Split ratio and flow rate effects on energy consumption and separation efficiency of dynamic gas–liquid separator

Abstract A type of separator called dynamic gas–liquid separator (DGLS) utilizes vane rotation and is more reliable under complex and extreme conditions compared to conventional cyclones. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the split ratio ( Sr ) on the energy consumption and performance of DGLS. The Reynolds stress model (RSM) is used to obtain the turbulence characteristics inside the DGLS, and the population balance model (PBM) is used to predict the bubble aggregation and breakup process to derive the separation performance. Consistency between numerical predictions and experimental evidence confirmed the reliability of the model. The results show that the degassing rate ( η g ), differential pressure (Δ p o ), and power ( P ) of the DGLS increase, whereas the model‐predicted liquid‐phase separation efficiency ( η o ) decreases with increasing split ratio ( Sr ) and bubble size. Considering Sr = 0.5, the performance of the separator preferred compromise condition, and the η g , η o , Δ p o , and P are 90.56%, 91.25%, 10.99 kPa, and 502.37 W, respectively. In addition, when the Sr is certain, with the increase of inlet flow rate ( Q o ), the bubble particle size decreases, the η g and Δ p o of the separator decreases, and the η o and P increase. Overall, Q o = 140 m 3 /d provides the preferred compromise between gas and liquid‐phase separation performance within the investigated range.