Droplet separator

Claim 1

In a droplet separator for removing all liquid droplets of a size above a minimum limiting droplet diameter d from a gas stream entraining said droplets with a defined droplet-size spectrum at an inlet velocity v and comprising a stack of vertically extending corrugated separator plates having an interplate spacing T, a crest-to-crest spacing λ on each plate and collecting pockets at each crest having inlet slots opening into the gas stream traversing respective flow passages between said plates between an inlet side of said stack and an outlet side thereof, said passages having a length L K measured in a straight-line dimension between said inlet and outlet sides, the improvement which comprises, in combination with means for supplying the gas stream to said inlet side of said stack at said velocity v: (a) each of said plates is formed by a plurality of plate members of length L T measured in a straight-line dimension between the inlet and outlet sides of the stack, the successive plate members of each plate overlapping over a distance U measured in a straight-line dimension between the inlet and outlet sides of the stack at a respective pocket; (b) the length L T being greater by the distance U than nλ/2 where n is the number selected from one half and one; (c) said passage length L K is substantially equal to m λ/2 where m is an integer; and (d) the product of the inlet velocity v and λ corresponds to the product of the passage length L K and a characteristic velocity v c constituting the allowable inlet velocity of the separator at which the spacing T defines the limiting droplet diameter d, λ being between 2 and 7 times T.