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US 4,481,020 AGranted
Liquid-gas separator apparatus
AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsLawrence C. Lee, Mukul K. Tyagi, Michael W. Furnas, Francis T. Traylor
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AssigneeTRW Inc.
InventorsLawrence C. Lee, Mukul K. Tyagi, Michael W. Furnas, Francis T. Traylor
Estimating the term…
A centrifugal liquid-gas separator apparatus which is particularly adapted for use downhole with a submergible pump comprises an elongated hub having disposed on its periphery helical blades defining a screw-type inducer for pressurizing a liquid-gas fluid mixture entering the apparatus, axially extending vanes defining a centrifugal separator for separating the liquid and gas components of the fluid mixture, and smoothly curved blade segments disposed intermediate the blades and the vanes for providing a smooth transition for the fluid mixture flowing from the inducer to the centrifugal separator. The apparatus is capable of maintaining a substantially constant flow rate over a large range of volumetric ratios of gas to liquid.
Liquid-gas separator apparatus comprising a housing having an inlet for a liquid-gas fluid mixture and having first and second outlets for separated liquid and gas, respectively, helical blade means defining screw inducer means in the housing for pressurizing a liquid-gas fluid mixture entering the housing through the inlet, elongated vane means defining centrifugal separator means in the housing for separating liquid and gas components of the fluid mixture, blade segment means defining transition means disposed in the housing intermediate the screw inducer means and the centrifugal separator means for conveying the fluid mixture smoothly from the screw inducer means to the centrifugal separator means while minimizing pressure loss, and means for separately conveying separated liquid and gas components of the fluid mixture to said first and second outlets, respectively, the blade segment means of the transition means being formed and related to the helical blade means of the screw inducer means and to the vane means of the centrifugal separator means so as to define a transition flow path that is free of abrupt changes in flow direction and that smoothly and continuously changes the direction of flow of the fluid mixture from the helical blade means of the screw inducer means to a direction of flow substantially along the length of the vane means of the centrifugal separator means, the helical blade means of the screw inducer means being formed to pressurize the fluid mixture sufficiently to provide a pressurized fluid flow through the housing and to maintain positive liquid and gas exit pressures at said first and second outlets, respectively.
Liquid-gas separator apparatus comprising a housing having an inlet for a liquid-gas fluid mixture and having first and second outlets for separated liquid and gas, respectively, an elongated hub in the housing adapted for connection to a rotary shaft, blade means defining a screw inducer disposed on a first longitudinal portion of the hub for pressurizing a liquid-gas mixture entering the housing through the inlet sufficiently to provide a pressurized fluid flow through the housing, elongated vane means defining a centrifugal separator disposed on a second longitudinal portion of the hub for separating liquid and gas components of the fluid mixture, curved blade segment means disposed intermediate the blade means and the vane means, the curved blade segment means being shaped so as to define a transition flow path that is free of abrupt changes in flow direction and that smoothly and continuously changes the direction of flow of the fluid mixture from the blade means of the screw inducer to a direction of flow substantially along the length of the vane means of the centrifugal separator, and means for separately conveying separated liquid and gas components of the fluid mixture to said first and second outlets, respectively.
Liquid-gas separator apparatus for use with a submergible pump connected to a motor by a shaft, comprising a housing having inlet means for a liquid-gas fluid mixture and having first and second outlet means for separated liquid and gas, respectively, the shaft passing longitudinally through the housing, helical blade means defining a screw inducer connected to the shaft within the housing adjacent to the inlet means for pressurizing the fluid mixture entering the housing sufficiently to provide a pressurized fluid flow through the housing, longitudinally extending vane means defining a centrifugal separator connected to the shaft for imparting rotary motion to the fluid mixture to separate the liquid and gas components thereof, blade segment means disposed intermediate the vane means and the blade means, the blade segment means being shaped so as to define a transition flow path that is free of abrupt changes in flow direction and that smoothly and continuously changes the direction of flow of the fluid mixture from the helical blade means of the screw inducer to a direction of flow substantially along the length of the vane means of the centrifugal separator, while minimizing pressure loss, and means for conveying the separated liquid and gas separately to their respective outlet means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.