Deepsea Ventures, Inc.

Henry Kuhlmann

Method and apparatus for separating solid particles from a mixed fluid stream is provided by this invention. The method comprises helically guiding a fluid mixture of particles and liquid into a porous-walled chamber, discharging the fluids centrifugally from the chamber and recovering the particles at the bottom of the chamber. Apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, includes a helical conduit, in fluid flow connection with a porous chamber, a spiral deflector extending from the top of helical conduit downwardly into the chamber so as to deflect the particles downwardly as the water is ejected centrifugally through the sides of the chamber. When gas is mixed with the liquid, as is the case for example when an air lift pump is used for lifting water and solids from ocean floor, the apparatus of this invention can separate gas from the liquid when the porous chamber is placed within a solid walled container; the liquid and gas flowing outwardly through the porous wall of the chamber strikes the outer shell, causing gas to be released and removed upwardly and the liquid to fall downwardly, in the annular space between the chamber and the outer container.

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Bena, VA, United States of America

Henry Kuhlmann