Apparatus for removing liquid from a liquid laden gas stream

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING LIQUID FROM A LIQUID LADEN PRESSURIZED GAS STREAM COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERFORATE TUBULAR DUCT STRUCTURE DEFINING A LIQUID FLOW PASSAGE HAVING A CURVILINEAR CENTRAL AXIS, A PARTITION DISPOSED IN SAID DUCT STRUCTURE AND DIVIDING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PASSAGE INTO AXIALLY ELONGATED PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PASSAGEWAYS, SAID SECONDARY PASSAGEWAY BEING DISPOSED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID PRIMARY PASSAGEWAY, SAID DUCT HAVING AN INLET PORTION FOR ADMITTING A LIQUID LADEN GAS STREAM INTO SAID PASSAGE, SAID PARTITION HAVING OPPOSED END PORTIONS IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID DUCT STRUCTURE AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES PROVIDING RESTRICTED FLUID FLOW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PASSAGEWAYS, SAID PRIMARY PASSAGEWAY HAVING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUCING A SPIRAL SECONDARY FLOW PATTERN IN SAID GAS STREAM, WHEREBY LIQUID SEPARATED FROM THE GAS STREAM IN SAID PRIMARY PASSAGEWAY BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE IS DIRECTED THROUGH SAID APERTURES INTO SAID SECONDARY PASSAGEWAY BY SAID SECONDARY FLOW EFFECTS, MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECONDARY PASSAGEWAY FOR REMOVING THE LIQUID FROM SAID SECONDARY PASSAGEWAY, AND SAID DUCT HAVING AN OUTLET FOR DISCHARGING THE SUBSTANTIALLY LIQUID-FREE GAS STREAM FROM SAID PRIMARY PASSAGEWAY.