Method for removing liquid droplets from a gas and pressurizing the resulting liquid

Abstract

A method for removing entrained liquid droplets from a gas is provided. This method includes introducing a gas with entrained liquid droplets into a cyclone separator, thereby producing a gaseous portion and a liquid portion, wherein the gaseous portion exits the cyclone separator, and wherein the liquid portion is restricted by a liquid control valve and collected in a reservoir volume in the cyclone separator. The method also includes opening the liquid control valve upon receiving a signal from a liquid level sensor located in the reservoir volume, the liquid portion exits the cyclone separator and is introduced into a lock hopper. The method also provides a pressurized vapor stream to the lock hopper, thereby pressurizing the lock hopper, and then withdrawing a pressurized liquid stream from the lock hopper.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.