Patent ID: 7510597
Filing Date: 2009-03-31
Classification: B01D,B04C

Abstract:
1. A method for cyclonic separation of gaseous and liquid fractions from a multiphase fluid mixture, the method comprising: providing a cyclonic separation vessel having a bottom section, a top section and a tubular mid-section, which is co-axial to a central axis; injecting the multiphase fluid mixture into the vessel via an inlet conduit which has a substantially tangential orientation relative to said central axis; inducing the fluid mixture to swirl within said tubular mid-section of the vessel at such a speed that liquid and gaseous fractions are separated by cyclonic separation and gravity forces induce the liquid fraction to drop to the bottom section of the vessel; removing the gaseous fraction from the interior of the top section of the vessel via a gas outlet conduit which has an entrance opening which is located at or near the central axis; and removing the liquid fraction from the interior of the bottom section of the vessel via a plurality of liquid outlet openings that are located at different vertical levels and through which liquid is discharged into a liquid outlet conduit such that liquid components with different densities are mixed into a substantially homogeneous liquid fraction.