Patent ID: 8349061

Claim:
A coalescer system for coalescing a liquid phase dispersed in a gas phase, the system comprising: (a) a chamber having an inlet, a gas outlet, and a drainage outlet, wherein a gaseous phase comprising a dispersed liquid phase enters the chamber through the inlet and exits the chamber through the gas outlet; (b) a filter element for insertion in the chamber, the filter element comprising: (i) filter media for coalescing the dispersed liquid phase as the gaseous phase passes through the filter media, and (ii) endplates, namely an inlet end plate and a drainage end plate, wherein the end plates each have spouts with openings permitting flow of the gas phase and dispersed liquid phase therethrough, namely an inlet spout and a drainage spout: and (c) a valve element biased in a closed position; wherein: when the filter element is inserted in the chamber, the drainage spout opens the valve element and permits flow of the coalesced liquid phase through the drainage spout and through the drainage outlet of the chamber; and when the filter media becomes plugged, the filter element permits flow of the gaseous phase through the drainage spout and through the gas outlet, thereby bypassing the filter media.