Numerical investigation on the separation performance of a novel baffle-wire mesh gas–liquid separator with a pagoda-shaped liquid baffle

To address the limitations of vertical heat-exchanger tube evaporators – where boiling restricts separation space – and the challenges traditional separators face in balancing separation efficiency with pressure drop, this study proposes a novel baffle-wire mesh gas‒liquid separator equipped with a pagoda-shaped liquid baffle. Using the Euler–Lagrange method, numerical simulations were conducted under conditions with and without the pagoda-shaped liquid baffle, as well as with varying baffle-layer configurations, to analyze the velocity fields, pressure distributions, pressure drop characteristics, and separation efficiency. The results reveal that the pagoda-shaped liquid baffle suppresses the central inlet jet. For the one-layer baffle plate, the velocity standard deviation at the Y = 0.5 m intercept line decreases from 0.138 to 0.051, and the maximum reduction of the central outlet velocity peak reaches 17%, which effectively improves the flow field uniformity. The separation efficiency ranges from 88.32 to 96.2% for configurations without the pagoda-shaped liquid baffle. After installing the liquid baffle, the separation efficiency reaches 91.8%, 96.6%, and 99.4% for L = 1, L = 2, and L = 3, respectively, and the 96.6% efficiency of the L = 2 scheme outperforms that of the three-layer structure without the liquid baffle. The total pressure drop increment induced by the pagoda-shaped liquid baffle only falls within 15–22 Pa, with a relative growth of 4.84–7.7%. This structure optimizes airflow distribution and boosts separation performance at a minor penalty of flow resistance, providing theoretical support for the design of compact high-efficiency gas‒liquid separators under spatially constrained conditions.