Gas-Liquid Separator with Converging Fingers and Dripper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas-liquid separators face challenges in achieving high purity and recovery of liquid fractions from supercritical fluid systems, particularly due to incomplete separation, aerosolization, and the need for large physical sizes, which complicates operation at atmospheric pressure and integration with robotic fraction collectors.
Innovation Solution
A gas-liquid separator design featuring a shell with converging fingers and a dripper structure that separates liquid from gas, allowing for efficient liquid collection and gas exit, integrated with a movable arm for alignment with collection vessels, enabling high-purity and high-recovery liquid fraction collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressurized separator is used to maintain separation conditions, then separation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and structural burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from pressurized to ambient, eliminating the need for pressure-containing structures while maintaining effective separation through ambient pressure operation. This resolves the contradiction by achieving reliable separation without the structural burden of pressurized vessels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the pressurization system from the separator design, operating instead at ambient pressure. This removes the complex pressure-containing structures and components while maintaining separation functionality through the designed flow paths and collection mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a large physical size separator is used to ensure complete separation, then separation completeness is improved, but ease of operation and integration with robotic collectors deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the separator into compact functional zones with defined flow paths, achieving complete separation in a smaller footprint. The segmented design allows integration with robotic fraction collectors while maintaining separation completeness through optimized internal geometry and flow management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a large horizontal separator design to a compact vertical configuration, utilizing the vertical dimension to achieve separation completeness. This dimensional change enables integration with robotic fraction collectors while maintaining effective separation through gravity-assisted flow and compact vertical geometry.
3Productivity
If supercritical fluid is depressurized to expand gaseous phase, then chromatographic separation is achieved, but aerosolization of liquid components increases making collection difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controlled expansion chamber as an intermediary between the depressurization zone and the collection zone. This intermediary allows gradual pressure equalization and controlled phase transition, reducing violent aerosolization while maintaining chromatographic separation efficiency. The chamber acts as a buffer that mediates the transition from supercritical to gaseous phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary pressure equalization and controlled expansion before the effluent reaches the collection zone. By gradually reducing pressure and allowing controlled phase transition in advance, the system minimizes aerosol formation while maintaining separation efficiency, preparing the effluent for clean liquid-gas separation.
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 solution effectively separates and collects liquid fractions with high purity and recovery, operates at ambient pressure, and is compact enough for use with small collection vessels, addressing the limitations of conventional separators.
Implementation Method 1
a gas-liquid separator operating at ambient pressure
Implementation Method 2
separates liquid from gas, allowing for efficient liquid collection and gas exit
Implementation Method 3
a supercritical fluid is depressurized into an expanding gaseous phase
Implementation Method 4
a supercritical fluid is depressurized into an expanding gaseous phase that tends to aerosolize liquid components of the column effluent
Data Source
AI summary
A gas-liquid separator includes a fluid inlet, a shell including an inside surface enclosing an interior space, an outlet structure with fingers converging toward a longitudinal axis, and a dripper including a dripper tip. The fingers terminate at fingertips located proximate to an outside surface of the dripper. Gas exit ports are defined between adjacent fingers, and by the dripper. The gas-liquid separator defines a liquid flow path from the fluid inlet, along the inside surface, along one or more of the fingers, converging along the dripper outside surface, and to the dripper tip. The gas-liquid separator also defines a gas flow path from the fluid inlet, through the interior space, and through the gas exit ports. The gas-liquid separator may be utilized in fluid separation systems such as liquid chromatography or supercritical fluid chromatography/extraction systems.