Improvements in and relating to water separators

1,089,311. Centrifugal separators; separating liquid particles from gas. UNITED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION. Dec. 2, 1965, No. 51184/65. Headings BIT and B2P. An apparatus for removing particles of moisture from air for use in aircraft air conditioning systems comprises a housing 12, 14 within which is secured a separator proper consisting of a cylindrical vortex chamber 38 having swirl vanes 37, Fig. 2, arranged circumferentially and tapering inwardly in the general direction of air flow, and of a moisture-collecting chamber 42 provided with apertures 44 for the passage therethrough of separated moisture particles, a disc-shaped moisture particle coalescer 24 made of a woven, knitted or matted sheet of fabric being interposed between an inlet 22 for moisture-laden air and the vortex chamber and being secured at its outer periphery to the housing to extend substantially perpendicular to the general direction of air flow. The coalescer may be in the form of a solid disc extending right across the housing inlet end portion, Fig. 3 (not shown) or, as shown in Fig. 1, it may be annular, being secured at its inner periphery to a ring clamp 30 which is itself secured by an annular support member 34 to a bulkhead 32 supporting one end of the vortex chamber. A spring-loaded valve 52 permits by-passing of the coalescer 24 by the moisture-laden air should the coalescer become clogged, the air passing via apertures 61 in the member 34. In operation, the moisture-laden air passes first through the coalescer 24 where moisture particles coalesce into larger ones and are entrained in the air stream. The air with the coalesced particles then enters the vortex chamber through the vanes 37 and as a result of the swirl imparted to the air by the latter the particles of moisture are separated out centrifugally against the perforated wall of the chamber 42 and pass through the apertures 44 into the housing interior from which they are discharged at 46. Some of the coalesced moisture particles are also separated on the vanes 37 as the air impinges on the latter, these particles due to the tapering of the vanes are directed, while adhering to the vanes and the vortex chamber wall, to the chamber 42 where they are also discharged through the apertures 44. The moisture free air leaves the chamber 42 through a duct 40.