A vortex breaker is a device used in engineering to stop the formation of a vortex when a fluid (liquid or gas) is drained from a vessel such as a tank or vapor–liquid separator.
The formation of vortices can entrain vapor in the liquid stream, leading to poor separation in process steps such as distillation or excessive pressure drop,[1] or causing cavitation of downstream pumps.
[2][3] Vortices can also re-entrain solid particles previously separated from a gas stream in a solid-gas separation device such as a cyclone.
The "floor grate" design uses a system of grating similar to the metal floor of a catwalk.
Different authors give different rules of thumb for vortex breaker design.