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Comparison Horizontal Vs Vertical Separator
Comparison Horizontal Vs Vertical Separator
Roberto Bubbico PhD, Chem. Eng. Department of Chemical Engineering Sapienza University of Rome bubbico@ingchim.ing.uniroma1.it
INTRODUCTION
In phase separation, two or more phases can be separated because a given force will act differently on them, or because one of the phases impacts on a solid barrier. The forces are usually gravity, centrifugal, and electromotive. Examples are removal of a solid from a liquid by impaction (filtration), gravity (settling), centrifugal force (cyclones or centrifuges), and the attraction of charged particles in an electrostatic precipitator.
INTRODUCTION
One exception to these mechanisms is drying by evaporating unbonded water from a solid. In this case, separation of a liquid from a solid occurs by mass transfer. Since many component separations require contacting two phases, like liquid-liquid extraction, component separation is frequently followed by phase separation. Phase separators can be classified according to the phases in contact: liquidgas, liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, solid-gas,
INTRODUCTION
In many cases separators will also have the role of accumulators, with the aim of reducing fluctuations in flow rate, pressure and/or composition (improving process control) Where the carryover of some fine droplets can be tolerated it is often sufficient to rely on gravity settling in a vertical or horizontal separating vessel (K-O drum or knockout pot).
INTRODUCTION
Reasons for using gas-liquid or vapor-liquid separators are: to recover valuable products, improve product purity, reduce emissions, protect downstream equipment, ... Gas-liquid separators are used after flashing a hot liquid across a valve (flash drum)
INTRODUCTION
The forces acting on a liquid droplet suspended in a gas are: gravity (acting FG = M L g downward) buoyancy (acting upward) drag (acting upward).
FB =
FD =
M L V g
2 2 C D D pUV V
INTRODUCTION
From a force balance: net gravity force = drag force FG = FD The relative velocity is given by:
UT =
4 gD p ( L V ) 3CD V
INTRODUCTION
The drag coefficient C is a function of the Reynolds number:
GU T D p Re =
Depending on the Reynolds number, the terminal velocity can be defined further: Re>500 Re<2 2<Re<500 (Newtons law) (Stokes law)
U T = 1.74
2
gD p ( L G )
UT =
UT =
gD p ( L G )
1.14
3.54 g 0.71D p
( L G )0.71
G 0.29 0.43
INTRODUCTION
As a matter of fact, the terminal velocity is calculated as:
UT = K
( L V )
V
where K is an empirical constant which depends on properties of the fluids, design of the separator, size of the drops, vapor velocity, degree of separation required
INTRODUCTION
In general around 95 % separation of liquid from vapor is accomplished by an empty drum If greater separation efficiencies are required, or very small drops need to be separated an uneconomically large separator should be used Very small drops (down to 1 m) can be separated by impaction using a wiremesh pad located at the top of the separator
INTRODUCTION
Entrained liquid drops in the vapor impact on the wires and coalesce until the drops become heavy enough to break away from the wire and fall to the bottom of the separator The use a wire-mesh mist eliminator, installed near the vapor outlet allows to get separation efficiencies of about 99.9% or greater
INTRODUCTION
The mesh usually consists of 0.011 in (0.279 mm) diameter wires interlocked by a knitting machine to form a pad from 4 to 6 in (0.102 to 0.152 m) thick. Because of the large free volume of the pad - 97 to 99 % - the pressure drop across the pad is usually less than 1.0 in of water
INTRODUCTION
The sizing of a separator depends on the value of the empirical constant K (or KD). The value of KD is largely influenced by the presence of internals. Normally, the value provided by the internals manufacturer should be assumed In the absence of manufacturer data, literature data can be used
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The value of K also depends upon the operating pressure
INTRODUCTION
For horizontal separators, the separation efficiency depends on the total vapor travel length within the vessel.
INTRODUCTION
A longer vessel makes it easier to remove liquid droplets. The values of K usually reported for a horizontal vessel, refer to a vessel length of 3.05 m. A typical design K value for horizontal separators is defined as 0.56 L KD = K 3.05
INTRODUCTION
For a two-phase vaporliquid separator, both vertical and horizontal configurations are used, and the selection should be made on a case-by-case basis Vertical separators have the advantage of lower space requirement and easy-toinstall control systems, but horizontal drums are typically smaller for high liquid loading service
INTRODUCTION
In a horizontal separator, with an increase in liquid level, the area of the vapor space is reduced and the possibility of liquid entrainment increases In a vertical separator the vapor-flow area remains constant and liquid entrainment is not an issue
INTRODUCTION
For a relief KO drum, the horizontal separator is popular simply because of the use of split flow. In this design, one inlet nozzle is used at the vessel center with two outlets on either side. This split-flow advantage is available only in horizontal separators
Horizontal separators
Advantages: Separation efficiency higher than for a vertical separator The only choice for a single inlet and two vapor outlets Easy to design for three-phase separation More suitable for handling large liquid volumes Disadvantages: It requires a footprint area larger than a vertical one At high liquid levels, the liquid entrainment rate progressively increases with the increase in liquid level
Vertical separators
Advantages: The liquid surface area does not change with liquid height: liquid entrainment is reasonably constant It requires a smaller footprint area Easier to install level instruments, alarms, and shutdown systems Usually more efficient for high vapor/liquid ratios Disadvantages: Not suitable for three-phase separation Less suitable for high liquidvapor ratios
Uv = Kv
(L V )
V
Dv =
4Q v U v
Dv=minimum vessel diameter, m Qv=gas, or vapour volumetric flow-rate, m3/s Kv= 0.07 m/s if a demister pad is used, and 0.15*0.07 without a demister pad, m/s
Vs = QLts
VS HS = 2 ( / 4)DV
The volume of the dished heads is not included in the design procedure
Vertical separators
> drop
with = residence time and drop= separation time KV = 0.125 ft/s (0.038 m/s) no mist pad; KV = 0.437 ft/s (0.133 m/s) with demister
L U AH
HV UV
U AH
L UV HV
where UAH= vapor velocity UV= critical drop velocity HV= height for vapor flow
0 .1
Length/diameter, L/D 3 4 5
In general the minimum cross-sectional area for gas flow should be at least 20 % of the total cross-sectional area
1. 2. 3.
QV = WV / V
Q L = WL / L
UT = K
L V V
U V = 0,75U T
V H = TH Q L
4(VH ) D= 0,6( L / D )
(corrisponde ad assumere
1/ 3
VH = 60%VT
AT =
D 2
4
Fisso il livello minimo di liquido HLL (da tabelle) oppure: HLL = 0.5 D + 7 (D=ft, HLL=in) con un minimo di HLL=9 in per D < 4 ft
x = cos (1 2 y ) (1 2 y ) y y
2
0 .1
L<Lmin (differenza < 20%) => pongo L=Lmin (labbattimento del vapore controllante) Se L<<Lmin si incrementa HV e si riparte da 9. Se L>Lmin => OK Se L>>Lmin (hold-up controllante) si pu aumentare Lmin e ridurre L diminuendo HV (se maggiore del minimo in 9.) Se
17. Si calcola il peso totale del recipiente (costo). Si varia il diametro D facendo variare 1.5<(L/D)<6 e si trova il rapporto ottimale