IIChE Online Internship – 2020

Petroleum Refinery Engineering – Batch 1

Assignment 1 - White Paper 1

Steam ejectors are the devices that are used to extract air and non-condensable gases
from a closed system.It consist of a converging nozzle, diverging nozzle, diffuser
throat, inlet and outlet pipes, rotameter for measurement of air flow, cells with tube
for regeneration heat transfer, steam traps for drip control.it operates by passing
motive steam through an expanding nozzle. The nozzle provides controlled expansion
of the motive steam to convert pressure into velocity which creates a vacuum within
the body chamber to draw in and entrain gases or vapours. The motive steam and
suction gas are then completely mixed and then passed through the diffuser or tail,
where the gases velocity is converted into sufficient pressure to meet the
predetermined discharge pressure.

WORKING PRINCIPLE: steam ejectors work on the bernaulli’s principle.When a

high pressure fluid enters the steam nozzle, this result in a decreasing pressure and
increasing velocity of the fluid again the fluid enters in the diffuser which result in a
increasing pressure and decreasing velocity of the fluid so due to pressure difference
vacuum is created in between the nozzle and diffuser we can say venture throat.

BERNAULLIS’S THEOREM:
Applying Bernoulli’s Theorem at the entrance and discharge point.
Let k = density of fluid(motive gas)
P1/kg + v1^2/2g = P2/kg + v2^2/2g
H1*-H2*= ( v1^2-v2^2)/2g
A1v1 = A2v2
Cc= A2/A0
A0 = cross section of throat.
Cc= coefficient of contraction
V2 = (2gh)^0.5/(1-(Ao/A1)^2 Cc^2)^0.5

ADVANTAGES OF USING STEAM EJECTOR:

1) NO MOVING PARTS: Ejectors are exceedingly simple and reliable. There are no
moving parts to wear or break in a basic ejector.

2) LOW COST: Units are small in relation to the work they do and cost is
correspondingly low.

3) VERSATILE: Various piping arrangements permit adapting to environmental

conditions.

4) SELF PRIMING: Ejectors are self- priming.They operate equally well in

continuous or intermittent service.

5) EASY TO INSTALL: Relatively light in weight, ejectors are easy to install, and
require no foundations. Even multi-stage units are readily adaptable to existing
conditions.

6) CORROSION AND EROSION RESISTANT: Because they can be made of

practically any workable material, or coated with corrosion-resistant materials,
ejectors can be ade highly resistant erosion and corrosion.

7) HIGH VACCUM PERFORMANCE: Ejectors can handle air or other gases at

suction pressures as low as 3 microns hgA.

CLASSIFICATION OF EJECTORS:
Ejectors can be vary from a single unit upto six units. The number of ejector stages
required are usually determined by the economy of the ejectors and the level of
vaccum required. The working ranges of the three stages are as discussed below:
1st stage: 810mm HgA-30mm HgA
2nd stage: 130mm HgA-3mm HgA
3rd stage: 25mmHgA-0.8mm HgA
4th stage: 4mm HgA-75 microns HgA
5th stage: 0.4mm HgA-10 microns HgA
6th stage: 0.1mm HgA-3 microns HgA

They are also categorized into four types:

1) Single stage non condensing
2) Single stage condensing
3) Multi stage non condensing
4) Multi stage condensing

Condensors that are used in the ejectors are mainly of three kinds, pre-condensor,
inter condensor and after condensor.

MULTI STAGE INTER CONDENSOR:

In the multi stage inter condensing ejectors either the surface or direct-contact types is
used between the stages to condense steam from the preceding stage and reduce load.
This design in generally recommended for suction pressures from 4 hg abs. To 0.5 hg.
Abs. In two stage designs and from 25mm Hg Abs. To 2mm Hg. Abs. In three stage
designs. For handling large amounts of condensable vapours, a first stage “booster” is
usually followed by a condensor which is in turn followed by a two stage ejector to
compress non-condensables to atmospheric pressure.
When the condensable fluids are small, ny one intercondensor following the second
stage is typically used.

OPERATING CHALLENGES:
 When the design limit of the ejector is reached, further increase in the pressure
will not increase the capacity of the unit. Infact in some cases it can decrease the
capacity by chocking the unit.
 Single point design ejectors are unstable in very light loads or the loads that fall
in overdesign. While the multipoint design ejectors are generally oversized as to
obtain the most economical design from the initial cost.
 Ejectors are generally sensitive to changes in release pressure. In the event that
the discharge pressure on an ejector surpasses its most extreme stable discharge
pressure, the activity will get shaky and the limit will never again bean element of
the supreme weight.
 Some ejector stages does not have any motive steam break and pickup pressures
thank to the low ratio of discharge pressure to suction pressure over which they
operate, or because they're designed to eliminate this characteristic. In these
ejectors the capacity varies directly with steam pressure over certain operating
limits.