Vertical separator for separating a mixture of fluid phases

Claim 1

A vertical separator for separating respective liquid and vapor phases of a fluid mixture, said separator including: an outer casing, said outer casing having disposed therein, an upper sleeve enclosing an inlet chamber for the fluid mixture, a plurality of vertical tubes, said tubes being provided with inlet openings at the top of said tubes, communicating with said inlet chamber, and fixed vanes positioned in said tubes to urge the mixture to flow helically; at the bottom of said coaxial tubes of smaller diameter for the collection of dry steam, fixed on a perforated disc and communicating with a dry steam collection chamber, inside of an inner casing and connected with a dry steam outlet tube, said coaxial tubes having annular spaces between them and the bottom of said vertical tubes for the removal of a fluid mixture with increased liquid content; a cylindrical casing enclosing a free space around said plurality of vertical tubes above said perforated disc, said free space allowing the separation of said fluid mixture with increased liquid content into substantially dry vapor and a liquid still containing some vapor, said cylindrical casing being spaced from the inner side of said outer casing to thereby define an outer annular space, from the periphery of said inner casing of said dry steam collection chamber defining an inner annular space for the downwards flow of said liquid still containing some vapor, and being provided with a lower free edge for allowing the vapor remaining in said liquid still containing some vapor to escape upwardly through said outer annular space, means for withdrawing said substantially dry vapor and said escaped vapor, and means for collecting and withdrawing the liquid stripped from said escaped vapor.