Patent ID: 6576029
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: B01D,B04C

Abstract:
A system for separating an entrained immiscible liquid component from a wet gas stream comprising:a vessel having an interior in communication with a wet gas inlet, a dry gas outlet and a liquid outlet; at least one vortex tube supported within said vessel interior, the vortex tube having an internal wall surface, a first end, an outlet end and a wet gas inlet in and tangential to said internal wall surface, the tangential wet gas inlet being spaced from said first end and arranged so that wet gas entering therein rotates within said vortex tube to cause at least some of the liquid components thereof to be separated from said wet gas stream as it is forced against said internal wall surface by centrifugal action; and at least one free-fall preventer within said vortex tube positioned below said tangential wet gas inlet and above said vortex tube outlet end, the free-fall preventer having a plurality of spaced apart radially arranged flow diverting vanes positioned in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said vortex tube and configured to impose minimal restriction to flow within said vortex tube while augmenting the rotation of separated liquid component as it traverses downwardly in said vortex tube.