Assembly separates liquid from gas by passive hydrophilic/hydrophobic material approach. Apparatus is comprised of porous glass hydrophilic tubes. Quantity, lateral size, and pore size of glass tubes are determined by particular design requirements with regard to water rate, water quality contamination level, application endurance life, and operating differential pressure level

Erickson, A. C.

Porter, F. J., Jr.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

NASA TECH BRIEF 
Langley Research Center N*SAI LIA 
September 1974	 B74-10133 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Two-Phase, Passive Separator-and-Filter Assembly 
.
A separator-and-filter assembly has been developed 
for the separation of liquid from gas by the passive 
hydrophilic/hydrophobic material approach. The as-
sembly was designed to separate and filter liquid from a 
mixture of hydrogen, water vapor, and water. However, 
it could be used to separate other gases and liquids re-
quiring two-phase separation. 
Basically, the separator-and-filter apparatus is com-
prised of a number of porous glass hydrophilic tubes. 
The tubes are in series and contain helical cores to 
displace the water content centrifugally to the inside 
diameters of the tubes with subsequent water transport 
through the glass pores, while the gas proceeds down 
the helix path and eventually passes through the 
hydrophobic (porous polypropylene) membrane. The 
quantity, lateral size, and pore size of the glass tubes 
are determined by the particular design requirements 
with regard to water rate, water quality contamination 
level, application endurance life, and operating differ-
ential pressure level (hydrophilic bubble point). The 
quantity, configuration, and size of the hydrophobic 
membrane depend upon the particular design require-
ments relative to gas rate, application endurance life, 
and operating differential pressure level (hydrophobic 
water initiation point).
The helical cores are designed for tight fit on the 
inside diameters of the porous tubes to minimize or 
eliminate any centrifugal inefficiency, i.e., mixture 
bypassing when clearance exists between tube inside 
diameter and helical outside diameters. This is accom-
plished either by molded rubber helical cores capable 
of expanding radially or by collector tape and screen. 
Note: 
Requests for further information may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Langley Research Center 
Mail Stop 139-A 
Hampton, Virginia 23665 
Reference: B74-101 33 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: Albert C. Erickson and

Francis J. Porter, Jr., of 
General Electric Co.

under contract to

Langley Research Center 
(LAR-1 0976) 
Category 04,05 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the, use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States 	 will be free from privately owned rights.
.
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Two-phase, passive separator-and-filter assembly

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