Patent ID: 7198718

Claim:
An apparatus for coalescing droplets of one phase from a fluid comprising two or more phases, said apparatus comprising a chamber, a coalescing medium comprising a plurality of substantially elongate members each having a surface area, a retaining member to which the coalescing medium is secured, an inlet to said chamber, and an outlet from said chamber, said inlet and outlet being positioned such that fluid flowing from said inlet to said outlet flows in a flow direction in contact with said surface area of said coalescing medium, the elongate members extending substantially in the flow direction, characterized in that said chamber is formed from a substantially straight pipe having a first end and a second end and a branch intermediate said first and second ends, the intermediate branch having a free end, wherein the retaining member is located at the second end of the chamber such that the intermediate branch is located between the retaining member and the first end, said outlet being arranged at the first end and an access cover being arranged at the second end, said inlet being arranged at the free end of said branch, wherein said access cover is adapted to allow removal and replacement of the retaining member and coalescing medium, wherein said elongate members are substantially mutually aligned fibres which are supported by the retaining member at one end only and free to extend along the interior of the pipe toward the second end under the action of fluid flowing along the pipe toward the outlet.