Swirl valve
Swirl valve technology has been developed by Twister BV of the Netherlands primarily for the gas processing market.[1] This technology is similar to the swirl tube[2] and can also be applied for liquid/liquid separation applications such as oil/water separation and for oil degassing. It is currently being used for optimising existing Joule–Thomson (JT-LTS) systems to minimise liquid carryover. The swirl valve is exactly the same as a Joule-Thomson (JT) choke valve, but it enhances the performance of downstream separators for the same pressure drop, by maximising droplet coalescence. The technology can be applied where a low temperature separator is undersized, or when a lower pressure drop over a JT valve is needed with a similar dew pointing performance. It can also be applied for reducing glycol/chemical inhibition liquid mist carry-over problems.
References
- ^ JPT Online, 6 June 2009. New gas processing technology improves separation efficiency
- ^ Gas Cyclones and Swirl Tubes Principles, Design and Operation by A. C. Hoffman and L. E. Stein. ISBN 978-3-540-74694-2