Liquid purification or separation – With alarm – indicator – register – recorder – signal or... – Responsive to fluid flow
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-19
2001-02-20
Reifsnyder, David A. (Department: 1723)
Liquid purification or separation
With alarm, indicator, register, recorder, signal or...
Responsive to fluid flow
C210S097000, C210S512100, C210S512200, C055S459100, C055S459300, C055S459400, C209S715000, C209S717000, C209S720000, C209S721000, C209S723000, C209S725000, C209S728000, C209S732000, C209S733000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190543
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a cyclonic separator for separating fluids of differing densities, for example: gas and liquid, such as water and gas; liquid and liquid, such as oil and water; liquid, liquid and particles, such as oil, water and sand; or liquid, gas and particles, such as oil/water mixture, gas and sand, the latter two examples corresponding to three-phase separation. Cyclonic separators can be cylindrical or tapered in cross-section, and are typically, employed within the gas and oil processing industries for separating hydrocarbon fluids from produced water and sand.
A known type of cyclonic separator for separating gas from a liquid comprises a main chamber having a mixture inlet port, a first outlet port for light fluid and a second outlet port for heavy fluid. A second chamber is provided adjacent the first chamber and is in fluid communication therewith by means of a vortex finder. Gas separated from the liquid passes through the vortex finder to the second chamber, and any residual liquid which passes through the vortex finder with the gas is separated by the residual rotational velocity component of the residual gas/liquid mixture, before leaving the second chamber via a third outlet port.
However, the gas extracted by the separator still contains an unacceptably high proportion of liquid.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cyclonic separator for separating fluids of differing densities, comprising a first chamber having a vortex finder and means co-axial with and adjacent the internal surface of the vortex finder for increasing the rotational velocity component of fluids passing through the vortex finder by translating the axial velocity component of the fluids into a rotational velocity component.
Preferably, the increasing means is a core member defining an annular channel within the internal surface of the vortex finder. More preferably, the core member includes a vane.
The vortex finder may have a frusto-conical end portion. Alternatively, the vortex finder may have a tapered end portion.
The core member may be cylindrical in cross-section. Alternatively, the core member may be tapered. Preferably, the core member is tapered outwardly in the intended direction of flow of the fluids through the vortex finder.
A flow modifying means may be provided for increasing the flow of fluids through the vortex finder.
Preferably, the first chamber comprises an inlet substantially tangential to the longitudinal axis of the first chamber. More preferably, the first chamber has a liquid output port.
A second chamber may be provided having a liquid carry-over port and a gas output port. The gas output port may be operably connected to the liquid output port by a first conduit. The first conduit may have a mixture output port located between the liquid output port and the gas output port.
Preferably, the liquid carry-over port is operably connected to the first conduit by a second conduit at substantially the lowest point between the liquid output port and the mixture Output port.
Preferably, the pressure differential between the gas output port and the mixture output port does not exceed the pressure differential between the liquid output port and the mixture output port.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cyclone separator comprising the cyclonic separator according to the first aspect of the present invention.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a metering system including the cyclonic separator according to the first aspect of the present invention.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a de-sander including the cyclonic separator according to the first aspect of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 40 09 680 A1 (1990-10-01), None
Andrus Sceales, Starke & Sawall
Kvaerner Process Systems A.S.
Reifsnyder David A.
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