Apparatus for removing iron impurities from fluid streams

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING IRON IMPURITIES FROM A FLOWING STREAM OF FLUID CONTAINING SUCH IMPURITIES, COMPRISING A MAIN-LINE CONDUIT FOR SAID FLUID, AN ELONGATED SEPARATOR VESSEL HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, AN INLET BYPASS CONDUIT COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID MAIN-LINE CONDUIT AND THE SEPARATOR INLET, A STRAIGHTWAY FLOW APPROACH PORTION IN SAID BYPASS CONDUIT OPENING FROM A JUNCTION WITH SAID BYPASS CONDUIT AT ONE END INTO THE SEPARATOR INLET AT THE OTHER END, AN OUTLET BYPASS CONDUIT COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID SEPARATOR OUTLET AND THE MAIN-LINE CONDUIT, FLOW-STRAIGHTENING MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF VANED ELEMENTS INTERNALLY OF SAID SEPARATOR INLET AND APPROACH PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID SEPARATOR IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW THERETHROUGH, MAGNETIC MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY CO-EXTENSIVE WITH SAID SEPARATOR FOR INDUCING A MAGNETIC FIELD THEREIN, WHEREBY IRON IMPURITIES IN A STREAM OF FLUID PASSED THROUGH SAID SEPARATOR ARE SUBSTANTIALLY RETAINED WITHIN SAID FIELD, SEPARATE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID OUTLET BYPASS CONDUIT FOR INTRODUCING A REVERSELY FLOWING FLUID STREAM INTO SAID SEPARATOR, AND A SECOND SEPARATE CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SEPARATOR AND THE INLET BYPASS CONDUIT FOR WITHDRAWING SAID REVERSELY FLOWING FLUID FROM SAID SEPARATOR WHEREBY ACCUMULATED IRON IMPURITIES MAY BE REMOVED FROM SAID SEPARATOR.