5.

2 CHEMICAL DESIGN OF VAPOUR-LIQUID SEPARATOR

In this design, the vapour-liquid separator is used to separate the undesired

components with the desired components where the desired components contain
the components product which is propanal at the bottom of separator and carbon
monoxide and hydrogen removed at the top separator. The vapour travels upward
at a design velocity which minimizes the entrainment of any liquid droplets in the
vapour as it exits the top of the vessel. There are few stages to design phase
separator vessel. Those stages are;

1. Determination parameter and density of foe each stream

2. Calculation separation factor, α
3. Determination velocity factor, Kv
4. velocity settling, (Uv)max determination
5. Calculation the minimum vessel cross sectional area, Amin
6. Calculation vessel diameter, Dmin
7. Determination vapour –liquid inlet nozzle (Umax)nozzle and (Umin)nozzle
8. Determination vapour –liquid outlet nozzle (Umax)nozzle and (Umin)nozzle
9. Calculation vessel surge volume
10. Calculation liquid height and vessel volume

The flowchart of the above steps is shown in fig 5.2.1

5.2-1
 start

1.Determine of flow
parameter and density
for each stream

2.Calculate separation
factor, α

3.Determine velocity
factor, Kv

4.Find velocity settling,

(Uv)max

5.Calculate minimum
cross sectional area,Amin

6.Determine vessel
diameter,Dmin

7.Determine vapour-liquid inlet

nozzle (Umax)nozzle And
(Umin)nozzle

8.Determine vapour-liquid
outlet nozzle (Umax)nozzle And
(Umin)nozzle

9.calculate surge vessel

10.Determine liquid
height and vessel
volume

Finished

Figure 5.2.1 Flow chart of chemical design

5.2-2
 5.2.1 Step 1: Determination of flow parameters and density of each stream

Calculation for inlet (stream 11) density. For this calculation, the fraction of
vapour-liquid mixture need to be determines using Equation 5.2.1. The total
density of inlet mixture is calculated using the Equation 5.2.2 below.

Calculation of fraction vapour-liquid mixture,

Ql
 
Ql  Qv (5.2.1)

where

vapour-liquid fraction

Ql = volumetric flow rate of liquid

Qv = volumetric flow rate of vapour

Ql
 
Ql  Qv

= 0.00231

Calculation mixture density

ρmix = ρLρV(1-  5.2.2)

where:  mix = density vapour-liquid mixture

 v = density vapour mixture

l = density liquid mixture

ρmix = ρLρV(1-

= 7.3240 kg/m3

5.2-3
Table 5.2.2 shows the properties of liquid stream, the density of liquid outlet (stream
13) is given by Equation 5.2.3

Density of liquid mixture, ρL,mix = ∑ xi ρi (5.2.3)

Where:

xi = mass fraction of component

ρi = liquid density of component

Table 5.2.2 calculation liquid mixture density

Mole fraction, component density Liquid density xi

3 3
Component xi(-) ρi,kg/m , ρi,kg/m ,
Carbon
monoxide 0.0048 803 3.8544
hydrogen 0.0327 71 2.3217
propanal 0.9625 797 767.1125
∑ xi ρi 773.2886

Density of liquid mixture, ρL,mix = ∑ xi ρi

= 773.2886 kg/m3

Table 5.2.3 shows the properties of vapour stream, the density of vapour outlet
(stream 13) is given by Equation 5.2.4 .For pure vapour pressure below the 10 bar,
the ideal gas law can be use (Ernest E. Ludwig,1990)

Where

P = operating pressure = 8 bar

MW = total molecular weight of mixture =16.9028 g/mol

R = gas constant = 0.08314 L bar/ mol k

T = temperature = 21oC or 293K

5.2-4
Table 5.2.3 Calculation of vapour-liquid mixture density

Mixture molecular
Molecular
weight,mw
Component Mass fraction, xi weight, mw
Carbon 13.4316
monoxide 0.4797 28
Hydrogen 0.477 2 0.954
Propanal 0.0434 58 2.5172
∑mw 16.9028

𝑃(𝑀𝑊)
Density of vapour mixture, ρL,mix = (5.2.4)
𝑅𝑇

= 5.548 kg/m3

All data needed were taken from the process flow diagram (figure 5.2.1). Table
5.2.4 show the details parameter of flow rate and density of each stream.

Table 5.2.4 parameter of each stream taken from the Process Flow Diagram (PFD)

Parameter Value

Liquid Flow Rate, W L (stream 13) 19330 kg/h

Vapor Flow Rate, W V (stream 12) 59810 kg/h

Density of liquid, ρL (stream 13) 773.2886 kg/m3

Density of vapor, ρV (stream 12) 5.548 kg/m3

Density of mixture, ρmix (stream 11) 7.3240 kg/m3

5.2-5
5.2.2 Step 2: Determination of separation factor, α

Separation factor, α is a thermodynamic factor that to measure of relative

retention of two substances which is also known as selectivity. The purpose
of this calculation is to determine velocity factor Kv. The vapour-liquid
separation factor α, is given by Equation 5.2.5

  v
0.5
w 
α =  l   (5.2.5)
 wv  l 

where :
wl = liquid mass flow rate = 5.3694 kg / s

wv = vapour mass flow rate = 16.6138 kg / s

 v = density vapour mixture = 5.548 kg/m3

l = density liquid mixture = 773.2886 kg/m3

Then, the vapour-liquid separation factor α

0.5
 5.3694  5.548 
  
 16.6138  773.28 
 0.0273

From the value of vapour-liquid separation factor α, the value of velocity

factor Kv from the figure 5.2.4 can be determined.

5.2-6
Figure 5.2.4 Design vapour velocity factor for vertical vapour-liquid separators at
85% of flooding. Branan (2002)

From the figure 5.2.4, velocity factor Kv is 0.42.

5.2.3 Step 3 : Determination of settling velocity Uvmax

The main purpose of settling gravity is to settle our droplets of entrained

liquid from the up flowing gas.
From the Table 5.2.4 and Kv value taken from Figure 5.2.4,

uv max  Kv l  v  / v 0.5 (5.2.6)

Where: uv max = velocity settling

Kv = velocity factor = 0.42
 v = density vapour mixture = 5.548 kg/m3
l = density liquid mixture = 773.2886 kg/m3

u v max  K v  l   v  /  v 
0.5

 0.42773.2886  5.548 / 5.5648

0.5

 4.9332m / s

Then velocity settling uv max = 4.9332 m/s

5.2-7
5.2.4 Step 4 : The minimum vessel cross-sectional area

The minimum cross sectional area of the separator is calculated using

Equation 5.2.7 below. This calculation to determine the area to calculated
vessel diameter.

Amin  Qv / U v max (5.2.7)

Where:
Amin = vessel cross sectional area

Qv = volumetric flow rate of vapour = 10780.46m3/h

U v = settling velocity = 4.9332 m/s

Amin  Qv / U v max

10780.46m 3 1h 1s
 
h 3600s 4.9332m
 0.6070m 2

5.2.5 Step 5 : The vessel diameter

To design the separator, the diameter of the vessel needs to be considered.

Calculation for diameter of vessel is using Equation 5.2.8 below.
0.5
 4A 
Dmin   min  (5.2.8)
  

Where Dmin = minimum vessel diameter

Amin = vessel cross sectional area

0.5
 4A 
Dmin   min 
  
 4  0.6070 
0.5

 
  
 0.8791m

As a practical and safety consideration, add 0.5 ft (0.1524 m) was added to

minimal vessel diameter Dmin. (James, 2005)

D  0.8791  0.1524
D  1.0315 m  1 m

5.2-8
5.2.6 Step 6 : Vapour-liquid inlet nozzle velocity calculation

Velocity of inlet nozzle is calculated using empirical criteria, Equation 5.2.9 is

use to determine velocity of nozzle

Maximum inlet nozzle U max nozzle  100 mix 

0.5
( 5.2.9)

Where:  mix = mixture vapour-liquid density at inlet stream

U max nozzle  100 mix 0.5

 1000.45723
0.5

 67.61 ft / s
 20.61 m / s

U min nozzle  60 mix 0.5

 600.45723
0.5

 40.57 ft / s
 12.366 m / s

5.2.7 Step 7 : Vapour mixture velocity at outlet nozzle calculation

For the outlet nozzle velocity of nozzle is calculated using Equation 5.2.10 to
determine diameter. Proceed with Equation 5.2.11 to determine area and
Equation 5.2.12 to calculate the velocity.
Diameter for nozzle

d , optimum  260 G 0.52  0.37 (5.2.10)

Where:
G = mass flow, kg/s

= density of flow, kg/m3

d , optimum  260 (16.6138) 0.52 (5.548) 0.37

 594.68 mm
Area of nozzle

D 2 (5.2.11)
A
4

= 27.775 m2

5.2-9
 Velocity of nozzle vapour outlet

U nozzle  Qv (5.2.12)
A

Where:
QV = volumetric flow rate
A = cross sectional area

U nozzle  Qv
A
= 0.1078 m/s

5.2.8 Step 8 : liquid mixture velocity at outlet nozzle using formula below

The calculation of liquid nozzle outlet is using the Equation 5.2.13 below.
Proceed with Equation 5.2.14 to determine area and Equation 5.2.15 to
calculate the velocity.

Diameter for nozzle

d , optimum  260 G 0.52  0.37 (5.2.13)

Where:
G = mass flow, kg/s

= density of flow, kg/m3

d , optimum  260 (5.3694) 0.52 (773.2886) 0.37

 53.1922 mm

Area of nozzle

D 2 (5.2.14)
A
4
= 0.222 m2

Velocity of nozzle vapour outlet

U nozzle  Qv
A
Where:

5.2-10
 QV = volumetric flow rate
A = cross sectional area

U nozzle  Qv (5.2.15)
A
= 0.03127 m/s

5.2.9 Step 9 : Calculation the required vessel surge volume

From Couper et al, 2005, the liquid holdup is taken is 15 minutes and hence
the time taken to fill the vessel id 15 minutes (Peters, 2003).
Where: V  QL  (time to fill ) (5.2.16)
Ql = volumetric flowrate of liquid flow at outlet stream

V = vessel surge volume at 15 minutes time to fill

19330 kg m3 1h
Ql   
h 773.2886 kg 3600s
 6.9436  10 3 m 3 / s

V  QL  (time to fill )
 6.9436  10 3 m 3 / s  900s
 6.2492m 3

5.2.10 Step 10 : Liquid Height and volume of separator calculation

Where:
H1 = liquid height
V = vessel surge volume
D = vessel diameter
 4 
H1  V  2  (5.2.17)
 D 
 4 
 6.2492 
  (1)
2

 7.9568m

The position of demister pad from common chemical industry placed at the 80% of a
vessel height. Liquid level is assumed 80 % because position of demister pad place

5.2-11
at 80% height vessel. It means vapour level is 20%. So vapour height is 1.99 Total
height of vessel is HL + HV = 9.95 m

The total volume of pressure vessel is included the cylindrical section with two
ellipsoidal heads. The calculation need consider both ellipsoidal head. The
calculation using Equation 5.2.16 below

 D 2 L 
Vessel volume =   (5.2.18)
 4 

where: D = vessel diameter

L = vessel diameter

  (1) 2 (9.95) 
Vessel volume =  
 4 

= 7.81m3

Ellipsoidal head volume = 0.2613D3 (5.2.19)

= 0.2613(13)

= 0.2613 m3

Total volume of pressure vessel = 7.81 m3 + 0.2613 m3

= 8.0713 m3

From the calculation using formula cylinder and ellipsoidal, the total volume of
separator is 8.0713 m3

5.2-12
5.2.11 Specification Sheet and Drawing(s)

Table 5.2.6: Summary of Chemical and Mechanical Design

Equipment Vapor-liquid separator

Diameter 1m

Height of Vessel 9.95 m

Vessel volume 8.0713 m3

5.2-13