Hybrid separator

1. A vapor-liquid separator, comprising:

a chamber having (i) an inlet opening operative for purposes of receiving there at a flow of a vapor-liquid mixture, (ii) an outlet opening operative for purposes of exhausting therethrough said vapor-liquid mixture, (iii) a wall, including a smooth, curved inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface being operative to define a cylindrical passageway that extends longitudinally between said inlet opening and said outlet opening, and (iv) a slot suitably formed through both said inner surface and said outer surface of said wall; and

a plurality of spinner blades suitably disposed within said passageway so as to be positioned below said slot, and suitably configured so as to be operative to induce the flow of said vapor-water mixture to spin, such as to thereby centrifugally force droplets of liquid that are entrained in the flow of said vapor-liquid mixture that is spinning up against said inner surface of said wall and then through said slot; and

wherein said passageway is suitably configured so as to be operative to direct the flow of said vapor-liquid mixture to said outlet opening, and

wherein the wall is continuous above the slot.

2. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said slot extends along a circumference of said wall at a single longitudinal position along the passageway.

3. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said slot is one of a series of adjacent slots, each of said series of adjacent slots being formed through said inner surface and through said outer surface of said wall at a single longitudinal position along the passageway.

4. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said plurality of spinner blades are suitably disposed approximately midway between said inlet opening and said outlet opening.

5. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a mesh suitably located outside said chamber such as to be disposed in the path of flow of said droplets of liquid in said vapor-liquid mixture that are made to flow through said slot.

6. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said mesh is a creased mesh having a crease that extends in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of said passageway.

7. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said mesh has (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a compartment that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end;

said chamber is suitably disposed within said compartment; and

the longitudinal axis of said passageway also functions as the longitudinal axis of said compartment.

8. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 5 wherein said mesh is a first mesh, and further comprising:

a second mesh that is suitably located outside said chamber so as to be suitably disposed in the path of flow of said droplets of liquid in said vapor-liquid mixture that are made to pass through said first mesh.

9. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

said first mesh has (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a first compartment that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end;

said second mesh has (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a second compartment that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end;

said chamber is suitably disposed within said first compartment;

said first mesh is suitably disposed within said second compartment; and

the longitudinal axis of said passageway also functions as the longitudinal axis of each of said first compartment and of said second compartment.

10. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:

a third mesh that is suitably located outside of said chamber so as to be suitably disposed in the path of flow of said droplets of liquid in said vapor-liquid mixture that are made to pass through said second mesh.

11. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 10 wherein:

said first mesh has (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a first compartment that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end;

said second mesh has (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a second compartment that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end;

said third mesh has (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a third compartment that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end;

said chamber is suitably disposed within said first compartment;

said first mesh is suitably disposed within said second compartment;

said second mesh is suitably disposed within said third compartment; and

the longitudinal axis of said passageway also functions as the longitudinal axis of each of said first compartment, of said second compartment, and of said third compartment.

12. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the vapor in said vapor-liquid mixture is steam and the liquid in said vapor-liquid mixture is water.

13. A method operative for purposes of effecting therewith the separation of liquid from a vapor-liquid mixture that is made to flow in a cylindrical passageway from an inlet to an outlet, and wherein the passageway is defined by a peripheral wall being a curved surface that has a through slot provided therein, wherein the wall is continuous above the slot, the method comprising:

receiving at the inlet of the passageway a flow of a vapor-liquid mixture;

applying a centrifugal force to cause droplets of the liquid in the vapor-liquid mixture that is received at the inlet of the passageway to flow through the through slot in the peripheral wall; and

exhausting from the outlet of the passageway the flow of vapor-liquid mixture after droplets of liquid have been removed therefrom.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising:

screening the droplets of liquid that are made to flow through the slot.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 further comprising:

screening again at least a portion of the droplets of liquid that have already been subjected to screening.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising:

screening still again at least a portion of the droplets of liquid that have already again been subjected to screening.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein:

the vapor in the vapor-liquid mixture is steam and the liquid in the vapor-liquid mixture is water.

18. A vapor-liquid separator comprising:

a cylindrical chamber having (i) an inlet opening, (ii) an outlet opening, (iii) a wall, including an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface being operative to define a cylindrical passageway that extends longitudinally between said inlet opening and said outlet opening, and (iv) a series of adjacent slots all at a single longitudinal location along a longitudinal axis passing through the center of the passageway suitably formed so as to extend along a circumference through both said inner surface and said outer surface of said wall of said chamber, wherein the wall is continuous above the adjacent slots;

a plurality of spinner blades suitably disposed within said passageway so as to be positioned below said slot;

a first mesh having (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a compartment (a) that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end and (b) having said cylindrical chamber disposed therein;

a second mesh having (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a second compartment (a) that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end and (b) having said first mesh disposed therein; and

a third mesh having (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a mesh wall that is operative to define a third compartment (a) that extends longitudinally between said first end and said second end and (b) having said second mesh disposed therein.

19. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 18 wherein:

said mesh wall of said first mesh includes a crease that extends in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of said passageway.

20. The vapor-liquid separator as claimed in claim 18 wherein:

said passageway, said first compartment, said second compartment, and said third compartment each have the same longitudinal axis.