Gas-liquid separation method for electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flows and the device therefor

Abstract: Method and device wherein electrodes (11,12) are disposed in the vicinity of inlet and outlet portions of the gas-liquid separation region (5) in the flow passage of electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flows (3) so as to flow an electric current thereto; a magnet (17) is disposed in the gas-liquid separation region (5) of the flow passage so as to generate the magnetic field perpendicular to the current and to act an electromagnetic force along the flow passage wall (7) on the electroconductive liquid and thereby separating the electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flows (3) into gas phase and liquid phase; further, a hydrophobic porous material having water permeability is employed as the flow passage wall (7) in the gas-liquid separation region (5); the gas-liquid separation region (5) is disposed in a reduced pressure region (8); and the separated gas phase is effectively removed out of the flow passage.

Description: Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas-liquid separation method for gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows and the device therefor, in particular,relates to a separation method for gas-electroconductive liquid and the device therefor suitable for separating and removing gas phase from a gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows under a microgravity environment. Generally, in an analysis device and a separation and purification device relating to bioscience, when gas bubbles are contained in a sample, volume variation becomes sometimes large due to compressibility and channeling of flow in a flow passage sometimes occurs due to the gas bubbles and the performance of the devices extremely deteriorates. Conventional contermeasures such as proposed in JP-A-55-121806 (1980) and 62-180711 (1987) were employed wherein the flow passage wall and the tube passage were formed by using a hydrophobic porous material having water permeability, the flow passages were disposed in a reduced pressure chamber and the gas bubbles contained in the liquid phase were degassed. However, in these gas-liquid separation methods, measures such as prolonging the flow passage length for increasing gas separation efficiency and reducing the flow passage cross sectional area for increasing contact area of the gas bubbles with the flow passage wall were needed so that there arised problems of prolongation of the flow passage length and the increasing flow passage resistance. Moreover, in a microgravity environment such as in space, the effect of separation action with the gravity can not be expected and the separation of the gas-liquid two phase flows is rendered difficult. Further surface tension is dominant there, combination of the respective bubbles becomes difficult as well as the contacting area to the gas permeable membrane reduces such that the separation efficiency deteriorates. In such microgravity environment, by forming the flow passage in coils or by disposing swirling vanes in the flow passages, swirling components are provided in the flows of the sample and the gas-liquid two phase flows are separated in many cases by the action of centrifugal force. However, such as in devices relating to bioscience dealing expensive physiological active material where a sample of trace quantity of flow rate is handled, generation of the swirl components by the flow of sample itself is difficult. On the other hand, in the method of disposing the vane wheel in the flow passage and forcedly generating the swirling components, there exist many problems such as sealing, lubrication and biological contamination. Examples of separation devices for gas-liquid two phase flows effective under such microgravity environment were proposed in JP-A-58-88012 (1983) and 58-88013 (1983) wherein electrodes in ring shape and the like are disposed along the flow passage of electrical insulation gas-liquid two phase flows, a high electric field region and a low electric field region are formed and gas phase in the electrical insulation gas-liquid two phase flows is collected. However, these devices are considered effective for the gas-liquid two phase flows having electrical insulation property, since these devices use a high voltage, there are lots of problems with respect to such as electrolysis of sample and current leakage when applied to the cases where the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow is the subject for separation as in the devices relating to bioscience. JP-A-85-82107 discloses a gas-liquid separation method and device using a coiled passage whose inner circumferential side is formed of a gas permeable membrane material within an external cylinder and separating liquid and gas by centrifugal forces whereby only gas passes said membrane. On the other hand, there are known processes and devices for liquid/solid separation using a combined application of electric current and a magnetic field. EP-A- 0 277 581 discloses such process and device for selectively separating charged particles from fluids using a porous wall which is ion permeable and permits to create anion and cation concentrates. SU-A- 732 014 dislcoses such process and device for liquid/mineral solid separation using an electrolyte-filled vessel placed in a transverse magnetic field and solid electrodes mounted on vessel end-face walls without the use of a porous wall. Summary of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide a gas-liquid separation method for gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows and the device therefor which carries out a stable gas-liquid separation even under such as microgravitiy environment and trace quantity of flow rate condition. Said object is achieved, according to the present invention, by a method and a device as claimed with claims 1 and 9, respectively. Advantageous further features are claimed with the dependent claims. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a gas-liquid separation device for gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view along line II-II in Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating the acting direction of electromagnetic force; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the second embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view along line V-V in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the third embodiment according to the present invention; Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is an explanatory view illustrating magnetic field vectors. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Hereinafter the gas-liquid separation device for gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows according to one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with referrence to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 1, the present embodiment shows an example wherein a gas-liquid separation device 4 is provided in a part of flow passage of gas-liquid two phase flows. Therein, a separation chamber 6 is provided which contains a gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow 3 therein and constitues a gas-liquid separation region 5, to this separation chamber 6 a gas-liquid two phase tube 1 for charging the gas-liquid two phase flow and a liquid phase discharging tube 2 for discharging the liquid phase after separation are connected. Above this separation chamber 6 a hydrophobic membrane 7 of fluorocarbon system having gas permeability is disposed, and a reduced pressure chamber 8 is formed outside the hydrophobic membrane 7 with a cover member 9. A gas phase discharge tube 10 is provided at a part of this cover member 9, and the above mentioned reduced pressure chamber 8 is connected to a pressure reducing device (not shown) represented such as by a vacuum pump. In such gas-liquid separation device 4 of the present embodiment, a high voltage side electrode 11 and a low voltage side electrode 12 are respectively provided on the opposing inner wall faces of the separation chamber 6 as well as connected to an outer power supply 15 and to the ground 16 through electrode terminals 13 and 14. Although, in the present embodiment, the high voltage side electrode 11 is disposed on the inner wall of the separation chamber 6 where the liquid phase discharge tube 2 is connected, and the ground side electrode 12 is on the inner wall of the separation chamber 6 where the gas-liquid two phase tube 1 is connected, the present invention is not limited to this disposition and is determined in consideration of such as the flow direction of the gas-liquid two phase flow and acting direction of the electromagnetic force. Adjacent to the outer wall face of the separation chamber 6 in the gas-liquid separation device 4, a magnet 17 is disposed so that a magnetic field acts toward the direction perpendicular to the line connecting the above pair of opposing electrodes 11 and 12. As the constitutional example shown in Fig. 2 which is a cross section along the line II-II in Fig. 1, in the present embodiment, the magnetic field generated with the N and S poles of the magnet 17 crosses in perpendicular with the pair of electrodes 11 and 12 as well as the N and S poles are disposed so as to cross in perpendicular with the flow direction of gas phase 18 in the gas-liquid separation device 4 from the gas-liquid separation region 5 to the reduced pressure chamber 8 through the hydrophobic membrane 7 having gas permeability. In the gas-liquid separation device 4 thus constituted, when the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow 3 is introduced into the gas-liquid separation region 5 in the separation chamber 6 through the gas-liquid two phase tube 1 and the external power supply voltage 15 is applied to the pair of electrodes 11,12 disposed on the inner wall of the separation chamber 6 through the terminals 13 and 14, current flows through the liquid in the gas-liquid separation region 5. N and S poles of the magnet 17 are arranged to cross in perpendicular to the direction of the current, thereby the magnetic field acts on the current to cross in perpendicular. When there is a current flowing conductor in the magnetic field, an electromagnetic field acts on the conductor. The direction thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, is determined by the Flemming's left hand law. That is, when the current I and the magnetic field B act to the directions as shown in Fig. 3, the electromagnetic force F acts to the direction shown in the same Fig. 3. The force is expressed as follows; dF = BI sinϑ dl Where ϑ : Angle between the current I and magnetic field dl : Extremely short length of the conductor Therefore, with the embodiment of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in the separation chamber 6 the current I flows from the downstream side to the upstream side along the axial flow direction of the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow, the magnetic field is formed perpendicular to the sheet of Fig. 1 from up to down, in other word, from N pole to S pole as shown in Fig. 2, therefore, to the electroconductive liquid as a conductor, is applied an electromagnetic force F directing it to the inner wall face of the separation chamber opposing to the hydrophobic membrane having gas permeability as shown in the drawings. That is, among the gas-liquid two phase flow including lots of bubbles, only the liquid having the electroconductivity, with the action of the electromagnetic force F, gradually drifts to the direction opposing to the hydrophobic membrane 7, therefore as a matter of course, the bubbles therein drift toward the hydrophobic membrane 7 and the gas phase and the liquid phase are separated. As will be understood, the gas phase is separatedly collected in the vicinity of the hydrophobic membrane 7 having gas permeability, when the internal pressure of the reduced pressure chamber adjacent to the opposite side of the hydrohobic membrane 7 is decreased, the gas phase passes through the microscopic holes of the hydrophobic membrane 7 into the reduced pressure chamber 8 and is removed, out of the system through the gas phase discharge tube 10. The electroconductive liquid remained in the separation chamber 6 is rendered to a liquid phase without bubbles and flows down to the liquid discharge tube 2. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show a gas-liquid separation device for a gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown, the gas-liquid separation device 19 is provided with a separation chamber 20 of a cylindrical shape of which both ends are tightly closed, as well as, in the inner space 21 thereof a coiled gas-liquid separation tube 22 formed of a hydrophobic membrane material having gas permeability is disposed, and is connected to the gas-liquid two phase tube 1 introducing the gas-liquid two phase flow 3 and to the liquid phase discharge tube 2. A gas phase discharge tube 23 is provided at one end face of the separation chamber 20 and is communicated with the inner space 21 which is under reduced pressure. In such gas-liquid separation device 19 too, a pair of electrodes 24 and 25 are provided at the inside of the gas-liquid two phase tube 1 for the flow-in side and at the inside of the liquid phase discharge tube 2 for the flow-out side, as well as are connected to a high voltage side power supply 28 and the ground 29 through respective terminals 26 and 27. Further, magnets 30 and 31 are provided on the both end faces of the cylindrical separation chamber 20 and N and S poles are disposed so as to oppose each other and to create a magnetic field. With the gas-liquid separation device 19 of the present embodiment, the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow 3 flowed into the gas-liquid separation tube 22 from the gas-liquid two phase tube 1 flows down inside the coiled gas-liquid separation tube 22 in the separation chamber 20 and is effected more or less by an action of centrifugal force. Further, with the pair of electrodes 24,25 disposed at the inlet and outlet portions of the flow passage a current I flows through the electroconductive liquid and with the magnets 30 and 31 provided at the both ends of the separation chamber 20 in opposing relation a magnetic field B is formed in the axial direction of the cylindrical separation chamber 20. Therefore, the electroconductive liquid in the coiled gas-liquid separation tube 22 is forced toward the outer circumferential side by the effect of the electromagnetic force F, thereby, the included bubbles are concentrated toward the inner circumferential side. Thus the gas-liquid two phase flow is gradually separated into gas phase and liquid phase. Further, in the present embodiment, since the gas-liquid separation tube 22 is formed of a hydrophobic membrane having gas permeability, when the internal space 21 of the separation chamber 20 is rendered under a reduced pressure condition, only the gas phase collected in the inner circumferential side of the gas-liquid separation tube 22 passes through the tube wall into the internal space 21 and is separated and removed out of the system through the communicating gas phase discharge tube 23. Particularly with the present embodiment, by the constitution of the coiled gas-liquid separation tube 22 in addition to the electromagnetic force F, a centrifugal force acts on the internal liquid, due to their multiplier effect, a separation efficiency equal to or more than that of the first embodiment is obtained with the present embodiment. Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show a gas-liquid separation device for electroconductive two phase flows according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The gas-liquid separation device 32 of the present embodiment shown in the drawings is elongated along the axial direction and is constituted into a doubled cylindrical shape separation chamber 33, and in the inner space a coil shaped gas-liquid separation tube 35 for passing the gas-liquid two phase flow (3) is disposed which is formed by using a hydrophobic membrane 34 having gas permeability, further, in the inner circumferential side thereof which is surrounded by the hydrophobic membrane 34 and a cylinder wall 36 a reduced pressure chamber 37 is formed, at one end face thereof a gas phase discharge tube 38 is communicatively disposed. The gas-liquid separation tube 35 formed at the outer circumferential side of the hydrophobic membrane 34 communicates with the gas-liquid two phase tube 1 in the vicinity of one axial end of the cylindrical separation chamber 33 as well as with the liquid phase discharge tube 2 in the vicinity of the other axial end of the separation chamber. Further a pair of electrodes 39 and 40 are provided on the inner wall sides of both axial ends of the separation chamber 33 in the portion where the gas-liquid separation tube contacts as well as are connected to an external high voltage side power supply 43 and the ground 44 through terminals 41 and 42. As a method for generating a magnetic field, which is different from those of the previous embodiments, rod shaped magnets 45 and 46 are inserted into the axial center portion of the gas-liquid separation device 32 and arranged to face the respective N poles of the magnets through a cylinder 47 of soft steel. By the employment of such magnet arrangement, the magnetic field B causes the magnetic flux to have a radial direction from the axial center portion as shown in Fig. 8, and the radial magnetic field vector acts on the separation flow passage 35 of the present embodiment in the radial direction from the axial center portion. As a result, when current I is flowed in the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow 3 passing through the coiled gas-liquid separation tube 35, as shown in Fig. 7 the electromagnetic force F acts on the liquid phase in the axial direction and the gas phase and the liquid phase are gradually separated. In the above mentioned second embodiment, when the gas- liquid separation tube passage is elongated, the distance between the magnets becomes large and the magnetic field vector tends to be rendered weak, however with the present embodiment the strength of magnetic field vector does not substantially change even if the separation tube is enlarged, therefore it is expected to maximize gas-liquid separation capability by the electromagnetic force. Althouth, in the present embodiment, the coiled separation tube 35 is constituted with the hydrophobic membrane 34, the separation tube of hydrophobic membrane may of course be constituted in a coil shape like the previous embodiment. Further, although in the above embodiments, the magnets (permanent or electromagnets) are employed as a magnetic field generating device, when a superconductive magnet is employed, the magnetic field vector is able to be increased and the electromagnetic force is also increased such that the gas-liquid separation is possibly carried out in a short time. According to the respective embodiments of the present invention, even in the cases when an electroconductive sample including mixed gas and liquid such as expensive physiological active material is treated, where generation of swirl components by the flow of sample itself is difficult due to trace quantity of the flow rate or where in microgravity environment such as in space gas-liquid separation is difficult, by flowing current in the gas-liquid two phase flow and generating a magnetic field, a strong electro-magnetic force is acting on the liquid phase as conductor, the separation between gas phase and liquid phase is easily achieved. Further since no movable parts are included in the internal flow passage, the structure thereof is simplified and a clean and reliable gas-liquid separation device for biological materials sensitive to contamination is obtainable. In addition, although data will differ depending upon the specific structure of the separation device, in the structure of the third embodiment, when a permanent magnet of 2T(20K gauss) and current of 0.25A/cm² were employed, it was determined that a electromagnetic force corresponding to at least acceleration of several 10g was obtained. According to the gas-liquid separation method for gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows and the device therefor of the present invention explained above, an electromagnetic force along the flow passage wall is acted on the electroconductive liquid by taking advantage of the Flemming's left hand law; and the gas phase and the liquid phase are separated from the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows, so that even in a microgravity environment and in a trace quantity flow rate condition, a gas-liquid separation method for gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flows and the device therefor capable of a stable gas-liquid separation are obtained.

Claims: A gas-liquid separation method for a gas-electroconductive liquid two-phase flow (3) characterized by flowing an electric current (I) in the electroconductive liquid; applying a magnetic field (B) to the two-phase flow in the direction perpendicular to the current; thereby having the gas escape in the opposite direction to an electromagnetic force (F) acting on the electroconductive liquid; and separating the gas-liquid two phase flows (3) into gas phase and liquid phase. Method according to claim 1 characterized by flowing current (I) through a pair of electrodes (11, 12; 24, 25; 39, 40) disposed in the flow passage of the electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flows (3); generating the magnetic field (B) in the flow passage region (5) where the current is flowing and acting an electromagnetic force (F) on the electroconductive liquid. A method according to claim 2 characterized by flowing current (I) in the direction of the flow or the reverse flow of the electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flow (3); generating a magnetic field (B) in substantially perpendicular direction to the current flowing direction and acting an electromagnetic force (F) on the electroconductive liquid in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the electroconductive gas-liquid two phase flow (3). A method according to claim 3 characterized by flowing a current through a pair of electrodes (11, 12; 24, 25; 39, 40) disposed in the vicinity of inlet and outlet ports of the gas-liquid separation region (5), generating a magnetic field (B) with a magnet (17), the magnetic field having a direction perpendicular to the current flowing direction (I) and acting an electromagnetic force (F) on the electroconductive liquid in the direction of a flow passage wall (7). A method according to claim 4 characterized by acting the electromagnetic force on the electroconductive liquid in a direction away from a flow passage wall formed of a hydrophobic membrane (7) having gas permeability; thereby collecting the gas phase separated from the two phase flow (3) in the vicinity of the hydrophobic membrane (7); and drifting the gas phase to an outer space (8) through the hydrophobic membrane (7) by means of a pressure difference, the outer space (8) being separated from the flow passage by the hydrophobic membrane (7) and being kept at a reduced pressure state in comparison with the pressure in the flow passage. A method according to claims 4 or 5 characterized in that the two phase flow (3) and the electric current are flowing in a coil path (Fig. 4) and in that the magnetic field is generated in the axial direction of a cylindrical separation chamber (20) which accommodates the coil-shaped gas-liquid separation region (21) of the two phase flow (3) and thereby the electroconductive liquid is pushed toward the outer circumferential side by the electromagnetic force and the gas phase is concentrated toward the inner circumferential side. A method according to claims 4 or 5 characterized in that the two-phase flow (3) and the electric current are flowing in a coil path (35) and the magnetic field is generated in the radial magnetic direction from the axial center and thereby acting a electromagnetic force on the liquid phase of the two phase flow in the axial direction. A gas liquid separation method according to any one of claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the method is carried out in a microgravity environment. A gas-liquid separation device for carrying out the process according to claim 1, comprising a separation chamber (6;20;33) including a gas-liquid separation region (5;22;35) at least partially confined by a hydrophobic membrane (7;22;34) having gas permeability and to which a tube (1) for charging the two-phase flow, a tube (2) for discharging the separated liquid phase and a tube (10;23;38) for discharging the separated gas phase are connected, a pair of electrodes (11,12;24,25;39,40) disposed in the vicinity of the inlet of the tube (1) for charging into the separation region (5) and of the outlet of the tube (2) for discharging separated liquid phase from the separation region (5), which electrodes are suitable for flowing an electric current through said two-phase flow (3), and a magnet (17;30,31;45,46) suitable for generating a magnetic field acting in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the electric current flowing between the pair of electrodes (11,12;24,25;39,40). A gas-liquid separation device according to claim 9, wherein said pair of electrodes (11,12) are disposed in the opposing inner wall faces of the separation chamber (6); and said magnet (17) is disposed outside said separation chamber (6). A gas-liquid separation device according to claim 9, wherein said membrane (7) is disposed above the separation region (5) and a cover member (9) is provided above the membrane (7), so that a reduced pressure chamber (8) is formed therebetween, the gas discharge tube (10) being connected to said cover member (9) and to a device for reducing the pressure within the reduced pressure chamber. A device according to claim 9, comprising a cylindrical separation chamber (20) of which both ends are tightly closed and to one end of which said gas phase discharge tube (23) is connected; a coiled gas-liquid separation tube (22) disposed in the inner space of said separation chamber (20), said coiled separation tube (22) being made of a hydrophobic membrane having gas permeability; said gas-liquid two phase charging tube (1) connected to one end of said gas-liquid separation tube (22) for introducing said two phase flow (3) into the separation tube (22); said liquid phase discharge tube (2) connected to the other end of said separation tube (22) for discharging the liquid phase separated in said separation tube (22); said pair of electrodes (25, 24) disposed inside said liquid phase discharge tube (2) and inside said gas-liquid two phase charging tube (1); and said magnet (30, 31) disposed at the both ends of said separation chamber (20) and being suitable for generating a magnetic field in the axial direction of said cylindrical separation chamber (20). A device according to claim 9, comprising inner and outer cylinders defining a separation chamber (33) in an annular region between the cylinders, both ends of the separation chamber (33) being tightly closed by a pair of axial end members; a coiled gas-liquid separation tube (35) in the annular region formed by the inner wall of the outer cylinder and a hydrophobic membrane (34) having gas permeability for passing the gas-electroconductive liquid two phase flow (3); a reduced pressure chamber (37) in the annular region formed on an inner circumferential side of said coiled gas-liquid separation tube (35) and being surrounded by said hydrophobic membrane material (34), the inner cylindrical wall (36) of said separation chamber (33) and the pair of axial end members; a gas discharge tube (38) connected to one axial end member of said pressure reduced chamber (37) for discharging the gas phase separated; a gas-liquid two phase tube (1) connected to the separation tube (35) near one end of said separation chamber (33) for introducing said two phase flow (3) into said coiled separation tube (35); a liquid phase discharge tube (2) connected to the separation tube (35) near the other end side of said separation chamber (33) for discharging the liquid phase after the gas is separated in said coiled separation tube (35); a pair of electrodes (39, 40), each electrode (39, 40) being disposed at one end of said separation chamber (33) and being adapted to contact with the gas-liquid two phase flow (3) in separation tube (35); at least two magnets (45, 46) disposed along the central axis of the inner cylinder so that the same polarities thereof face each other and generate a radial magnetic field in the radial direction from the central axis. Use of a gas-liquid separation device according to any one of claims 9-13, wherein the gas-liquid separation device is provided in a microgravity environment.

Inventors: HAMANO NOBUO, OKUSAWA TSUTOMU, TSUBOUCHI KUNIYOSHI, HAMANO, NOBUO, OKUSAWA, TSUTOMU, TSUBOUCHI, KUNIYOSHI
Applicants: HITACHI LTD, HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B01D19
IPC codes: G01N1, B01D19, B03C1