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US 9,315,740 B2Granted
Methods of separating mixtures of miscible fluids
AssigneeOrbital ATK, Inc.
InventorsVladimir Balepin, Jason S. Tyll, Florin Girlea, Sabrina A. Hawkins
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for vortex tube desulfurization of jet fuels. Also disclosed are processes for separation of closely boiling species in a mixture of miscible fluids.
Claims22
A method for separating at least one sulfur-containing compound from a hydrocarbon-based fuel, the method comprising:
- introducing a pressurized and heated parent stream comprising a mixture of the at least one sulfur-containing compound and the hydrocarbon-based fuel into a first vortex tube at a tangential inlet, the first vortex tube comprising an axial primary outlet at an inlet end and a secondary outlet at an opposing end;
- withdrawing a predominantly vapor primary stream from the primary outlet, the primary stream comprising a lower concentration of the at least one sulfur-containing compound than the parent stream;
- and
- removing a predominantly liquid secondary stream from the secondary outlet, the secondary stream comprising a higher concentration of the at least one sulfur-containing compound than the parent stream.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.