Patent ID: 8313547

Claim:
A device, for separating constituents of a flow comprising: an inlet adapted to accept the flow; a throat fluidicly coupled to said inlet; a curved nozzle fluidly coupled to said throat comprising a deflection wall, and an expansion wall; an expansion nozzle defined along said curved nozzle between said throat and a nozzle exit; an over-expansion zone defined along said curved nozzle between said nozzle exit and a skimmer fluidicly coupled to said curved nozzle; wherein said expansion wall has a first radius of curvature (r 1 ) and said deflection wall has a second radius of curvature (r 2 ) that define a curvature ratio (Rc) as a function of a nozzle angle (α), given by formula (39.1) Rc (α)= r 1/ r 2 (39.1) wherein said nozzle exit is disposed along said curved nozzle at said nozzle angle (α) of at least 120 degrees and said skimmer is disposed along said curved nozzle at a nozzle angle (α) of at least 160 degrees.