Centrifugal separator systems for multi-phase fluids

A system for separating liquid from a gas-liquid mixture in oil well production comprising:

• a separator vessel for receiving a gas-liquid mixture from a production flowstream and including means for effecting primary separation of at least a portion of gas entrained in said mixture form said liquid, said vessel having a gas-liquid mixture inlet conduit, a gas outlet conduit and liquid outlet means;
• and
• centrifuge means for imposing centrifugal forces on said liquid to cause substantially radial outward flow of liquid and separation of gas remaining entrained in said liquid after said primary separation to provide a substantially gas-free liquid flowstream for measurement of at least one of composition and flow rate of said liquid, said centrifuge means including a rotary centrifuge including spaced-apart support members, said support members including respective inlet and discharge conduit portions and means for supporting a rotatable centrifuge member, a rotatable centrifuge member supported on said support members for rotation relative thereto and comprising an elongate tube having plural elongated chambers formed therein and open to opposite ends of said tube for receiving a liquid flowstream at one end and for discharging separate gas and liquid flowstreams at the opposite end, and conduit means for receiving said gas flowstream for discharging a separated gas flowstream from said centrifuge means.

A separator for separating gas entrained in a gas-liquid mixture comprising:

• a vessel, including an interior partition for dividing said vessel into a first space and a second space;
• means in said first space for receiving a gas-liquid mixture and for providing primary separation of gas entrained in said gas-liquid mixture;
• and
• a centrifuge member disposed in said second space for receiving liquid from said first space for separating further amounts of gas entrained in said liquid, said centrifuge member being rotatably supported in said second space and including a plurality of radially extending chambers formed in said centrifuge member for receiving a quantity of liquid with gas entrained therein, means for discharging liquid from said centrifuge member in one direction and means for discharging gas from said centrifuge member in another direction for separating gas from liquid in said chambers.