Experimental study on the entrainment of the liquid film in the annular channel of the vortex separator

The vortex separator has been widely applied in nuclear reactors to provide high-quality steam to turbines. The entrainment of the liquid film on the wall affects significantly the separator’s function but has rarely been concerned. In this study, the entrainment in the annular flow field of the vortex separator was experimentally studied. The inlet gas velocity ranged from 5.6 to 12.2 m/s and the liquid film flow Reynolds number was around 597 ∼ 1392. The critical speeds for the liquid film entrainment that occurred under each liquid film flow condition were identified, and a map of the critical condition for entrainment to take place was given. The performance of the liquid film at different locations of the annular channel indicated that the swirl flow intensified the disturbance of the airflow to the liquid film, and the disturbance would be more severe if the swirl developed more fully.