Patent ID: 6942720

Claim:
An apparatus for treating a fluid, the apparatus comprises: a treating zone comprising: an axis; and, a fluid inlet and separation device for introducing a separated mixture of liquid and gas into the treating zone, the fluid inlet and separation device comprising a series of coaxially disposed circumferential vanes, wherein each circumferential vane curvedly extends with respect to a central axis of the fluid inlet and separation device between an intercepting part having a substantially axially directed leading edge and a deflecting part having a substantially radially outwardly extending trailing edge, the central axis of the fluid inlet and separation device extending parallel or coaxial with the axis of the treating zone, wherein the treating zone lies within a vertically disposed cylindrical column having a longitudinal axis, wherein the central axis of the fluid inlet and separation device extends parallel or coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the vertically disposed cylindrical column, and wherein the fluid inlet and separation device is disposed between two horizontally extending partitions or trays of the vertically disposed cylindrical column defining the treating zone.