Experimental investigation on the operational characteristics of a steam separator under marine conditions

In this study, a novel steam separator featuring a two-stage separation structure was evaluated for its performance in marine scenes. The operational characteristics of the separator were assessed under various marine conditions. A test rig was designed and constructed to evaluate the vapor-liquid separation performance, and a visualization prototype was developed. Subsequently, test conditions simulating diverse marine environments were established. Using water and air as working fluids, the separation efficiency and flow pressure drop of the visualization prototype were examined under different operating conditions. The uncertainty of the measuring instruments was also analyzed. Results indicate that the steam separator consistently exhibited high separation efficiency, reaching up to 99.8 % while maintaining a flow pressure drop of no more than 1800 Pa under varying marine conditions. Moreover, compared to conventional operational tests, the impact of marine conditions on the separator's operational characteristics was negligible.