Patent ID: 8313565

Claim:
A cyclonic separator for separating a single phase fluid into a gas phase and a liquid phase, said single phase fluid comprising either a liquid containing dissolved gas or a mixture of liquids with different vapor pressures, the cyclonic separator comprising an inlet chamber, a cyclonic separation chamber and an outlet chamber, all arranged sequentially to allow fluids to flow substantially uniaxially through the separator, wherein the inlet chamber comprises a curved inlet duct of decreasing radius that induces fluids flowing through the chamber to swirl around an axis, wherein the cyclonic separation chamber receives fluids from the inlet chamber, increases a rotational speed of the fluids and separates the fluids by cyclonic action into a gas portion and a liquid portion, wherein the outlet chamber is connected to receive the gas and liquid portions from the cyclonic separation chamber and comprises a curved outlet duct of increasing radius, a first outlet for liquids and a second outlet for gases, wherein the separation chamber is elongate and has a length L and an inlet diameter D, wherein L/D is in the range of 1 to 10, and includes a throat portion with a diameter D T , wherein D T <D, and includes a convergent portion upstream of the throat portion and a divergent portion downstream of the throat portion.