Electromagnetic Swirl Pipe for Low-Pressure Gas-Liquid Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas/liquid separation technologies face challenges in efficiently separating very small liquid droplets (submicrons to 10 microns) from gas streams due to high pressure drops and inability to handle high liquid loads without choking or erosion.
Innovation Solution
A swirl generating pipe element (SGPE) using a reluctance motor with a stator and rotor element, separated by a pipe section wall, imparts a rotational movement to the fluid stream, generating a high centrifugal force without significant pressure drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If static guide vanes are used to generate centrifugal force for separating liquid droplets, then separation efficiency improves, but pressure drop increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical static guide vane system with an electromagnetic drive system comprising a stator with permanent magnets and a rotor with ferromagnetic vanes. This substitution eliminates mechanical friction and turbulence losses associated with static vanes, generating centrifugal force through electromagnetic interaction without substantial pressure drop.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a static mechanical system to a dynamic electromagnetic system where the rotor vanes are actively driven by the stator magnets. This dynamic approach allows for controlled rotational movement that generates the necessary centrifugal force while maintaining fluid flow efficiency and minimizing pressure losses.
2Reliability
If high centrifugal force is generated to separate submicron liquid droplets, then separation capability improves, but pressure drop and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional high-energy mechanical centrifugal generation methods with an electromagnetic drive system. The stator- rotor configuration with permanent magnets and ferromagnetic vanes generates the required centrifugal force through electromagnetic interaction, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to mechanical alternatives.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of force generation from mechanical to electromagnetic. By using permanent magnets in the stator and ferromagnetic materials in the rotor, the system achieves high centrifugal force with lower energy input, altering the energy-efficiency landscape of droplet separation.
3Reliability
If mechanical centrifugal force is used to separate liquid droplets, then separation performance improves, but the system becomes complex and prone to erosion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates complex mechanical drive mechanisms by substituting them with an electromagnetic system. The stator with permanent magnets and rotor with ferromagnetic vanes creates a simpler, more reliable system that avoids mechanical wear, friction, and the complexity of mechanical transmissions while maintaining high separation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The electromagnetic drive system is self-contained, with the stator and rotor working together as an integrated unit. The permanent magnets and ferromagnetic vanes create a self-sustaining electromagnetic field that drives the separation process without requiring external mechanical intervention, reducing system complexity and improving reliability.
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
The SGPE effectively separates small liquid droplets from gas streams with reduced pressure drop and increased efficiency, capable of handling high liquid loads without choking or erosion.
Implementation Method 1
each rotor pole has a first end rotatably connected to the rotor shaft and a second end arranged close enough to one of the multiple stator poles for a magnetic polarization to be induced in the rotor pole
Implementation Method 2
the stator element comprises multiple stator poles comprising permanent magnets; the rotor element comprises a vane assembly having multiple rotor poles
Implementation Method 3
the vane assembly may provide a rotational movement to a fluid entering the inlet of the pipe section
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A swirl generating pipe element for providing a rotational movement to a fluid, comprising a reluctance motor and a pipe section (9), wherein the reluctance motor comprises a stator element (1) and a rotor element (2); the stator element comprises multiple stator poles (3); the rotor element comprises a vane assembly having multiple rotor poles (4) and arranged to rotate around a rotor shaft (7) situated along the centerline of the pipe section (9), and each rotor pole has a first end (5) rotatably connected to the rotor shaft (7) and a second end (6) arranged close enough to one of the multiple stator poles (3) for a magnetic polarization to be induced in the rotor pole; and the pipe section (9) comprises a wall, having an external and an internal circumferential surface, and an inlet and an outlet for a fluid; wherein the stator element (1) and the rotor element (2) is separated by the wall (8) of the pipe section (9), and the multiple stator poles (3) are arranged at the external circumferential surface of the pipe section, and the second end (6) of the multiple rotor poles (4) are arranged adjacent to the internal circumferential surface of the pipe section, such that the vane assembly may provide a rotational movement to a fluid entering the inlet (10) of the pipe section (9).