Separating drilling cuttings and gas using a liquid seal

A gas separation system for processing a drilling fluid to separate gas from drilling cuttings, the gas separation system comprising:

• a separation vessel having a body, the body having a top wall, a bottom wall, a sidewall, an upper portion and a lower portion and the body forming a closed structure defining an interior space of the separation vessel and the lower portion of the interior space comprising an agitation chamber;
• an inlet for receiving the drilling fluid into the interior space of the separation vessel above the agitation chamber, the drilling fluid comprising the gas and the drilling cuttings;
• a gas outlet in the upper portion for discharging gas from the interior space of the separation vessel;
• a discharge pump coupled to a bottom discharge outlet in the lower portion of the body for promoting the discharge of the drilling cuttings from the interior space of the separation vessel;
• a circulation pump coupled to the lower portion of the body for promoting the introduction of a liquid into the interior space of the separation vessel to maintain a liquid seal level within the interior space of the separation vessel atop the agitation chamber;
• one or more sprayers positioned above the agitation chamber and configured to wet particulates borne by the gas with the liquid as the gas rises to the gas outlet after the separation:
• one or more mixing nozzles directed into the lower portion of the interior space of the separation vessel and configured to inject a jet of the liquid to agitate the cuttings with a swirling action within the agitation chamber, wherein the agitation chamber is configured to promote agitation of the drilling cuttings in the liquid within the agitation chamber to aid removal of the drilling cuttings along with a removed amount of the liquid thereby separating the drilling cuttings;
• at least one fluid level sensor configured to detect fluid levels within the interior space of the separation vessel;
• a control system, the control system coupled to the discharge pump and to the circulation pump, the control system for controlling the discharge pump and the circulation pump to actively maintain the liquid seal of the liquid in a lower portion of the interior space of the separation vessel by controlling an introduced amount of the liquid admitted to the interior space of the separation vessel as the removed amount of the liquid is removed from the interior space of the separation vessel and wherein the at least one fluid level sensor are coupled to the control system;
• a series of upper baffles defining a tortuous path past the baffles to separate the gas from at least one substance selected from a group consisting of drilling cuttings, the liquid, and foam;
• and
• a centering baffle within the interior space and having a top rim edge positioned below the series of upper baffles and above the agitation chamber and wherein the centering baffle is configured to concentrate and direct the drilling fluid towards the center of agitation chamber.