What is a Cyclonic Separator?
This kind of separator is different compared to the gravimetric separator, while S1 works by gravity force, S2 works by centrifugal force. The fluid moves very quickly creating a vortex inside the vessel. The fluid continues to spin and the particles of extract begin to separate moving toward the walls of the separator, sliding to bottom. This separator applies the Cyclonic Effect to separate fractions.The flow creates a cyclone inside this separator and all the compounds in the fluid are condensed along the internal walls of the vessel. The temperature of the walls determines which compound will be condensed.
With this operation, we can obtain the lighter solutes, and clean up the CO2. Our machines are equipped with 2 cyclonic separators, which are separator 2 (S2) and 3 (S3), because the first one (S1) is the gravimetric separator. S2 and S3 has got one important difference:
- Separator 2 is heated, therefore the condensation point is high and light lipid-soluble compounds are collected here.
- Separator 3 is cooled, therefore the condensation point is very low and water and light water-soluble compounds are collected here