What is the Lynx separator?
The Lynx separator is a gas/liquid separator built by InnSep AS in Trondheim, Norway. It removes liquid droplets from a gas stream using a filter that rotates. InnSep AS was established in 2011 as a spinout from the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
How does the Lynx separator work?
Wet gas passes through a filter that is turning. The mesh catches the liquid droplets, and the rotation throws the captured liquid outwards to the wall, where it drains into a separate chamber. Because the mesh is cleared continuously, it does not clog, and the pressure drop across the unit does not rise as it runs.
How is the Lynx separator different from a conventional gas/liquid separator?
A conventional separator relies on volume and gravity, and a static filter fills up over time. The Lynx separator uses rotation instead, so it takes 50 to 70 per cent less volume than comparable gas/liquid separators, and InnSep has reported separation down to 0.3 micron. At the Rotvoll test facility in 2016 the Lynx 250 lost less than a third of the efficiency a conventional separator loses as pressure rises to 90 bar.
Where has the Lynx separator been used?
In eight value areas. Three were sold or licensed into commercial use: grease removal in commercial kitchens, launched in 2023; exhaust gas recirculation on ships, sold through Flebu International from 2018; and compressed air for seismic operations. Two more ran full scale pilots that confirmed the technology, dry gas seal protection on offshore compressors licensed to Eagleburgmann in 2015, and gas/liquid separation for oil and gas. The remaining three are at laboratory or concept level.
Has the Lynx separator been independently tested?
Yes. The Lynx 250 was tested at the Statoil high pressure test facility at Rotvoll in Trondheim in 2016, where efficiency and K-factor were confirmed up to 90 bar. The unit built for dry gas seal protection was pressure tested to 330 bar at Eagleburgmann Norway in 2016. The Lynx 250 is PED certified.
Who owns InnSep AS and where is the company based?
InnSep AS is a Norwegian company with its head office at Sluppenveien 11 in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 2011 as a spinout from the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Sondre K. Jacobsen is CEO and Roar S. Andersen is chairman.
What is InnSep looking for?
Two things. Lynx Kitchen is looking for distribution partners in Sweden and Denmark who want to scale up and have a network in that market. For the seven other value areas, InnSep AS is open to investors and partners. The form is not fixed, and the company would rather start with a conversation than with a term sheet.
Can the Lynx separator be retrofitted to an existing plant?
That is the main case InnSep has described. Because it needs 50 to 70 per cent less volume than a comparable separator, it fits where a conventional unit would not. In 2016 InnSep set out five retrofit positions: after a main separator, ahead of rotating equipment, in parallel for de-bottlenecking, as replacement internals, and as a replacement separator.
