Rotational Particle Separator as a Compact Gas Scrubber

Abstract

The rotational particle separator (RPS) is a compact device capable of separating micron-sized droplets from gases by centrifugation. Combined with expansion cooling in a turbine at semi-cryogenic temperatures, it provides the opportunity to remove contaminants like CO2 and H2S from natural gas. Potential advantages of this technique are minimum energy consumption and compactness. To demonstrate its potential, an industrial scale RPS prototype is designed and constructed. Experiments are performed to check its overall performance. Both the hydrodynamic performance and the separation efficiency are satisfactory and correspond to theoretical predictions. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.