Multi-stage apparatus for separating liquid droplets from gases

1. An air deoiling device coalescing and separating entrained liquids from a gaseous air stream, comprising:

a modular air deoiling element of detachably mated components, said mated components being removably inserted together as a unit into a pressure vessel, said detachably mated components including

i) a preseparator separating a portion of said entrained liquids from said gaseous stream, said preseparator separating an untreated gas region from a preseparator gas region;

ii) a main separator comprising

a coalescing element aggregating liquid droplets in said gaseous stream into larger liquid droplets;

a drainage line arranged in said main separator and operable to remove separated liquid; and

iii) a post-separator separating said larger droplets from said gaseous stream;

wherein said detachably mated modular components are selected and combined to customize the air deoiling element as a function of application and required performance data wherein the preseparator comprises a baffle plate, a guide apparatus or a centrifugal separator selected from the group consisting of a cyclone and an impeller.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the preseparator is formed of synthetic resin material.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the preseparator functions independently of an inflow direction to the preseparator.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid is oil or water, and the gas is air.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detachably mated components are selected and combined to customize the air deoiling element to remove water or oil droplets from compressed air of a compressed air outlet of a rotary screw compressor.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is modularly constructed of a preseparator, a main separator and a post-separator.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the preseparator is detachably connected to the main separator, or the main separator is detachably connected to the post-separator, or the preseparator is detachably connected to the main separator, and the main separator is detachably connected to the post-separator.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coalescing element comprises a coalescing structure mounted around a support tube.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the post-separator comprises a drainage element, said drainage element comprising a net-like or porous drainage structure operable to pass said entrained liquid droplets more slowly than said gaseous stream, said drainage element collecting said droplets by gravity.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the post separator comprises an inertial separator.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the inertial separator is an inverted cyclone.

12. The device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the main separator is constructed of a plurality of modular components.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of modular components comprises a plurality of support tubes engaged axially end to end.

14. The device as claimed in 13 , wherein the plurality of support tubes supports said coalescing element, said coalescing element arranged radially on and mounted to said support tubes.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a pressure vessel into which the preseparator, the main separator and the post-separator are installed.

16. The device as claimed in 15 , wherein the preseparator partitions the pressure vessel.

17. Air compressor system comprising a device for separating liquids from gases as claimed in claim 1 .

18. A kit for assembling a device of claim 1 for separating liquids from gases, comprising:

i) a preseparator;

ii) a main separator with a coalescing element; and

iii) a post-separator selected from the group consisting of a drainage element and an inertial separator wherein the preseparator is selected from the group consisting of an impeller, a guide apparatus, an inline cyclone, and an inverted cyclone.

19. A kit as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the preseparator, the main separator and the post-separator can be detachably assembled.

20. A kit as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the main separator can be assembled from a plurality of center tube parts.