Moisture Separator Plates With Drainage Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing moisture separators in power plants are not effective enough in separating water droplets from steam, leading to inefficiencies in thermal cycles and potential erosion damage to downstream equipment due to residual moisture content.
Innovation Solution
A moisture separator configuration featuring wave-shaped metal plates with non-impinging and impinging sides, Venturi channels, concave cavities, and window openings to enhance droplet collection and prevent re-entrainment, utilizing drainage channels and turbulent dispersion to improve separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wave-plate mist eliminators are used to remove water droplets from steam, then moisture separation is achieved through inertia and drag, but re-entrainment of water droplets occurs at critical gas/steam velocity and erosion damage can occur on downstream equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating distinct zones with different surface characteristics on the plates. The impinging wall side has a rough surface to promote droplet collection and adhesion, while the non-impinging wall side has a smooth surface to minimize droplet re-entrainment. This localized differentiation of surface properties directly addresses the contradiction by enhancing separation effectiveness in one area while preventing harmful re-entrainment in another.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the plate surface into functional zones using longitudinal grooves that create drainage channels. These grooves divide the impinging wall side into multiple drainage pathways, allowing efficient water removal while preventing film buildup that could cause re-entrainment. The segmentation of the surface into collection zones and drainage zones resolves the contradiction between effective moisture separation and prevention of re-entrainment.
2Reliability
If wave-shaped plates are used to separate water droplets from steam, then droplet collection is improved, but liquid film accumulation on plate walls can occur leading to increased re-entrainment risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the liquid film from the plate surface by incorporating drainage channels formed by longitudinal grooves. These grooves actively remove accumulated water from the impinging wall side, preventing film buildup that would otherwise lead to re-entrainment. This extraction mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining high droplet collection efficiency while continuously removing excess liquid to prevent film accumulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The longitudinal grooves act as intermediary drainage channels between the impinging wall side and the bulk liquid collection system. These grooves provide a controlled pathway for liquid film removal, mediating between the droplet collection function and the need to prevent film accumulation. The intermediary drainage structure allows the system to maintain both high collection efficiency and low re-entrainment risk.
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 configuration achieves high retention of water droplets, reducing re-entrainment and erosion risks, while increasing cycle efficiency and reducing thermal loads by effectively separating steam from water droplets, allowing for efficient drainage and protection of equipment.
Implementation Method 1
Most separators use the principle of inertia, whereby larger water droplets tend to continue in a straight line when the direction of flow of an air/steam stream, in which these water droplets are carried, is changed.
Implementation Method 2
The inertia of the drops and the drag of the steam control the motion of the drops through the channels.
Implementation Method 3
When the amount of liquid is sufficiently high a film and liquid rivulets are formed, which are continuously drained out from the wave-plate mist eliminators by gravity.
Data Source
AI summary
Moisture separator configuration for separating water droplets from steam of a flow having a mixture of steam and water droplets, such that the cited flow travels through the moisture separator configuration so that this separation is achieved. The moisture separator configuration includes a plurality of plates oriented in line with the flow. The plurality of plates form channels through which the flow travels. The channels have progressive cross section variation along the flow direction, in order to collect progressively the water droplets separated from the steam in the flow.