Patent ID: 9566542
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: B01D,E21B,F04D,F17D

Claim:
1. A method of separating liquid from gas in a well flow when compressing the well flow in a device comprising a liquid separator having a well flow inlet pipe for the well flow, a gas outlet pipe to output a gas and a liquid outlet pipe to output a separated liquid, and a compressor for receiving the gas from the gas outlet pipe and compressing the gas, the method comprising: i) supplying all of the separated liquid from the liquid separator through the liquid outlet into the gas from the gas outlet pipe at a mixing point downstream of the liquid separator and upstream of the compressor; ii) mixing all of the separated liquid received from the liquid outlet pipe into the gas from the gas outlet pipe at the mixing point; iii) retaining separated liquid in the liquid separator for a retention period in case of liquid accumulation comprising surges or slugs in the well flow into the liquid separator, to avoid a liquid content of the gas into the compressor above a specified threshold; iv) atomizing the separated liquid upstream of or at an inlet to the compressor; and v) feeding all of the separated liquid and the gas into the compressor.