plurality of apertures and the two covering means are connected together by a flange means.

The above-described housing assembly 10 may be constructed of metal or an engineering grade plastic material. The selected. material of construction is limited only by the fluid flowing through the housing. Thus, any plastic or metal compatible with the fluid flowing through the assembly may be employed. In addition, combinations of two or more materials may similarly be employed. Thus, it is conceivable to design the assembly of a combination of metals, glass and plastics. Among the metals that may be employed in the construction of the assembly 10 are iron, iron alloys, such as various grades of steel, aluminum, copper and copper alloys and the like. Among the plastic materials thay may be employed as the material of construction of the housing 10 of the instant invention are combinations of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene commonly referred to as ABS plastics, acetal polymers and copolymers, acrylics, alkyd plastics, polyamide plastics, phenolic plastics, polyesters, and polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene. These plastics and others that may occur to those skilled in the art are characterized by their ability to be molded and are thus particularly suitable to this application in that the housing assembly of the instant invention may be made relatively cheaply be molding techniques. Among the materials enumerated above, acetal copolymers and thermoplastic polyesters such as polybutylene terephthalate are particularly preferred.

To illustrate the fact that the housing assembly of the instant invention may be metal or plastic, the crosssectional hatching lines are depicted in FIG. 2 to indicate a metal construction, while in FIG. 3 the crosshatching indicates plastic contruction. It should be understood that this convention does not limit the design of housing assembly 10 to metal or housing assembly to plastic. It is merely to show the suitability of metal or plastic as a material of construction in the instant invention.

The above described design of the housing assembly 10 of the instant invention is particularly designed for the disposition thereof of a separating medium which is provided with maximum structural support, maximum surface area for separation and minimum possibility of leakage. The separating medium is disposed across the annular orifices defined by the first and second plurality of concentric cylinders as shown in the FIGS. 2 and 3. This design provides the maximum surface area for separation of the stream flowing across its surface. Because the separating medium is sealed between the first and second covering means, there is no possibility for the fluid to get through the housing assembly 10 without flowing across the surface of the separating medium 60. Thus, the housing assembly It) assumes complete separation of the stream by insuring against the formation of bypass streams. As illustrated in the drawings the outer perimeter of the separating medium 60 is sealed between the lip 18 of the first covering means 12 and the sealing means 50. In addition, the separating medium 60 is supported by the plurality of first and second

concentric cylinders

26 and 30 respectively. Thus, the unsupported length of the separating medium is minimized.

In operation, the flowing stream moving downstream, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the arrow 70, flows from the upstream conduit (not shown) into the nipple 48, preferably provided on the second covering means 40. The nipple 48 directs the fluid upstream of the second manifold 34. The stream is thus constrained to flow through the plurality of apertures 36 downstream into the plurality of annular spaces formed by the first and second plurality of

concentric cylinders

26 and 30 respectively. The flowing stream flows across the separating medium 60. The separated stream thereafter flows through the plurality of apertures 22 of the first manifold means 20 downstream into the outlet conduit 16 preferably provided on the first covering means 12 and thence into the downstream conduit member.

The serrated or pleated configuration of the concentric cylinders are provided to prevent the sticking together of the concentric cylinders and the separating medium. If the concentric cylinders are smooth a minimal pressure could force the separating medium against the walls of the concentric cylinders leaving no space therebetween for flow of the fluid stream. However, with the employment of a pleated or serrated surface the same amount of pressure that may cause contact of the separating medium with the cylinder walls merely causes the separating stream to contact the cylinders at single points. This contact does not interfere with the separating operation. Of course, a sufficiently large pressure will cause the separating medium to assume the shape of the pleated cylinders and prevent separation. However, the pressure of the stream flowing across the housing 10 is usually lower than that required to cause the separating media to attain a pleated configuration, in contact with the cylinder walls. The significant feature of this pleated configuration is that it increases the allowable pressure that the separating medium can withstand without in any way changing the separating medium.

The separating medium employed is a function of the separating operation that is desired. Thus, in the event that the separation entails removal of solids from a liquid stream, i.e., filtration, the separating medium would be a filter paper, a filter cloth or the like. In the event that the housing assembly 10 were employed as an ion exchange device the separating medium 60 is preferably a porous membrane. In the case where the housing assembly 10 of the instant invention is employed as an air filter housing, the separating medium 60 would be a paper filter of the type normally employed to separate solids from gases. If the housing assembly 10 of the instant invention is alternatively employed to separate liquids from gases, as in the case of a separating assembly to permit the flow of gasoline vapors but to bar the downstream flow of gasoline liquid, then a microporous polymeric film material is preferably employed. Such an arrangement results in a marked decrease in the amount of gasoline vapors leaked to the atmosphere by preventing against overload of the air pollution control devices installed in todays automobiles.

It should be appreciated that the above described preferred embodiments of the housing assembly of the instant invention are illustrative of the scope and spirit of the invention. Thus, other embodiments within the scope and spirit of this invention are within the contemplation of the instant invention. The scope of the instant invention should, therefore, be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim 1. A separating assembly for separating two dissimilar materials in a stream disposed between upstream and downstream conduit members comprising:

an outer sealed housing, said housing comprising an inlet annular covering means, in communication with said upstream conduit member, and an outlet covering means, in communication with said downstream conduit member, said inlet and said outlet covering means connected together and sealed by a sealing means disposed in a groove provided be tween said upstream and said downstream annular covering means;

an inlet reservoir for said stream comprising said two dissimilar materials, defined by the inside surface of said inlet annular covering means and an inlet annular manifold means, said manifold means extending across the inner surface of said housing and spaced downstream of said inlet covering means by radially extending ribs;

a separating chamber separating said two dissimilar materials in said stream entering said chamber through said inlet manifold means, said separating chamber including a plurality of interconnected annular orifices, said orifices being formed by a plurality of concentric cylinders, said concentric cylinders extending from said downstream end of said inlet manifold means and from the upstream end of an outlet manifold means, said outlet means defining the downstream boundary of said separating chamber, said separating chamber further comprising a separating medium disposed about said plurality of concentric cylinders, said cylinders having a serrated surface, said separating medium sealed by said sealing means disposed between extending lips of said inlet and outlet covering means;

an outlet reservoir for said separated stream defined by the downstream side of said outlet manifold means and the inside face of said outlet covering means, said outlet manifold means spaced from said outlet covering means by radially extending ribs.

2. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sealing means is an annular gasket.

3. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the two dissimilar materials are a liquid and a gas and said separating medium is a microporous film.

4. An assembly in accordance with claim 3 wherein said liquid is liquid gasoline and said gas is gasoline vapors.

5. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inlet covering means comprises an annular cover provided with an orifice in the center thereof over which a nipple is disposed for communication with said upstream conduit member and integrally connected cylindrical section terminating in an annular lip, said lip provided with an annular groove for accommodation of said sealing means.

6. An assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein said outlet covering means comprises an annular cover provided with an orifice in the center thereof, a nipple disposed over said orifice for communication with said downstream conduit member, said annular cover including an integrally extending lip, said lip provided with an inwardly extending annular shoulder, said shoulder extending about the lip of said inlet covering means to hold the outer housing together.

7. An assembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein said outlet covering means comprises an annular cover provided with an orifice in the center thereof, a nipple disposed over said orifice for communication with said downstream conduit member at an integrally connected cylindrical section extending upstream of said annular cover, said downstream end of said cylindrical section provided with a lip, said lip provided with an inwardly extending annular shoulder.

Claims

1. A separating assembly for separating two dissimilar materials in a stream disposed between upstream and downstream conduit members comprising: an outer sealed housing, said housing comprising an inlet annular covering means, in communication with said upstream conduit member, and an outlet covering means, in communication with said downstream conduit member, said inlet and said outlet covering means connected together and sealed by a sealing means disposed in a groove provided between said upstream and said downstream annular covering means; an inlet reservoir for said stream comprising said two dissimilar materials, defined by the inside surface of said inlet annular covering means and an inlet annular manifold means, said manifold means extending across the inner surface of said housing and spaced downstream of said inlet covering means by radially extending ribs; a separating chamber separating said two dissimilar materials in said stream entering said chamber through said inlet manifold means, said separating chamber including a plurality of interconnected annular orifices, said orifices being formed by a plurality of concentric cylinders, said concentric cylinders extending from said downstream end of said inlet manifold means and from the upstream end of an outlet manifold means, said outlet means defining the downstream boundary of said separating chamber, said separating chamber further comprising a separating medium disposed about said plurality of concentric cylinders, said cylinders having a serrated surface, said separating medium sealed by said sealing means disposed between extending lips of said inlet and outlet covering means; an outlet reservoir for said separated stream defined by the downstream side of said outlet manifold means and the inside face of said outlet covering means, said outlet manifold means spaced from said outlet covering means by radially extending ribs.