Hydro-Flo Technologies, Inc.

The Art and Science... of Wastewater Treatment

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Location
API Separator Calculations
USER INPUT IN YELLOW
Design Flow rate (in gpm)
Temperature (in deg F)
Specific Gravity of the Oil (in g/cm3)
Oil Droplet size (in microns)
Density of the Water (in g/cm3)
Viscosity (in Poise)

250
150
0.34
150
0.98022
0.00439

An "oil droplet size" of 150 is typically

API separators. Do not change this
you have a specific need. The minim
value is 60

For more detailed information go to www.HydroFloTech.com

RESULTS
Width of separator in feet
Depth of separator in feet
Length of separator in feet
Oil Droplet (in cm)

5.000
2.500
25.000

0.015

Call 630-762-0380 to talk to a Hydro-Flo application engineer

terminal velocity (in cm/s)

terminal velocity (in ft/min)
Minimum cross sectional area needed (in ft)
Cross Sectional Area (in square feet)
maximum horizontal velocity (15*vt, but must be <=3)
horizontal velocity (in ft/min)
vh/vt
short-circuiting factor
Length of unit (must be at least 5X of width) (in ft)
length/width
minimum horizontal area
Width of channel (in feet) (must be 6 to 20)
Depth (in feet)
Depth/Width Ratio (must be .3 to .5)

Minimum
Allowable
Result
1.80
3.54
11.14
11.14
3.00
3.00
0.85
1.20
5.00
5.00
11.34
1.00
0.30
0.30

Design
1.80
3.54
11.14
12.50
3.00
2.67
0.76
1.20
25.00
5.00
11.31
5.00
2.50
0.50

Maximum
Allowable
Result
1.80
3.54
11.14
160.00
3.00
0.21
0.06
1.17
100.00
5.00
11.08
20.00
10.00
0.50

Step 1:
Adjust the width and depth of the chanel until you achieve a
horizontal velocity <=3. Ideal horizontal velocity should be in
the <=2 range at average flow. Make sure that you maintain
a depth/width ratio of .3 to .5

An "oil droplet size" of 150 is typically the norm for

API separators. Do not change this value unless
you have a specific need. The minimum useable

of the chanel until you achieve a

eal horizontal velocity should be in
low. Make sure that you maintain

Density vs. Temperature

y=

0.00000000277462147773796x3

- 0.00000211838753585601000x2 + 0.00013993394854970600000x +
0.99753287920401900000000
R = 0.99995045854160300000000

0.995

0.99

Temperature (in deg F)

0.985

0.98

0.975

0.97

0.965

0.96

0.955

50

100

150
Density (in g/cm3)

200

250

Temp
F
32
50
60
70
80
85
100
120
140
160
180
212

Absolute Viscosity
Centipoises
1.79
1.31
1.12
0.98
0.86
0.81
0.68
0.56
0.47
0.4
0.35
0.28

Poise
0.0179
0.0131
0.0112
0.0098
0.0086
0.0081
0.0068
0.0056
0.0047
0.004
0.0035
0.0028

Kinematic Viscosity

Density (g/cm3) Centistokes

1.79
0.9998
1.31
0.9997
1.12
0.999
0.98
0.99797
0.86
0.9966
0.81
0.9958
0.69
0.993
0.57
0.9885
0.48
0.9832
0.41
0.9771
0.36
0.9704
0.29
0.95836

SSU
33
31.6
31.2
30.9
30.6
30.4
30.2
30
29.7
29.6
29.5
29.3

ft/sec
1.93E-05
1.41E-05
1.22E-05
1.06E-05
9.3E-06
8.69E-06
7.39E-06
6.09E-06
5.14E-06
4.42E-06
3.85E-06
3.19E-06

vh/vt

turbulence factor
20
15
10
6
3

f=1.2*turbulence factor
1.45
1.37
1.27
1.14
1.07

1.74
1.64
1.52
1.37
1.28

turbulence and short circuiting

factor (F)

1.8
1.7
1.6

1.5
1.4

1.3
1.2
1.1
1

y=

turbu

y = -0.0000213597934790311x3 +
0.0000986213627513777x2 +
0.0349403358077921000x +
1.1713602582358000000
R = 0.9981820238073540000

R = 0.9981820238073540000
vh/vt

11x3 +
+
x+

0000

0000

Viscosity vs. temperature

y = 0.0000000000314883016338411x4 - 0.0000000198359271685716000x3 + 0.0000047858489752766400000x2 0.0005579906068523960000000x + 0.0314145949124516000000000
R = 0.9997858425918770000000000
0.02

0.018

0.016

Viscosity (in poise)

0.014

0.012

0.01

0.008

0.006

0.004

0.002

0
0

50

100

150
Temperature (deg F)

200

250