WO2002020137A2 - Water trap - Google Patents

Water trap Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2002020137A2
WO2002020137A2 PCT/ZA2001/000138 ZA0100138W WO0220137A2 WO 2002020137 A2 WO2002020137 A2 WO 2002020137A2 ZA 0100138 W ZA0100138 W ZA 0100138W WO 0220137 A2 WO0220137 A2 WO 0220137A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
inlet
outlet
gas stream
water
water trap
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/ZA2001/000138
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2002020137A3 (en
Inventor
Stephen Kotze
Original Assignee
Stephen Kotze
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Stephen Kotze filed Critical Stephen Kotze
Priority to AU2001295101A priority Critical patent/AU2001295101A1/en
Publication of WO2002020137A2 publication Critical patent/WO2002020137A2/en
Publication of WO2002020137A3 publication Critical patent/WO2002020137A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D53/00—Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols
    • B01D53/26—Drying gases or vapours
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D45/00—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces
    • B01D45/12—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by centrifugal forces
    • B01D45/14—Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by centrifugal forces generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D2257/00—Components to be removed
    • B01D2257/80—Water

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method of, and to an apparatus for, separating water from a gas stream such as a compressed air stream.
  • water includes water and any other products of condensation produced or contained in a gas stream, and particles which may be entrained therein.
  • the invention provides, in the first instance, a method of separating water from a gas stream which is moving in a first direction which includes the steps of causing the stream to move outwardly, away from the first direction, to a. first side of a perforated wall, collecting water, entrained by the gas stream, from a second side of the perforated wall, and allowing the gas to move to an outlet.
  • the invention preferably includes the step of positioning the outlet opposite the inlet in line with the said first direction.
  • the gas stream may be caused to move radially outwardly from the first direction with a spiral-type movement.
  • the method may include the step of causing the stream to move outwardly by directing the gas stream from the inlet onto one or more deflectors.
  • directing the gas stream from the inlet onto one or more deflectors Preferably use is made of a plurality of deflectors positioned at spaced intervals between the inlet and the outlet.
  • the invention further extends to a water trap which includes a housing in which is formed a chamber with a perforated wall, an inlet to and an outlet from the chamber, at least one deflector between the inlet and the outlet, the deflector being shaped so that it directs gas entering the chamber through the inlet towards the said perforated wall, and a drain at a lower end of the housing.
  • the chamber may include inner and outer sections with the inner section including the said perforated wall.
  • the inner and outer sections may be in the nature of spaced tubular members.
  • the inlet and the outlet may oppose each other.
  • Each deflector may be shaped so that it imparts to the gas stream a spiral-type movement which causes the gas stream to move radially outwardly.
  • the drain may discharge into a separator.
  • the separator may include a mechanism for separating solids from liquids.
  • the trap 10 includes a housing 12 which has inner and outer sections 14 and 16 respectively.
  • the sections are tubular in nature and the inner section is positioned inside the outer section and is substantially co-axial with the outer section,
  • the inner section 14 has a wall 18 which is formed with a plurality of perforations or holes 20.
  • the outer section is fluid and gas impervious.
  • a tubular annular space 22 is formed between the two sections.
  • the inner section 14 defines a chamber 24. Positioned inside the chamber are three vanes 26, 28 and 30 respectively. The vanes are substantially identical to each other and are positioned at spaced intervals inside the chamber between an inlet 32 to the chamber and an outlet 34 from the chamber.
  • the vanes are fixed to the inner section 14 ie. the vanes are stationary.
  • Each vane is in the nature of a stationary propeller with a central axis 36 which is concentrically located inside the inner section 14 in-line with the inlet 32 and outlet 34 which directly oppose one another.
  • the outer section 16 is formed with a drain opening 40.
  • a separator 42 is fixed to the outer section 16 so that the drain discharges into a mouth of the separator.
  • the separator includes a collecting vessel 44 with an inner deflector plate 46.
  • a tube 48 extends upwardly from a lower floor of the vessel to a position slightly below the deflector plate.
  • An air/water separator 50 is connected to a lower end of
  • a valve 52 which is manually operated is connected to an outlet 54 at a lower side of the vessel 44.
  • the water trap 10 is designed to extract water from a gas line, eg. a compressed air line, with minimal pressure drop. It is positioned in-line, as shown in the drawing, with the gas line, opposing ends of which define the inlet 32 and the outlet 34.
  • the sections 14 and 16 are engaged in a leak-proof manner with the inlet and the outlet in such a way that the gas stream exiting the inlet is directed into the chamber 24 and gas can flow from the chamber to the outlet 34.
  • the gas stream enters the chamber in the direction of an arrow marked 60 which is centrally positioned inside the section 14 in-line with the axes 36 of the deflector vanes 26, 28 and 30.
  • the vanes create turbulence in the incoming gas stream and effectively cause the gas stream to be deflected radially outwardly, away from the first direction or central axis 60 substantially in a spiral or helical path.
  • the gas stream together with water which is entrained in the gas stream is thus directed onto an inner surface of the wall 18 of the inner section. Water droplets entrained in the gas stream are forced through the holes 20 together with gas.
  • the water droplets are collected in the tubular space 22 between the two sections and this water flows inside the space 22 to a lower surface of the section 16 and then passes through the drain 14 into the vessel 44.
  • the gas stream passes from deflector to deflector with each deflector acting substantially in the same way ie. to induce turbulent or helical-type flow in the gas stream so that the water droplets, which are denser than the gas, are moved outwardly and are forced through the respective holes 20. In this way water and entrained foreign material in the water and gas stream are separated from the gas stream into the space 22. Substantially clean and dry gas thus exits the trap through the outlet 34.
  • the water and entrained foreign material pass through the drain 40 into the separator vessel 44.
  • the mixture of water and foreign material falls onto the deflector plate 46 which directs the foreign material to the right, inside the vessel, ie. close to the outlet 54 at the lower region of the vessel 44.
  • the denser particles which are normally the foreign material entrained in the water, settle to the lower region of the vessel while the water volume inside the vessel builds up and eventually reaches the upper end of the tube 48.
  • the water then flows down the tube to the air/water separator unit 50.
  • This unit which is of a kind known in the art, enables water to be separated from air with a minimal gas loss.
  • the separator thus functions to separate water from entrained solids with the latter being collected in the lower region of the vessel 44.
  • the solids are not dry and from time to time can be drained through the outlet 54 by operating the valve 52.
  • the trap 10 has the capability of separating water from a gas stream such as a compressed air flow, with a very low pressure loss.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Separating Particles In Gases By Inertia (AREA)
  • Drying Of Gases (AREA)

Abstract

A water (10) trap which includes a housing (12) in which is formed a chamber with a perforated wall (18), an inlet (32) to and an outlet (34) from the chamber, at least one deflector (26, 28, 30) between the inlet (32) and the outlet (34), the deflector being shaped so that it directs gas entering the chamber through the inlet towards the said perforated wall, and a drain (40) at a lower end of the housing.

Description

WATER TRAP
This invention relates to a method of, and to an apparatus for, separating water from a gas stream such as a compressed air stream.
As used herein the word "water" includes water and any other products of condensation produced or contained in a gas stream, and particles which may be entrained therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides, in the first instance, a method of separating water from a gas stream which is moving in a first direction which includes the steps of causing the stream to move outwardly, away from the first direction, to a. first side of a perforated wall, collecting water, entrained by the gas stream, from a second side of the perforated wall, and allowing the gas to move to an outlet.
The invention preferably includes the step of positioning the outlet opposite the inlet in line with the said first direction.
The gas stream may be caused to move radially outwardly from the first direction with a spiral-type movement.
The method may include the step of causing the stream to move outwardly by directing the gas stream from the inlet onto one or more deflectors. Preferably use is made of a plurality of deflectors positioned at spaced intervals between the inlet and the outlet.
The invention further extends to a water trap which includes a housing in which is formed a chamber with a perforated wall, an inlet to and an outlet from the chamber, at least one deflector between the inlet and the outlet, the deflector being shaped so that it directs gas entering the chamber through the inlet towards the said perforated wall, and a drain at a lower end of the housing.
The chamber may include inner and outer sections with the inner section including the said perforated wall. The inner and outer sections may be in the nature of spaced tubular members.
The inlet and the outlet may oppose each other.
Each deflector may be shaped so that it imparts to the gas stream a spiral-type movement which causes the gas stream to move radially outwardly.
Preferably use is made of a plurality of deflectors positioned between the inlet and the outlet, at spaced intervals from each other.
The drain may discharge into a separator. The separator may include a mechanism for separating solids from liquids. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention is further described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates from the side and in cross section an inline water trap according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The accompanying drawing illustrates from the side and in cross section an in-line water trap 10 according to the invention.
The trap 10 includes a housing 12 which has inner and outer sections 14 and 16 respectively. The sections are tubular in nature and the inner section is positioned inside the outer section and is substantially co-axial with the outer section,
The inner section 14 has a wall 18 which is formed with a plurality of perforations or holes 20. The outer section is fluid and gas impervious. A tubular annular space 22 is formed between the two sections.
The inner section 14 defines a chamber 24. Positioned inside the chamber are three vanes 26, 28 and 30 respectively. The vanes are substantially identical to each other and are positioned at spaced intervals inside the chamber between an inlet 32 to the chamber and an outlet 34 from the chamber.
The vanes are fixed to the inner section 14 ie. the vanes are stationary. Each vane is in the nature of a stationary propeller with a central axis 36 which is concentrically located inside the inner section 14 in-line with the inlet 32 and outlet 34 which directly oppose one another.
The outer section 16 is formed with a drain opening 40. A separator 42 is fixed to the outer section 16 so that the drain discharges into a mouth of the separator. The separator includes a collecting vessel 44 with an inner deflector plate 46. A tube 48 extends upwardly from a lower floor of the vessel to a position slightly below the deflector plate. An air/water separator 50 is connected to a lower end of
the tube. A valve 52 which is manually operated is connected to an outlet 54 at a lower side of the vessel 44.
The water trap 10 is designed to extract water from a gas line, eg. a compressed air line, with minimal pressure drop. It is positioned in-line, as shown in the drawing, with the gas line, opposing ends of which define the inlet 32 and the outlet 34. The sections 14 and 16 are engaged in a leak-proof manner with the inlet and the outlet in such a way that the gas stream exiting the inlet is directed into the chamber 24 and gas can flow from the chamber to the outlet 34.
The gas stream enters the chamber in the direction of an arrow marked 60 which is centrally positioned inside the section 14 in-line with the axes 36 of the deflector vanes 26, 28 and 30. The vanes create turbulence in the incoming gas stream and effectively cause the gas stream to be deflected radially outwardly, away from the first direction or central axis 60 substantially in a spiral or helical path. The gas stream together with water which is entrained in the gas stream is thus directed onto an inner surface of the wall 18 of the inner section. Water droplets entrained in the gas stream are forced through the holes 20 together with gas. The water droplets are collected in the tubular space 22 between the two sections and this water flows inside the space 22 to a lower surface of the section 16 and then passes through the drain 14 into the vessel 44.
The gas stream passes from deflector to deflector with each deflector acting substantially in the same way ie. to induce turbulent or helical-type flow in the gas stream so that the water droplets, which are denser than the gas, are moved outwardly and are forced through the respective holes 20. In this way water and entrained foreign material in the water and gas stream are separated from the gas stream into the space 22. Substantially clean and dry gas thus exits the trap through the outlet 34.
The water and entrained foreign material pass through the drain 40 into the separator vessel 44. The mixture of water and foreign material falls onto the deflector plate 46 which directs the foreign material to the right, inside the vessel, ie. close to the outlet 54 at the lower region of the vessel 44. The denser particles, which are normally the foreign material entrained in the water, settle to the lower region of the vessel while the water volume inside the vessel builds up and eventually reaches the upper end of the tube 48. The water then flows down the tube to the air/water separator unit 50. This unit, which is of a kind known in the art, enables water to be separated from air with a minimal gas loss.
The separator thus functions to separate water from entrained solids with the latter being collected in the lower region of the vessel 44. The solids are not dry and from time to time can be drained through the outlet 54 by operating the valve 52.
It has been found that the trap 10 has the capability of separating water from a gas stream such as a compressed air flow, with a very low pressure loss.

Claims

1. A method of separating water from a gas stream which is moving in a first direction which includes the steps of causing the stream to move outwardly, away from the first direction, to a first side of a perforated wall, collecting water, entrained by the gas stream, from a second side of the perforated wall, and allowing the gas to move to an outlet.
2. A method according to claim 1 which includes the step of positioning the outlet opposite the inlet in line with the said first direction.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the gas stream is caused to move radially outwardly from the first direction with a spiral-type movement.
4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 which includes the step of causing the stream to move outwardly by directing the gas stream from the inlet onto one or more deflectors.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein use is made of a plurality of deflectors positioned at spaced intervals between the inlet and the outlet.
6. A water trap which includes a housing in which is formed a chamber with a perforated wall, an inlet to and an outlet from the chamber, at least one deflector between the inlet and the outlet, the deflector being shaped so that it directs gas entering the chamber through the inlet towards the said perforated wall, and a drain at a lower end of the housing.
7. A water trap according to claim 6 wherein the chamber includes inner and outer sections with the inner section including the said perforated wall.
8. A water trap according to claim 7 wherein the inner and outer sections are in the nature of spaced tubular members.
9. A water trap according to any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein the inlet and the outlet oppose each other.
10. A water trap according to any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein the deflector is shaped so that it imparts to the gas stream a spiral-type movement which causes the gas stream to move radially outwardly.
11. A water trap according to any one of claims 6 to 10 which includes a plurality of deflectors positioned between the inlet and the outlet, at spaced intervals from each other.
12. A water trap according to any one of claims 6 to 11 which includes a separator into which the drain discharges and which separates solids from liquids.
PCT/ZA2001/000138 2000-09-11 2001-09-11 Water trap WO2002020137A2 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2001295101A AU2001295101A1 (en) 2000-09-11 2001-09-11 Water trap

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ZA2000/4783 2000-09-11
ZA200004783 2000-09-11

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002020137A2 true WO2002020137A2 (en) 2002-03-14
WO2002020137A3 WO2002020137A3 (en) 2002-05-16

Family

ID=25588901

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/ZA2001/000138 WO2002020137A2 (en) 2000-09-11 2001-09-11 Water trap

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2001295101A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2002020137A2 (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2006054088A1 (en) * 2004-11-20 2006-05-26 Schlumberger Holdings Limited Flow separator and flow separation method
CN106902577A (en) * 2017-04-19 2017-06-30 成都南方电子仪表有限公司 A kind of tail gas pre-processes de-watering apparatus
CN108697959A (en) * 2015-12-17 2018-10-23 臼井国际产业株式会社 Gas-liquid separation eddy flow generation device
US10828590B2 (en) 2015-12-17 2020-11-10 Usui Co., Ltd. Gas-liquid separator

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE661079C (en) * 1936-05-24 1938-06-10 Fried Krupp Germaniawerft Akt Device for separating salts from steam, in particular from water vapor in steam generators
GB1206007A (en) * 1967-01-26 1970-09-23 Eidgenoess Flugzeugwerk Emmen Devices for separating a liquid and/or a vapour from a flowing carrier gas stream
US3641745A (en) * 1969-01-31 1972-02-15 Lester P Moore Gas liquid separator
US3885934A (en) * 1971-09-02 1975-05-27 Heat Fluid Engineering Corp Centrifugal tuyere for gas separator
DE2702148A1 (en) * 1977-01-20 1978-07-27 Helmut Frank Moisture separator for gases, esp. in humidifier plant - has tubular housing with diverger at inlet and outlet holes in wall

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE661079C (en) * 1936-05-24 1938-06-10 Fried Krupp Germaniawerft Akt Device for separating salts from steam, in particular from water vapor in steam generators
GB1206007A (en) * 1967-01-26 1970-09-23 Eidgenoess Flugzeugwerk Emmen Devices for separating a liquid and/or a vapour from a flowing carrier gas stream
US3641745A (en) * 1969-01-31 1972-02-15 Lester P Moore Gas liquid separator
US3885934A (en) * 1971-09-02 1975-05-27 Heat Fluid Engineering Corp Centrifugal tuyere for gas separator
DE2702148A1 (en) * 1977-01-20 1978-07-27 Helmut Frank Moisture separator for gases, esp. in humidifier plant - has tubular housing with diverger at inlet and outlet holes in wall

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2006054088A1 (en) * 2004-11-20 2006-05-26 Schlumberger Holdings Limited Flow separator and flow separation method
EA010218B1 (en) * 2004-11-20 2008-06-30 Шлюмбергер Текнолоджи Б.В. Flow separator and flow separation method
CN108697959A (en) * 2015-12-17 2018-10-23 臼井国际产业株式会社 Gas-liquid separation eddy flow generation device
US10828590B2 (en) 2015-12-17 2020-11-10 Usui Co., Ltd. Gas-liquid separator
US10881996B2 (en) 2015-12-17 2021-01-05 Usui Co., Ltd. Swirling flow generator for gas-liquid separation
CN108697959B (en) * 2015-12-17 2021-05-28 臼井国际产业株式会社 Cyclone generating device for gas-liquid separation
CN106902577A (en) * 2017-04-19 2017-06-30 成都南方电子仪表有限公司 A kind of tail gas pre-processes de-watering apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2001295101A1 (en) 2002-03-22
WO2002020137A3 (en) 2002-05-16

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