Patent ID: 7713335

Claim:
A device for separating gas from liquid, comprising: a housing including: an inlet for receiving a flow of liquid and gas, the inlet being positioned such that the flow of liquid and gas enters the housing in a direction substantially tangential to a circumference of an inner surface of the housing, a first outlet for discharging an at least partially gaseous flow from an interior of the housing, and a second outlet for discharging an at least partially deaerated flow of liquid from the interior of the housing; at least one flow member disposed inside the housing, the at least one flow member defining a first flow channel and a second flow channel in the housing downstream of the inlet, the first flow channel having a cross-section that decreases in the downstream direction through the first flow channel, the second flow channel being inside the at least one flow member; and a gas separating element disposed inside the housing downstream from the inlet and upstream from the second outlet, the gas separating element forming at least one opening to permit liquid to pass and form the at least partially deaerated flow of liquid and to permit the at least partially gaseous flow to separate from the at least partially deaerated flow of liquid.