Structured Separator for Chemical Laser Reactant Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas/liquid separation technologies are inadequate for high-performance chemical lasers, particularly in tactical and airborne applications, due to limitations in flow control and separation efficiency, as they require large volumes or excessive energy, and existing separators are not suitable for the unique high-liquid-to-gas ratios and velocities encountered in chemical oxygen iodine lasers (COILs).
Innovation Solution
A compact gas/liquid separator using multiple layers of corrugated channels with varying inclinations, designed to manage high-velocity liquid flows and entrained gases, allowing for efficient separation and recirculation of basic hydrogen peroxide (BHP) and chlorine reactants, with an injector plate providing high irrigation rates and a gas injector for optimal liquid-to-gas ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional centrifugal separators are used, then separation capability is provided, but device volume and complexity exceed tactical platform limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical centrifugal separation system with a structured packing-based separation system. The structured packing provides a large surface area for gas-liquid separation without requiring high rotational speeds or large volumes, enabling compact deployment in tactical laser platforms while maintaining effective separation of basic hydrogen peroxide and chlorine reactants.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs structured packing material with a three-dimensional porous structure to facilitate gas-liquid separation. This porous structure provides extensive surface area for mass and heat transfer, allowing efficient separation of reactants in a compact volume suitable for tactical applications, eliminating the need for large conventional separators.
2Reliability
If large volume separators are used, then separation efficiency is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The structured packing material provides a complex internal structure with high surface area to volume ratio, achieving efficient separation without requiring large external dimensions. The three-dimensional porous network facilitates effective gas-liquid contact and separation while maintaining a compact overall device size and simplified external geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional conventional separator designs to three-dimensional structured packing. This dimensional change allows the separation process to occur within a compact volume by utilizing vertical and radial space efficiently, achieving high separation efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity or space requirements.
3Productivity
If high irrigation rates are used, then liquid flow capacity is increased, but liquid-to-gas ratio control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates flow control mechanisms that provide feedback to regulate the liquid-to-gas ratio. The structured packing arrangement naturally distributes liquids and gases through its three-dimensional structure, and combined with flow control valves and sensors, this feedback system maintains optimal separation conditions even at high irrigation rates, preventing ratio失控 while maximizing liquid flow capacity.
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 enables continuous operation of chemical lasers by effectively separating and recirculating reactants, overcoming the limitations of conventional separators and enabling sustained, high-performance operation in tactical laser platforms with improved efficiency and compactness.
Implementation Method 1
a first layer of corrugations forming inclined channels, the first layer of corrugations to receive a liquid and a gas to be separated
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for gas/liquid separation on an array of jets or streams of liquid is provided. Layers of structured packing material are configured to “quiet” high-velocity liquid flow with entrained gas to provide a flow at moderate or low velocity from which the gas has been substantially separated from the liquid.