Louvered separator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing louvered water separators for air flows suffer from significant pressure losses and inefficient water separation due to rough vortices and uncontrolled droplet flow, leading to unsatisfactory separating capacity and high energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A louvered water separator design featuring vertically aligned slats with differing profiles, where the water-collecting troughs are limited to the trailing edge of the back slat, minimizing turbulence and allowing a smooth, vortex-free laminar air flow, with the front slat guiding the air to the back slat where water droplets are efficiently collected at the end, reducing flow resistance and pressure losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water-collecting troughs are provided throughout the slat structure, then water separation capacity is improved, but pressure losses increase due to rough vortices and turbulence
Solution Approach 1:
The water-collecting troughs are localized only at the trailing edge of the back slat rather than being distributed throughout the entire slat structure. This local concentration of water collection function allows effective water separation while minimizing the generation of rough vortices and turbulence, thereby reducing pressure losses in the air flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The slat structure is divided into two separate slats (front slat and back slat) with different profiles, where the front slat guides the air flow and the back slat collects water droplets. This segmentation allows the air flow guidance function and water collection function to be separated spatially, enabling smooth laminar flow through most of the structure while concentrating water collection at the trailing edge.
2Productivity
If separating channels are made long and extremely staged, then water separation capacity is improved, but pressure losses increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The separating structure is segmented into two distinct slats with specific functional divisions. The front slat handles air flow guidance while the back slat handles water collection, eliminating the need for long and extremely staged separating channels. This segmentation achieves effective water separation in a compact configuration with minimal pressure losses.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using long staged channels to separate water, the invention inverts the approach by using centrifugal force to throw water droplets onto the outer edges of the channels where they are collected by troughs at the trailing edge. This inverted approach achieves water separation without requiring long separating paths.
3Productivity
If vortical motion is produced in the flow, then water droplets are separated onto outer edges, but uncontrolled droplet flow and pressure losses occur
Solution Approach 1:
The water-collecting troughs are positioned specifically at the trailing edge of the back slat where water droplets naturally accumulate due to centrifugal force. This localized positioning provides controlled water collection while minimizing disruption to the overall laminar flow structure, ensuring both separation efficiency and flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the centrifugal force that initially causes uncontrolled droplet motion into a beneficial mechanism by directing droplets onto the outer edges where they are efficiently collected by the trailing edge troughs. The same centrifugal effect that could cause problems is harnessed to improve water separation control.
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 significantly reduces pressure losses from 12 to 3, enhancing water separating capacity while minimizing the size and power requirements of air intake systems, ensuring cleaner air with reduced water content.
Implementation Method 1
the droplets, as they are heavier than air, are separated due to the centrifugal force onto the outer edges of the channels
Implementation Method 2
the moist flow is arranged to pass through the louver as a smooth and vortex-free laminar flow
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A louvered separator for separating water from an air flow is provided which includes a number of vertical slat structures having a constant profile, horizontally spaced from each other so as to form horizontally tortuous separating channels in the spaces between the slats. The slat structures include water-collecting troughs and two separate slats having differing constant profiles; in the air flow direction a foremost front slat and a following back slat. The front slat includes, in the flow direction, a leading edge, a middle area and a trailing edge, and the back slat includes, in the flow direction, a leading edge, a middle area and a trailing edge. The water-collecting trough is limited to the area of the trailing edge of the back slat, so that the front slat entirely, and the back slat for more than a half of its length from the leading edge towards the trailing edge, form only even surfaces to guide the flow.