Axial Flow Demisting Cyclone Drainage Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Axial flow demisting cyclones in gas separation processes face issues with liquid accumulation and particulate blockage in drainage systems, leading to potential blockages and reduced efficiency, especially in high-pressure and subsea applications where maintenance is challenging.
Innovation Solution
The design features a bundle of parallel axial flow demisting cyclones with a shared closed chamber for liquid and particulate accumulation, where the deposition surface is shaped to prevent liquid entrainment and particulate accumulation, with a funnel-shaped configuration for horizontal cyclones and inclined drainage conduits to ensure liquids and solids are directed into the separator liquid compartment, preventing blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If axial flow demisting cyclones are used for final removal of liquids and particulate solids, then separation efficiency is improved, but liquid accumulation and particulate blockage in drainage systems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system is designed to maintain equal pressure levels between the cyclone separation chamber and the drainage outlet by positioning the outlet below the liquid level in the separator. This eliminates pressure differentials that would cause liquid accumulation or gas backflow into the cyclone, ensuring continuous reliable operation while maintaining high separation efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage outlet is extracted and positioned in a separate location below the liquid level in the separator, rather than directly connecting to the cyclone outlet at equal height. This spatial separation prevents liquid from accumulating in the drainage system and blocks gas from entering the cyclone through the drainage pipe, solving both accumulation and blockage problems
2Reliability
If drainage pipes are immersed in liquid phase to prevent gas backflow, then gas sealing is improved, but liquid level in drainage pipe increases causing higher pressure drop
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid in the separator acts as an intermediary medium that seals the drainage system against gas backflow. By immersing the drainage outlet in the liquid phase, the liquid column creates a natural seal that prevents gas from entering the cyclone through the drainage pipe, while the outlet positioning ensures the pressure drop remains manageable
3Reliability
If reverse flow demisting cyclones are used for particulate removal, then particulate conveyance is improved, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using reverse flow cyclones that convey particulates downward against gravity, the patent employs axial flow cyclones where particulates are conveyed in the same direction as the gas flow. This inversion of the conventional approach reduces pressure drop while still achieving effective particulate separation through centrifugal forces and the inclined drainage surface
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This arrangement effectively prevents liquid re-entrainment and particulate accumulation, ensuring long-term maintenance-free operation by ensuring liquids and solids are directed into the liquid compartment, maintaining separation efficiency and preventing blockages in axial flow demisting cyclones.
Implementation Method 1
a separator for separation of material compositions of gas, liquids and particulate solids with a separator comprising axial flow demisting cyclones
Implementation Method 2
a drainage system ensuring that liquids and sand will not be able to accumulate any where in the axial flow demisting cyclones or drainage channels but will instead be directed along with any liquid present into the separator liquid compartment
Data Source
AI summary
Axial flow demisting cyclone for separation of material compositions of gas, liquid and particulate solids comprising an inlet conduit (18) for the material composition and an outlet conduit (19) for the substantially dry and clean gas, and a swirl facilitating device (20) that sets the entering material composition in rotation. The cyclons comprises a mainly cylindrical tube (11) which is provided with slots or perforations (21) to allow parts of the material composition, hereunder liquids and particulate solids to flow out from the cyclone tube (11) and into a substantially closed chamber (22) which is delimited by an inlet plate (24), by an outlet plate (23) ad by a circumferential plate (12). The chamber (22) has a deposition surface (25) which is geodetically the lower, inner surface of the chamber (22) ad which has an inclination relative to the horizontal plane so that particulate solids will not accumulate on the deposition surface but slide to one or more drainage outlets (14) in the deposition surface (25) arranged to convey liquids and particulate solids out from the substantially closed chamber (22) into a drainage pipe the lower end of which is positioned under the liquid surface of the separator liquid compartment.