Experimental and numerical investigation on the gas–liquid separation performance of a novel vane separator with grooves

Abstract

A novel vane separator with grooves for use in natural gas purification processes was proposed to improve the fine droplet removal efficiency (<20 μm). In this study, an experimental approach and numerical method were combined to investigate the effects of geometric parameters (groove position, groove height and plate spacing) and operating conditions (inlet gas velocity and droplet size) on the separation efficiency, pressure drop and quality factor. The numerical results indicated that the groove configurations have a great influence on the airflow velocity distribution pattern and droplet trajectories, leading to changes in the separation efficiency and pressure drop. Increasing the dimensionless groove height K2 and decreasing the groove position K1 can remarkably increase the possibility of droplets hitting the wall, which results in a higher separation efficiency. In addition, the re-entrainment mechanism is suppressed effectively by applying the grooves when inlet gas velocity exceeds a critical value. Although the pressure drop also inevitably increases, but the proposal is acceptable for industrial applications. Therefore, using the grooves as enhanced structures can be a feasible means to develop optimal vane separators.