US2402196A

US2402196A - Method of and apparatus for separating fluids

Info

Publication number: US2402196A
Application number: US541446A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elwood R Zeek
Original assignee: Specialties Development Corp
Current assignee: Specialties Development Corp
Priority date: 1944-06-21
Filing date: 1944-06-21
Publication date: 1946-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1963-06-18

Description

June 18, 1946. g R, EE 2,402,196

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING. FLUIDS Filed June 21, 1944 attorney Patented June 18, 1946 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING FLUIDS Elwood R. Zeek, Paterson, N. J assignor to Spei cialties Development Corporation, Bloomfield, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 21, 1944, Serial No. 541,446

(01. 1s3-so) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for separating fluids, and more particularly is directed to the separation of fluids of different specific gravities by centrifugal action.

One of the objects of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus of the character indicated and a method which will assure complete separation of the fluids.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus which is of simple yet rugged and sturdy construction and which has no wearing parts to require repair or replacement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus which operates automatically and which requires little or no attention.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of separate chambers for the separated fluids whereby to prevent the fluids again becoming mixed once they are separated, as is sometimes the case with prior structures.

A further object of the invention resides in a method of separating a mixture of fluids, wherein the mixture is retained under centrifugal action for a sufiicient length of time to attain complete separation of the constituent fluids.

A still further object of the invention resides in an improved method of separating fluids and recovering the separated fluids.

Other and further objects of'the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1, with the coils shown in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the direction of flow of the fluids.

By way of illustration, the present invention is particularly adapted to be utilized in separating water in its liquid state present in small amounts in a gas under relatively high pressure. Such a condition generally exists in connection'with high pressure gas compressors which are water lubricated, wherein small amounts of Water leak into compressor cylinders through the compressor'piston packings-and the water is discharged together with the compressed gas. It is desirable, if not imperative, that this water be removed to prevent corrosion or other diiflculties, in the apparatus in which the gas may be stored or subsequently used.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the apparatus comprises an inverted T-shaped body member l0, having a vertical gas chamber or receiver l2 and a horizontal chamber or sump M for collecting water in its liquid state. These chambers are separated by a plate It, having a plurality of circularly arranged openings 18, the purpose of which will be described herein-after.

The ends of the water chamber I4 are closed by caps 20 and '22, respectively, and the end of the gas chamber [2 opposite the plate I6 is closed by a cap 2: One of the caps closing the water chamber, for example the cap 20, is provided With a relief valve 26 and the chamber also may be provided with any suitable means for draining water therefrom. The cap 24 of the gas chamber has a gas discharge or outlet conduit 28 leading to a storage tank (not shown). This conduit communicates with the interior of the chamber and is secured to the cap 24 by means of a coupling or nipple 3!].

Baflles 32 and 34, in the form of hollow tubula members of different diameters and lengths, are positioned in telescoping relation with respect to each other within the chamber l2. The smaller baille 32 is secured to the cap 24 by welding or other suitable means and extends downwardly within the upper portion of the larger baflie 34 and terminates substantially midway of the chamber I 2. The baflle 34 is carried by the plate It and extends upwardly therefrom but terminates short of the upper end of the chamber. The bafile 34, as will be seen from Figure 2, is positioned centrally of the openings IS in the plate l6, whereby to provide passages on either side of the baflle 34 between the chambers l2 and M. The plate 16 having the baflle 34 secured thereto is held in place with the chamber l2 by any suitable means, such as a welded or threaded connection.

A substantially cylindrical helical coil 40 formed of a conduit or tube is positioned about the outer wall of the gas chamber l2, and, as illustrated herein, may comprise outer and

inner coils

42 and 44, respectively, arranged in telescoping relation to provide a compact coil of a desired length. As will be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the larger or outside coil 42 communicates with the inner or smaller coil 44 at 43, so that the coil 40 is continuous throughout. As described herein-after, the inner coil 44 by being of a reduced diameter increases the centrifugal action to which the water and gas are subjected. It will be understood that this effect may be attained by coils of various shapes having convolutions decreasing in diameter adjacent their outlet. The outer coil has an inlet end 46, which is adapted to be connected to a compressor (not shown) or to any other source of water and. gas mixture under high pressure to be separated; and the inner coil has an outlet end 41 adapted to be connected to the gas and water chambers, as about to be described.

The wall of the gas chamber I2 is provided with inlet openings 48 and 5!], and on its outside, adjacent these openings, two hollow blocks 52 and 54, respectively, are mounted by means of welding or other suitable means. These blocks each receive a convolution of the inner coil 44, adjacent its outlet end 41, which convolutions at the portions within the blocks are provided with Water and gas under pressure enters the coil 46 at its inlet end 46 and first passes through the convolutions of the coil 42 of the larger radius or diameter at a relatively high velocity, so that the water, being of higher specific gravity, will be thrown by centrifugal action into a path along the outward side of the inner wall of the coil, while the gas remains in a path along the inward side of the inner wall. As the partially separated mixture continues through the convolutions of the coil 44 of the smaller radius or diameter, it will be subjected to a greater centrifugal force, whereby any water remaining mixed with the gas at that time will be thrown out by this increased centrifugal force, thereby assuring coinplete separation of the water from the gas.

Upon reaching the apertures 56 and 58, which as previously mentioned, are in the inner wall of the conduit forming the coils and extend inwardly radially thereof and are therefore in the path of the gas, the gas will pass into the chamber i2, while the water will continue to the water outlet at the terminal of the coil and will pass through block 6t into the water chamber or sump 14. Any gas flowing into the water sump will escape therefrom and pass into the gas chamber by way of the aperture 18 in the plate "5.

The gas entering the chamber l2 will rise on the outside of the baifie 34, pass in the direction of the arrows over the top thereof and under the bafile 32, andthence up and out through the discharge outlet 28. As the gas passes in this circuitous path, any water or moisture that may have been carried into the gas chamber will fall by gravity and pass through the openings it in the plate I6 into the water chamber is.

It will be appreciated that by providing an imperforate conduit of considerable length and by not permitting the gas to escape until it reaches the end of its path, the sustained centrifugal force on the fluids, including the increased centrifugal force acting on the mixture in the coil of smaller diameter, will function to completely sep arate the water and the gas. If, due to high velocity of the fluids passing through the coil 40, some moisture is driven into the gas chamber through the outlets 56 and 58, it will be appreciated that such moisture will fall by gravity by reason of the circuitous path taken by the gas about the baffles and will not be carried to the gas discharge conduit.

While the present invention has been described in connection with separating water in its liquid statefrom gas, it will be appreciated that the invention may be utilized for separating liquids other than water and a gas or mixture of gases.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a separator of the class described, a substantially helical conduit provided with an inlet and an outlet and having a plurality of imperiorate convolutions between said inlet and said outlet, the convolutions nearest the inlet of said conduit having a predetermined diameter and the convolutions nearest the outlet of said conduit having a diameter smaller than said predetermined diameter, said conduit having an aperture in its inwardly facing wall adjacent its outlet.

2. An apparatus for separating gas and liquid by centrifugal action comprising a substantially helical conduit provided with an inlet at one end and a gas outlet and a liquid outlet at its other end, said conduit having a plurality of imperforate convolutions between said ends,

the convolutions at the inlet end of said con-.

duit having a predetermined diameter and the convolutions at the outlet end of said conduit having a diameter smaller than said predetermined diameter, said gas outlet comprising a substantially radially inwardly facing aperture, a gas chamber in communication with said gas outlet, and a liquid chamber in communication with said liquid outlet.

3. An apparatus for separating gas and liquld, comprising a continuous imperforate helical conduit for a mixture of gas and liquid and being of sufiicient length to effect centrifugal separation of the gas and liquid traveling therethrough; a gas chamber, the wall of which is provided with a gas inlet; said conduit being formed into helical coils of diiferent diameters positioned aboutthe wall of said gas chamber, the convolutions of the larger coil being superimposed on those of the smaller coil; an inlet at one end of said conduit for the mixture of gas and liquid, a liquid outlet at the other end of the conduit; a gas outlet adjacent the liquid outlet provided by an aperture in the inner side of said conduit wall in register with the said gas inlet of the chamber; a liquid chamber in communication with said gas chamber and with said liquid outlet; and means in said gas chamber providing a circuitous path for the gas passing therethrough and for eflecting gravitational separation of liquid from the gas as it passes in said circuitous path, wherelgy the liquid will descend into said liquid cham- 4. An apparatus for separating gas and water, comprising a continuous imperforate helical conduit for a mixture of gas and water and being of sufficient length to effect centrifugal separation of the gas and Water traveling therethrough; a vertically extending gas chamber, the Wall of which is provided with a gas inlet; said conduit being formed into helical coils of different diameters positioned about the Wall of said gas chamber, the corivolutions of the larger coil being superimposed on those of the smaller coil; an inlet at one end of said conduit for the mixture of gas and water; a horizontally extending water chamber contiguous to said gas chamber; a Water outlet at the other end of the conduit connected to said gas chamher; a gas outlet adjacent the water outlet intermediate the inlet and water outlet provided by an aperture in the inner side of said conduit wall in register with the said gas inlet of the chamber; a perforated plate intermediate said chambers providing communication therebetween, means in said gas chamber providing a circuitous path for the gas passing therethrough and for effecting gravitational separation of moisture from the gas as it passes in said circuitous path, whereby the moisture will pass through said plate into said water chamber.

5. The method of separating fluids of different specific gravities, which method comprises passing a mixture of liquid and gas athighvelocity in an uninterrupted spiral path, subjecting the same to centrifugal action in said path for a suflicient distance to effect separation of the liquid and gas into outer and inner circumferential paths respectively, removing the gas from the inner path at the end of said distance adjacent the end of said path, removing the liquid at the end of the path and directing the gas through a circuitous pass to remove liquid therefrom by gravity.

6. The method of separating fluids of different specific gravities, which method comprises passing a mixture of the fluids under high pressure through a path of a predetermined length having substantially annular portions, subjecting the mixture of the fluids to a predetermined centrifugal action while in said path, and subsequently subjecting the mixture of the fluids to greater centrifugal action while in said path to substantially completely separate the fluids.

ELWOOD R. ZEEK.