Liquid-gas separation system

Claim 1

A CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM A LIQUID-GAS STREAM, SAID SEPARATOR COMPRISING: A HOLLOW, GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL ELEMENT MOUNTED IN A CONDUIT CONVEYING A LIQUID-GAS STREAM FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS OF GENERATION, SAID HOLLOW ELEMENT HAVING AN OUTLET AT ITS SMALLER END AND AN IMPERFORATED INWARDLY DIRECTED FLANGE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ENGAGING ITS LARGER END AND DEFINING AN INLET TO SAID HOLLOW ELEMENT FOR THE LIQUID-GAS STREAM, SAID LARGER END OF THE HOLLOW ELEMENT AND THE FLANGE DEFINING AN ANNULUS FOR THE COLLECTION OF LIQUID; A POROUS MASS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW ELEMENT AND INTERPOSED IN THE LIQUID-GAS STREAM TO COMPLETELY COVER SAID OUTLET, WHEREBY THE MIXED FLUIDS TO BE SEPARATED PASS INTO SAID POROUS MASS AND LIQUID IS COLLECTED THEREON, SAID LIQUID BEING DISPOSABLE BY CENTRIFUGAL ACTION TO THE ANNULUS AT THE LARGER END OF THE HOLLOW ELEMENT; A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER MEMBER HAVING AN OUTLET AT ONE END THEREOF; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER MEMBER IN FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL ELEMENT; A PISTON MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER MEMBER AND DIVIDING SAID CYLINDRICAL MEMBER INTO AN OUTLET CHAMBER FLUIDLY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CYLINDER OUTLET AND AN ACTUATION CHAMBER; A SPRING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ACTUATION CHAMBER AND BIASING SAID PISTON TO A POSITION WHERE IT CLOSES OFF SAID OUTLET; A PAIR OF TUBES HAVING OPEN ENDS AST DIFFERENT RADIAL DISTANCES FROM THE ROTARY AXIS OF THE SEPARATOR WITH EACH SAID OPEN END EXTENDING INTO SAID ANNULUS AND AT LEAST THE TUBE END WHICH IS MOST RADIALLY DISTANT FROM THE ROTARY AXIS EXTENDING TANGENTIAL TO THE ANNULUS AND BEING IN LIQUID AS THE SEPARATOR ROTATES, THE MOTION OF THE LIQUID AS THE SEPARATOR ROTATES, SAID TUBES BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION AT THEIR OTHER ENDS WITH THE OUTLET CHAMBER SIDE OF SAID CYLINDER MEMBER INTO SAID CYLINDER MEMBER WHENEVER SAID ANNULUS INTO SAID TUBE ENDS IS SUMBERGED WITHIN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TUBE ENDS IS SUBMERGED WITHIN LIQUID COLLECTED IN SAID ANNULUS; A VENTURI TUBE DISPOSED WITHIN THE ANNULAUS OF THE FRUSTO-CONICAL CHAMBER WITH THE BORE OF THE VENTURI TUBE EXTENDING TANGENTIAL TO SAID ANNULUS, SAID VENTURI TUBE HAVING A RESTRICTED ORIFICE AND BEING LOCATED AT A LESSER RADIAL DISTANCE FROM THE ROTARY AXIS OF THE SEPARATOR THAN THE OPEN END OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TUBES; AND A CONDUIT FLUIDLY COMMUNICATING THE RESTRICTED ORIFICE OF THE VENTURI TUBE WITH THE ACTUATION CHAMBER OF SAID CYLINDER MEMBER WHEREBY A PRESSURE REDUCTION PRODUCED IN THE RESTRICTED ORIFICE OF THE VENTURI TUBE BY LIQUID FLOWING THERETHROUGH IS INTRODUCED TO THE ACTUATION CHAMBER OF THE CYLINDER MEMBER TO REDUCE THE BIAS EFFECT OF THE SPRING MEANS AND FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID OUTLET CHAMBER MOVES THE PISTON VALVE FROM ITS POSITION WHEREIN THE CYLINDER OUTLET IS CLOSED TO A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN THE CYLINDER OUTLET OUTLET IS OPEN TO PERMIT FLOW OF LIQUID FROM THE ANNULUS OF THE SEPARATOR THROUGH SAID CYLINDER MEMBER OUTLET.