A fluid separator for separating particulate matter such as contaminates is provided which includes a series of spiral tubes of progressively decreasing cross sectional area connected in series. Each tube has an outlet on the outer curvature of the spiral. As fluid spirals down a tube, centrifugal force acts to force the heavier particulate matter to the outer wall of the tube, where it exits through the outlet. The remaining, and now cleaner, fluid reaches the next tube, which is smaller in cross sectional area, where the process is repeated. The fluid which comes out the final tube is diminished of particulate matter

Robertson, Glen A.

English

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US005248421A 
United States Patent [191 [11] Patent Number: 5,248,421 
Robertson [45] Date of Patent: Sep. 28, 1993 
[54] SPIRAL FLUID SEPARATOR 
[75] Inventor: Glen A. Robertson, Huntsville, Ala. 
[73] Assignee: The United States of America as 
respresented by the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, Washington, D.C. 
[21] Appl. No.: 958,843 
[22] Filed: Oct. 9, 1992 
[51] Int. (21.5 .............................................. BOlD 21/26 
[52] U.S. Cl. ................................. 210/512.1; 210/787; 
209/144; 209/211; 55/459.1 
[58] Field of Search ............................. 210/512.1, 787; 
209/144, 21 1 ;  55/459.1 
(561 References Cited 
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 
3.346.1 17 9/1967 Page ................................. 210/512.1 
3.951,813 4/1976 Palma ............................... 210/512.1 
5.004552 4/1991 Al-Yazdi .......................... 210/512.1 
Primary Examiner-Robert A. Dawson 
Assistant Examiner-David Reifsnyder 
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kent N. Stone; Robert L. 
Broad, Jr.; Guy M. Miller 
[571 ABSTRACI 
A fluid separator for separating particulate matter such 
as contaminates is provided which includes a series of 
spiral tubes of progressively decreasing cross sectional 
area connected in series. Each tube has an outlet on the 
outer curvature of the spiral. As fluid spirals down a 
tube, centrifugal force acts to  force the heavier particu- 
late matter to the outer wall of the tube, where it exits 
through the outlet. The remaining, and now cleaner, 
fluid reaches the next tube, which is smaller in cross 
sectional area, where the process is repeated. The fluid 
which comes out the final tube is diminished of particu- 
late matter. 
1 Claim, 2 Drawing Sheets 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19940015888 2020-06-17T23:35:35+00:00Z
US, .Patent Sep. 28, 1993 Sheet 1 of 2 5,248,421 
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13 412e 
Fig. 1 
U.S. Patent Sep. 28, 1993 Sheet 2 of 2 5,248,421 
Fig. 2 
5,248,421 
CI 
SPIRAL FLUID SEPARATOR 
ORIGIN O F  T H E  INVENTION 
The invention described herein was made by an em- 
ployee of the United States Government and may be 
manufactured and used by or for the government for 
government purposes without the payment of any roy- 
alties thereon or therefor. 
BACKGROUND OF T H E  INVENTION 
The  present invention relates to a high flow volume 
fluid separator which operates on the principle that the 
centrifugal force induced by a fluid medium flowing in 
a spiral path causes the heavier particles suspended in 
the fluid to be pushed to  the outer edges of the spiral, 
whereby they can be separated from the lighter fluid 
medium and collected. 
There is a growing need for a high volume fluid 
separator which can separate contaminates from fluids 
in large quantities. The planned Space Station and lu- 
nar/Mars mission have a need for such a fluid separator 
which can be used in their waste water fluid manage- 
ment systems to separate contaminates prior to  recy- 
cling the water. There is also a need for such a high 
flow volume fluid separator which can be used to sepa- 
rate contaminates from sea water prior to its being used 
in evaporators. Another application is to separate oil 
from fresh or sea water and earth during oil spill clean 
up operations. 
The prior art of centrifugal separation of contami- 
nates from fluids usually required that small fluid quan- 
tities be placed in containers and spun at high speeds, 
which entailed many days to process small quantities of 
fluids. 
SUMMARY OF T H E  INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a 
simple, high volume fluid separator which may be used 
in a variety of applications. These applications include 
the separation of contaminates from waste, sea. or brine 
water, and the separation of fluids, such as oil and wa- 
ter. The present invention is directed to a fluid separator 
which utilizes the centrifugal force produced on a fluid 
traveling along a spiral path. The present invention 
provides outlets on the outer portions of the spiral path, 
which allow the heavier materials or fluids in the fluid 
to be extracted from the fluid medium. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, several 
spiral tubes with decreasing cross sectional areas are 
connected in series. The first spiral tube has provision 
for input of the fluid. A pump is used to  move the fluid 
from its storage reservoir and to insert the fluid into the 
first tube such that the entire cross sectional area of the 
tube is full. The fluid entering the first tube begins to 
follow the spiral path which induces a centrifugal force 
on the fluid and any heavier particles such as contami- 
nates in it. As a result these heavier materials are forced 
toward the outer wall of the tube. At the point where 
each spiral tube is connected to the next, an outlet is 
placed on the outer curvature of the spiral. This outlet 
allows the heavier, or more contaminated, materials 
within the fluid which have been forced to the outer 
wall to be extracted, but allows the lighter, or cleaner, 
remaining fluid to continue into the next spiral tube. 
The next spiral tube is of a lesser cross sectional area 
than the previous spiral tube. It can be seen that when 
the next tube is of a cross sectional area equal to the 
L 
cross sectional area of the previous tube minus the cross 
sectional area of the outlet of the previous tube, an even 
transitional flow of fluid is achieved. Vanes located 
within each tube may be used to further enhance the 
5 stability of the flow, which increases the effectiveness 
of the separation of the heavier materials. Therefore, by 
providing such a series of spiral tubes and outlets, the 
fluid exiting the final tube may be diminished of heavier 
materials or contaminates. 
A fluid separator constructed in accordance with the 
present invention may be constructed of a variety of 
materials and operated in any environment. Utilizing 
different spiral diameters to increase or decrease the 
15 centrifugal force, and utilizing different tube cross sec- 
tional areas to vary input flow volume, permits the 
invention's application to  a variety of purposes. 
lo 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
2o The particular features and advantages of the inven- 
tion as well as other objects will become apparent to 
those of skill in the art from the following description, 
taken in conjunction with the drawings. in which: 
FIG.  1 is a perspective view of a five spiral fluid 
FIG. 2 is a perspective cross sectional top view of one 
25 separator; 
of the spiral tubes and outlets of FIG. 1. 
DESCRIPTION OF T H E  PREFERRED 
EMBODIMENT 
FIG.  1 illustrates a high flow volume fluid separator 
which incorporates five spiral tube sections loa, lob, 
lOc, 10d, and 10e. Each section is of lesser cross sec- 
tional area than the section before. Any number of sec- 
35 tions may be used, five is selected for illustration only. 
The fluid containing the substances to  be separated is 
fed into the first spiral section 10a which has a provision 
for intake 11 of the fluid. The fluid is fed from its source 
to the first spiral section. This may be accomplished by 
40 a pump of known kind, or any other means capable of 
completely filling the cross sectional area of the first 
tube at its intake point. 
As the fluid enters through intake 11, i t  begins to 
follow a spiral path as defined by the shape of the spiral 
45 tube section 10a and continues such path through the 
other sections lob,  lOc, 10d, and 10e. Because a spiral is 
in effect a circle in three dimensions, a centrifugal force 
is induced on the fluid. As a result, the heavier particu- 
lates in the fluid are forced toward the outer wall of the 
50 tube. At the point where each spiral section 10 connects 
to the next, an outlet 12u, 126,12c, 12d, 12e, is placed on 
the outer curvature of the tube. 
These outlets 12 allow the heavier particulates to be 
55  extracted, but allow the fluid, minus the heavier particu- 
lates, to continue into the next spiral tube 10. FIG. 2 
illustrates the provision of a vane 14u within a spiral 
tube section. Such a vane straightens out the flow and 
increases stability of the flow. The location of the vane 
60 within each spiral section immediately before the outlet 
for that section assists in maintaining a stable flow of the 
fluid which does not go out the outlet, but instead passes 
on to the next spiral section. The section of a tube in 
close proximity to an outlet is the portion of the fluid's 
65 path most likely to encounter flow instability, hence it  is 
the optimal location for a vane. While not necessary to 
the practice of the present invention, vanes will enhance 
its effectiveness. The vanes need not be of any particu- 
30 
5,248,421 
3 4 
lar length, but generally the longer the vane, the more it As the fluid continues to travel down the five spiral 
will enhance flow stability. sections 10 as described above, the fluid extracted from 
After the fluid has spiraled around several times in a each outlet 12 will be freer of heavy particulates than 
spiral tube section. for example section loa. the heavier the fluid extracted from the outlet before. The fluid 
particulates begin moving toward the outer wall of that 5 reaching the final outlet 13 for the entire series of tubes 
spiral section loa. Upon reaching outlet 12a, the fluid will be nearly free of all heavy particulates. 
and the heaviest particulates 23 are separated. The now What is claimed is: 
cleaner remaining fluid enters the next spiral tube sec- 1. An apparatus for separating fluids, comprising a 
tion 10b while the heavier particulates 23 are exacted plurality of spiral tubes connected together in series, 
from the flow through outlet 12u. This process is re- 10 each of said tubes having inner and outer walls, said 
peated for each subsequent spiral tube section 106, lOc, tubes each having a spiral diameter less than the spiral 
1Od and 10e. The vane 14u will assist in separating par- diameter of the preceding tube of the series, each of said 
ticulates, lowering turbulence in the fluid flow, reduc- tubes having at its connection to the following tube an 
ing remixing of the separated particulates, and maintain- outlet tangent to the spiral of said tube, said outlets each 
ing a stable flow as the remaining now cleaner fluid I5 having inner and outer walls with the inner wall of each 
enters the next spiral tube section. outlet being connected to the outer wall of the next tube 
The vane 140 is an extension of the junction of the in said series, said connected walls extending into the 
inner wall 17a of the outlet 12a and the outer wall 186 preceding tube of the series in the form of a flat vane for 
of the next spiral section 106. The vane is generally reducing turbulence in the fluid, each of said tubes hav- 
wedge shaped. The more pointed end of the vane ex- 20 ing a cross sectional area equal to  the cross sectional 
tends into the interior of the spiral tube section loa, area of the preceding tube in the series minus the cross 
beyond the beginning of the outlet 12a for that section. sectional area of the outlet of said preceding tube. 
in the direction from which the fluid flow comes. * * * * *  
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Spiral fluid separator

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