초록 ▼

A horizontal separator for separating impurities from geothermal steam or the like is provided which includes a pair of drip or drain legs for accommodating the separated fluid portion containing the impurities. To maintain the temperature of the drain legs sufficiently high to prevent hardening of

A horizontal separator for separating impurities from geothermal steam or the like is provided which includes a pair of drip or drain legs for accommodating the separated fluid portion containing the impurities. To maintain the temperature of the drain legs sufficiently high to prevent hardening of the impurities on the walls thereof, a portion of the steam continuously flows into the drain leg with the separated impurities. In order to minimize venting of the steam supplied to the drain legs directly to atmosphere and consequent environmental problems, and also to improve the efficiency of operation of the separator, recycle lines are provided between the drain legs and the inlet to the separator for recycling a portion of the steam. At the inlet, this recycled steam is drawn into the separator by way of an ejector-type recycle pump. In preferred embodiments, two drip legs are provided for the horizontal separator and the recycle flow back into the recycle pump is equalized for the two legs using control valves in the recycle lines. Preferred embodiments also provide for reversal of the drip leg steam flow in the drip legs before it is recycled so as to minimize the impurities in the recycled steam.

대표청구항 ▼

Separator apparatus for separating solid impurities from a supply of geothermal steam or the like, comprising: an inlet for the geothermal steam, separator means downstream of said inlet including means for continuously separating solid impurities from said steam with throughflow of cleaned steam, a

Separator apparatus for separating solid impurities from a supply of geothermal steam or the like, comprising: an inlet for the geothermal steam, separator means downstream of said inlet including means for continuously separating solid impurities from said steam with throughflow of cleaned steam, an outlet downstream of said separator means for accommodating continuous outflow of said cleaned steam, drain leg means communicating said solid impurities away from said separator means and including impurity storage space to accommodate storage of the solid impurities, said drain leg means being disposed to also accept a drain leg portion of the steam flow thereinto to maintain the temperature of the drain leg means to minimize hardening of said solid impurities in the drain leg means, and recycle means communicating directly with the drain leg means for continuously recycling the drain leg portion of the steam flow back into said inlet. A method of separating solid impurities from a supply of geothermal steam or the like, comprising: supplying geothermal steam to a separator inlet, continuously separating solid impurities from the steam in a separator disposed downstream of the inlet with continuous outflow of cleaned steam, communicating said impurities and a drain leg portion of said steam to drain leg means opening into said separator, said drain leg portion of said steam serving to maintain the temperature of the drain leg means to minimize hardening of solid impurities in the drain leg means, and recycling said drain leg portion of said steam continuously back into said inlet.