Aerospace gas/liquid separator for terrestrial applications

The space gas/liquid separator, a key component in the heat transport subsystem of a space reactor power system, was developed to remove helium gas from liquid lithium in zero gravity. This paper describes terrestrial applications which are a direct result of a new technology that was developed for a space power system. One application is removing air from cola syrup just prior to mixing with carbonated water. Another application is removing air from purified water prior to carbonating the water. The gas/liquid separator is also applicable for large commercial power plants to deaerate the water before and after the feedwater heaters. Another terrestrial application is for industrial companies to use the gas/liquid separator and wet chemistry to remove all the gases from the air and only discharge clean air to the atmosphere. An additional application that resulted from this gas/liquid separator technology was separating liquid carbon dioxide from nitrogen. This application is opposite from the space application in that it is removing a liquid from a gas rather than a gas from a liquid.