Apparatus and method for fluid treatment of a feed comprising a fluid mixture

A method of fluid treatment of a feed comprising a fluid mixture including water and gas, the method comprising:

• mixing the feed in a mixing chamber of a phase separator, the mixing chamber having a feed inlet and a mixing outlet, the mixing chamber having a length and an internal diameter, and a ratio of the length to the internal diameter of the mixing chamber being at least 20:1, and the feed inlet including a nozzle forming a restriction arranged to introduce turbulence to fluid within the mixing chamber
• supplying the fluid exiting from the mixing outlet of the mixing chamber into a gas-liquid separator having a mixture inlet, a fluid outlet and a gas outlet;
• and
• controlling a fluid pressure within the gas-liquid separator by sending control signals to a vacuum source downstream of the gas outlet to control a vacuum pressure within a headspace of the gas-liquid separator.

An apparatus for fluid treatment of a feed comprising a fluid mixture containing water and gas, the apparatus comprising:

• a phase separator comprising a mixing chamber having a feed inlet, a purge gas inlet and a mixing outlet, the mixing chamber having a length and an internal diameter, and a ratio of the length to the internal diameter of the mixing chamber being at least 20:1, and the feed inlet including a nozzle forming a restriction arranged to introduce turbulence to fluid within the mixing chamber;
• a gas-liquid separator connected to receive the feed exiting the mixing outlet through a mixture inlet, the gas-liquid separator having a fluid outlet and a gas outlet;
• and
• a flow restrictor upstream of the purge gas inlet, and a flow rate controller connected to send control signals to the flow restrictor to vary a flow rate of purge gas through the purge gas inlet.

A method of fluid treatment of a feed comprising a fluid mixture containing water and gas, the method comprising:

• supplying the feed into a mixing chamber of a phase separator, the mixing chamber having a feed inlet, a purge gas inlet and a mixing outlet, the mixing chamber having a length and an internal diameter, and a ratio of the length to the internal diameter of the mixing chamber being at least 20:1, and the feed inlet including a nozzle forming a restriction arranged to introduce turbulence to fluid within the mixing chamber;
• supplying the feed exiting the mixing chamber into a gas-liquid separator having a mixture inlet, a fluid outlet and a gas outlet;
• and
• introducing purge gas into the mixing chamber through the purge gas inlet at a controlled flow rate.