Supersonic flow separator

Abstract

Abstract METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING ONE OR MORE COMPONENTS FROM A MULTICOMPONENT, HIGH-PRESSURE GAS STREAM THE GAS STREAM IS EXPANDED TO SUPERSONIC VELOCITY THROUGH A SUPERSONIC EFFUSER TO ACHIEVE LOW TEMPERATURES AND LOW PRESSURES IN THE SUPERSONIC GAS STREAM AND CAUSE CONDENSED LIQUID PARTICLES (DROPS) AND/OR SOLID PARTICLES TO FORM. THE SUPERSONIC GAS STREAM IS MADE TO TRAVERSE A PLANAR BEND PROVIDED WITH A PERMEABLE OUTER WALL TO AND THROUGH WHICH LIQUID AND/OR SOLID PARTICLES ARE INERTIALLY MOVED AND THEREBY SEPARATED FROM THE GAS STREAM. THE SEPARATED PARTICLES ARE COLLECTED ALONG WITH THE DISSOLVED AND ENTRAINED GASES WHICH ALSO SEPARATE FROM THE GAS STREAM. THE SUPERSONIC GAS STREAM IS THEN DECELERATED TO SUBSONIC FLOW THROUGH A SUPERSONIC DIFFUSER AND PART OF THE PRESSURE OF THE GAS STREAM IS RECOVERED. MEANS ARE PROVIDED TO MOVE THE FINAL SHOCK WAVE TO A STABLE POSITION WHICH IS AN OPTIMUM POSITION FOR PRACTICAL OPERATION WHEN A SUPERSONIC FLOW IS STARTED THROUGH THE SUPERSONIC FLOW SEPARATOR. TO ACHEIVE SUCH MOVEMENT OF THE FINAL SHOCK WAVE, THE THROAT AREA AND CONTOUR OF THE DIFFUSER IS MADE ADJUSTABLE SO THAT THE THROAT AREA AND SIZE OF THE DIFFUSER CHANNEL ARE INITIALLY ENLARGED TO MOVE THE FINAL SHOCK WAVE THROUGH THE DIFFUSER THROAT TO START SUPERSONIC FLOW IN THE SEPARATOR AND THEREAFTER REDUCED TO LOCATE THE FINAL SHOCK WAVE NEAR THE DIFFUSER THOAT TO OPERATE THE SEPARATOR EFFICIENTLY AT MAXIMUM BACK PRESSURE.

Inventors

• 👤 Robert I Garrett

Bibliographic Details