초록 ▼

Stacked plates each have a plurality of thin etched flow passages to be employed in a tank containing gas and liquid for separation to provide gas free liquid. The liquid surface tension in the flow passages that are exposed to the gas provides a force to prevent the gas from entering the liquid gal

Stacked plates each have a plurality of thin etched flow passages to be employed in a tank containing gas and liquid for separation to provide gas free liquid. The liquid surface tension in the flow passages that are exposed to the gas provides a force to prevent the gas from entering the liquid galleries until the tank is void of liquid. Such separation is useful in fuel tanks in near zero gravity environment as well as in other separation duties.

대표청구항 ▼

The method of separating liquid from vapor in a substantially zero g environment comprising the steps of: providing an etched flow passage so that it extends from a first wall to a second wall with the flow passage having sufficiently small dimension that liquid is passed through the passage in pref

The method of separating liquid from vapor in a substantially zero g environment comprising the steps of: providing an etched flow passage so that it extends from a first wall to a second wall with the flow passage having sufficiently small dimension that liquid is passed through the passage in preference to vapor due to liquid surface tension forces; and positioning the passage in a tank for containing liquid and vapor so that liquid is preferentially delivered through the passage for delivery from the tank. The method of separating liquid from vapor in a substantially zero g environment comprising the steps of: placing and removing liquid from a tank so that both liquid and vapor are present in the tank; forming a flow passage having a flow direction therethrough and a sufficiently small dimension normal to the flow direction so that liquid is passed through the passage in preference to vapor due to liquid surface tension forces; positioning the passage in the tank so that one end of the passage is exposed to the interior of the tank and the other end of the passage is connected to a gallery for delivery of liquid from the tank so that liquid delivery in preference to vapor delivery is achieved from the tank; and separating liquid from vapor in the tank by preferentially passing liquid through the flow passage and delivering the liquid into the gallery.