Device for the separation of gas from a liquid

Claim 1

Apparatus for separating gas from a liquid pumped therethrough, said apparatus comprising a housing having inner wall means defining a separation chamber, a liquid supply pipe leading into said separation chamber in a given direction with an enlarging cross section extending in the direction of flow therethrough, a discharge pipe extending from an exit opening in said separation chamber in a direction substantially perpendicular to said supply pipe, flow deflection wall means arranged to define, together with the inner wall means of said housing, stabilizing chamber means within said separation chamber, said stabilizing chamber means being configured to effect therein vortical flow of fluid about a vortex axis, said flow deflection wall means extending between said stabilizing chamber means and said exit opening and being arranged to divide flow entering said separation chamber from said supply pipe into a pair of flow paths, one extending to said exit opening and the other extending into said stabilizing chamber with the major portion of said flow being directed toward said exit opening, exhauster means provided above said stabilizing chamber means defining an exhaust flow path therefrom extending in a direction generally coincident with the direction of said vortex axis, and orifice means extending through said flow deflection wall means in flow communication between said exit opening and said stabilizing chamber means, said orifice means being arranged to extend in a direction generally eccentrically to the path of said vortex flow about said vortex axis in said stabilizing chamber means and located longitudinally relative to said vortex axis to impart to said vortex flow a longitudinal component progressing toward said exhauster means.