Cyclone separator

Claim 1

A cyclone separator having a generally cylindrical first portion with a plurality of substantially identical substantially equally circumferentially spaced tangentially directed feeds, and, adjacent to the first portion and substantially coaxial therewith, a tapered second portion open at its far end, the first portion having an axial overflow outlet opposite the second portion, the second portion comprising a flow-smoothing taper converging towards its said far end, where it leads into a substantially coaxial generally cylindrical third portion, the internal diameter of the totality of the axial overflow outlet being d 0 , of the first portion being d 1 , of the divergent end of the taper comprised in the second portion being d 2 , of the convergent end of the taper being d 3 , of the third portion being also d 3 , the internal length of the first portion being l 1 and of the second portion being l 2 , the total cross-sectional area of all the feeds measured at the points of entry normal to the inlet flow being A i , the shape of the separator being governed by the following relationships: 10≦l.sub.2 /d.sub.2 ≦25 0.04 ≦4A.sub.i /πd.sub.1 ≦0.10 d.sub.2 >d.sub.3 d.sub.1 >d.sub.2 the improvement comprising: d.sub.0 /d.sub.2 <0.1 and wherein the half-angle of the convergence of the taper is 20' to 1°.

Claim 15

A method of removing a lighter phase from a larger volume of a denser phase, comprising applying the phases to the feeds of a cyclone separator according to any preceding claim, the phases being at a higher pressure than in the axial overflow outlet and in the far end of the third portion.