Gas-Liquid Separator with Tapered Rectifying Plate for Stronger Swirl
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing gas-liquid separators, such as those described in Patent Literature 1, face issues with insufficient swirl of the gas-liquid mixture due to decreasing flow velocity, leading to inadequate separation of gas and liquid, and have manufacturing difficulties with the introduction passage attachment.
Innovation Solution
A compact gas-liquid separator design featuring a cylindrical body with a rectifying plate that narrows towards the end, increasing flow velocity, and a partition plate to enhance swirl formation, eliminating the need for a conical funnel and simplifying the introduction passage attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the guide plate is formed with gradually increasing distance from the inner wall, then the structure is easier to manufacture, but the flow velocity decreases and separation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rectifying plate is designed with non-uniform width, having a narrow width portion at the downstream end and a wide width portion at the upstream end. This local variation in geometry creates different flow characteristics in different sections, increasing flow velocity at the critical downstream region where separation occurs, while maintaining manufacturability through a simple tapered form.
2Ease of manufacture
If the introduction passage is attached parallel to the tangent at a position close to the tangent, then the attachment is easier to manufacture, but the swirl formation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The rectifying plate is pre-positioned inside the separator body before the introduction passage is attached. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the gas-liquid mixture enters through the tangential introduction passage, it immediately encounters the rectifying plate which guides and accelerates the flow to generate sufficient swirl, thereby achieving both ease of manufacture and effective swirl formation.
3Volume of moving object
If the separator size is reduced to achieve compactness, then the device becomes more compact, but the flow path length decreases and separation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rectifying plate extends radially from the inner wall toward the center of the separator body, utilizing the radial dimension to create an effective flow path. This radial extension allows the plate to intercept and redirect the gas-liquid mixture flow, increasing the effective separation path length within a compact cylindrical volume, thereby achieving both compactness and high separation efficiency.
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 design effectively increases the flow velocity of the gas-liquid mixture, allowing for efficient separation of gas and liquid while reducing the separator's size and manufacturing complexity, achieving high separation efficiency and compactness.
Implementation Method 1
The rectifying plate has a narrow width portion configured such that a distance between the rectifying plate and an inner wall of the body portion gradually decreases toward an end portion from which the gas-liquid mixture flows out
Implementation Method 2
A swirl portion in the body portion is formed by the body portion extending in an up-and-down direction and a partition plate
Implementation Method 3
causing a gas-liquid mixture to swirl in a long-distance receiver tank
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Provided is a gas-liquid separator that can suitably separate gas and liquid by increasing a flow velocity of a gas-liquid mixture that flows into a body portion. A gas-liquid separator 1 includes a body portion 10 having a cylindrical shape, an introduction passage 20 provided in a state of communicating with the body portion, a gas-liquid mixture being introduced through the introduction passage 20, and a straightening plate 50 attached to the body portion, the straightening plate 50 straightening the gas-liquid mixture, wherein the straightening plate has a narrow width portion 54 configured such that a distance between the straightening plate and an inner wall of the body portion gradually decreases toward an end portion 50A from which the gas-liquid mixture flows out.