11

SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
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Separators are a critical, but often overlooked, component in a processing facility. Applications
range from bulk separation of produced fluids to gas scrubbing upstream of compressors, dehydrators and
amine systems. Poor separator performance can significantly impair the effectiveness and availability of
downstream process equipment which in turn reduces profitability. This chapter provides an overview of
separation principles, applications and sizing techniques.
The design basis for the specification of separators should include:
1. Operating conditions:
• Flow rates (including steadiness of flow)
• Compositions/fluid properties (including solids)
• Temperature and pressure
2. Separation requirements:
• 2-phase or 3-phase
• Handling of intermittent flow, e.g., slug, surges
• Quality requirements of the separated fluids:
— liquid in the gas
— gas in the hydrocarbon liquid
— water in the hydrocarbon liquid
— hydrocarbon liquid in the water
Space and weight limitations may be additional constraints. Many types of separation equipment
cannot handle a wide range of operating conditions and/or separation requirements. As a result, it is often
necessary to use more than one type of separator for a particular application.

Separator Applications
Table 11.1 provides an overview of the main separation equipment categories typically used in
production / processing operations.

CHAPTER 11 1

Production
Separators
2-phase (gas-liquid)
or 3-phase
(gas-hydrocarbon
liquid-water)
Fluctuating flows of
gas and liquid
Exclusively for use by G-4 Repsol course participants from the 11-July-2022 session.
Solids, e.g., sand,
corrosion products
Low to high vapor
to liquid ratios
Vertical or horizon-
tal orientation
Quality of separated
phases:
• 0.013-0.27 m3
liq./106 std m3
[0.1-2 U.S. gal liq./
MMscf]
• 200 μm gas bub-
bles (if degassing
is important)
• 2-3% vol. / vol.
water-in-oil
• 500-2000 ppmv
oil-in-water
Note: Quality specification values represent the desired separator performances. These are often not met under actual conditions
Gravity Separation Principles
Most separators rely on gravity to achieve separation based on the density difference between the
phases. This typically involves separation of a dispersed phase, e.g., liquid droplets or gas bubbles, from a
continuous phase.
Direction
of Gas Flow
Figure 11.1 Drag Coefficient
2 VOLUME 2: THE EQUIPMENT MODULES
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
Table 11.1
Typical Separation Applications
Filter Separators/ Liquid-liquid
Scrubbers Slug Catchers
Coaslescing Filters Coalescers
2-phase (gas-liquid) 2-phase (gas-liquid) Wide flow range Lower flow rates
Steady flow Steady Flow “Finger-Type” used Used to remove a
for larger capaci- small amount of
High vapor / liquid High vapor to liquid ties/slug sizes, e.g., aqueous phase from
ratio ratios (limited liquid >~240 m3 a
handling capacity) [1500 bbls] hydrocarbon liquid
Usually vertical
“Coalescing” filters Main objective is to phase, e.g., a
Quality of separated “polishing”
normally vertical, “smooth out” flow
phases: filter-separators application
• less than 0.013 rates to downstream
vertical or facilities Quality of separated
m3 liq./106 std m3 horizontal
[0.1 U.S. gal liq./ phases:
Usually installed at
MMscf] Quality of separated outlet of large (di- • less than 30 ppmw
phases: ameter and length) aqueous phase
• Coalescing filter: multiphase pipelines in hydrocarbon
liquid phase
• less than 0.0013
Usually designed for
m3 liq./106 std m3
gas-liquid separation
[0.01 U.S. gal liq./
only
MMscf]
• Filter Quality of separated
Separator: phases:
• Bulk separation
• less than or
only
equal to 0.013 m3
liq./106 std m3
[0.1 U.S. gal liq./
MMscf]
Using the example of separating a liquid
droplet from gas (Figure 11.1) and performing a force
Drag Force balance on the droplet results in an equation for the
On Gas
on Droplet terminal velocity of the droplet. This is the gas velocity
at which the droplet would essentially remain “station-
Liquid ary” in the upflowing gas phase. Larger droplets would
Droplet
Dp settle downwards at this velocity and smaller droplets
would be carried upwards with the gas.
Gravitational
Force on Equation (11.1) is the general form of the
Droplet terminal velocity equation for separation of a liquid
droplet from gas.
 SEPARATION EQUIPMENT

4 gD p ^t L – t gh 0.5
vt = e 3C d t g
o (11.1)

The drag coefficient, Cd, is a function of the droplet/bubble Reynolds number, defined as:
D p v t tf
Re p = nf (11.2)

Where: SI FPS
Rep = Reynolds number of droplet / bubble — —
Cd = Drag coefficient — —
Dp = particle diameter m ft
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g = acceleration due to gravity 9.81 m/s2 32.17 ft/sec2

vt = particle terminal velocity m/s ft/sec
tL = density of liquid kg/m3 lbm/ft3
tg = density of gas kg/m3 lbm/ft3
tp = density of dispersed particle kg/m3 lbm/ft3
tf = density of continuous fluid kg/m3 lbm/ft3
μf = viscosity of continuous fluid Pa•sec (kg/m•s) lbm/ft-sec
Note: 1 cp = 0.001 kg/m·s = 6.72  10–4 lbm/ft-sec

These terms apply to Equations (11.1), (11.2) and the equations presented in Table 11.2.
The droplet Reynold’s number includes the terminal velocity, which makes solution for Cd an
iterative process, much like the solution for the friction factor in certain types of fluid flow calculations.
Note that this equation is valid for:
a. Liquid droplet settling from gas.
b. Gas bubble separating from liquid.
c. Higher density liquid droplet settling through a lower density liquid phase (and vice-versa).
d. Sand grain settling from liquid.

100 000

10 000

1000
Drag Coefficient, Cd

100

10

Newton’s Law
Stoke’s Law (Laminar) Intermediate Law (Turbulent)
.10
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000 10 000 100 000 1 000 000
Droplet Reynold’s Number, Rep

Figure 11.2 Relationship Between Cd and Rep for Spherical Droplets

CHAPTER 11 3
 SEPARATION EQUIPMENT

The graphical relationship between Cd and Rep for spherical droplets is shown in Figure 11.2
Figure 11.2 shows the approximate relationship of Cd vs. Re for spheres in all three settling law
regions(11.1) (laminar or Stokes’ Law), intermediate, and turbulent (or Newton’s Law). This approach
assumes the log-log plot of drag coefficient versus Reynolds number can be approximated as a straight line
(shown in Figure 11.2). This does not result in a serious loss of accuracy given the level of uncertainty in
the input parameters to the calculation.
Table 11.2 presents the terminal velocity equation for each of the three settling law regions.

Table 11.2
Terminal Velocity Equations for the Different Flow Regimes
Exclusively for use by G-4 Repsol course participants from the 11-July-2022 session.

Settling Law Rep Terminal Velocity Equation

gD 2p ^t p –t fh
Stokes’ Law <2 vt = 18nf

0.1529g0.714 D1.142
p ^t p – tfh0.714
Intermediate Law 2 – 500 vt = 0.428
t0.286
f nf

4gD p ^t p –t fh 0.5
Newton’s Law 500 – 200 000 v t = d 3 t 0.44 n
f

For applications where the particle rises through the continuous phase, the density of the particle is
less than the density of the fluid, tp < tf . Examples include a gas bubble rising through a liquid and an oil
droplet rising through water. In these cases the acceleration due to gravity should be entered as a negative
number.
Empirical guidelines for the settling law that normally applies for various separation applications
are provided in Table 11.3.

Table 11.3
Typical Separation Application Settling Laws

Droplet/Particle/
Bubble Continuous Phase Typical Settling Law
Oil or Water Gas Intermediate, Newton’s for droplets > 400-500 m
Gas Oil Generally Stokes’, but Intermediate for bubbles > 200
m in light, low viscosity oil
Oil Water Stokes’ for droplets < 200-300 m, Intermediate for
droplets > 200-300 m
Water Oil Generally Stokes’, but Intermediate for droplets > 200
m in light, low viscosity oil

Note that the Stokes’ Law equation for terminal velocity can be used to estimate separation due to
imposed centrifugal force, e.g., cyclonic separation devices, by substituting the approximate acceleration
value for “g”.

4 VOLUME 2: THE EQUIPMENT MODULES

 SEPARATION EQUIPMENT

The key takeaway is that smaller droplets are harder to separate. Lower continuous phase velocities
are required which usually corresponds to larger, more expensive equipment. Where possible it is desired to:
1) prevent the formation of entrained droplets, 2) provide conditions favorable to droplet coalescence and
growth and 3) minimize decreasing droplet sizes due to excessive shear and turbulence.
The correlations presented in this section are based on theoretical gravity separation principles
where one of the phases is dispersed in droplet form in the other continuous phase. In practice, approxima-
tions to the theoretical droplet settling calculations are often used for separator sizing.
These “common-practice” methods are applied instead of the more “theoretical” approaches
because the theoretical approach requires knowledge of the following variables:
Exclusively for use by G-4 Repsol course participants from the 11-July-2022 session.

a. droplet size distributions, which typically change due to shear/coalescence effects

b. the amount of entrained, dispersed phase droplets
c. velocity profile distributions of the continuous phase
d. details concerning the settling trajectories of the dispersed phase
These parameters are very difficult, if not impossible, to accurately quantify. Still, the more complex
theoretical approach (with some educated assumptions) is often warranted for large, high risk separation
applications. The common-practice methods are more simple to apply from a calculation point of view, but
the objective is to install separation equipment that can meet the separation requirements, not just to make
the calculations easier!
Examples of common-practice methods include the use of a sizing coefficient, Ks factor, for calcu-
lating the maximum allowable gas velocity when separating liquid droplets from a gas phase or the use of
residence times for the separation of gas bubbles from a liquid or liquid / liquid separation.
Table 11.4 provides the typical governing criteria for sizing various types of separation equipment.

Table 11.4
Typical Governing Criteria for Various Types of Separation Equipment

Liquid Separation of Flow Smoothing / Droplet Removal

Equipment Type Degassing Liquid Phases Slug Handling from Vapor
Slug catcher 3 2 1 3
“Conventional” gas-liquid separator 2 (usually) 3 2 1
Gas scrubber 3 3 3 1
Coalescing filter/filter separator 3 3 3 1
3-Phase separator 2 (usually) 1 2 2
Note: 1 = Main requirement, 2 = Secondary requirement, 3 = Minor requirement or N/A

CHAPTER 11 5
 SEPARATION EQUIPMENT

SEPARATOR COMPONENTS & SIZING CORRELATIONS

FOR GAS-LIQUID SEPARATION
Figure 11.3 and Figure 11.4 provide examples of two-phase separator configurations and their main
components.
Gas
Out
Pressure
Control
Valve
Exclusively for use by G-4 Repsol course participants from the 11-July-2022 session.

Gas
Mist Gas Gravity Mist Out
Extraction Gas Gravity
Separation Separation Extraction
Pressure
Control
Valve
Inlet Inlet
Gas-Liquid
Inlet Interface
Diverter Inlet Liquid Collection Section
Liquid Diverter
Collection
Section

Liquid Gravity Gas-Liquid Liquid

Interface Liquid Gravity Out
Separation Liquid Separation
Out Level
Control
Level Valve
Control
Valve

Figure 11.3 Vertical 2-Phase Separator Figure 11.4 Horizontal 2-Phase Separator

Inlet Section
The Inlet Section consists of the feed pipe and inlet device.
Only recently the significance of the separator feed pipe sizing and geometry has been quantified.
This requires knowledge of the quantity and size of the entrained droplets which, in turn, depends on the
feed pipe sizing and geometry.
Flow Pattern
Superficial Gas Velocity, vSG, ft/sec

0.1 1.0 10 100 500

Figure 11.5 (originally introduced in Chapter
5.0 Dispersed Flow
20 8, Figure 8.17) is a simple horizontal flow pattern
10 map for an air-water system in small diameter pipe.
Despite its limitations it is useful to help understand
Superficial Liquid Velocity, vSL, ft/sec
Superficial Liquid Velocity, vSL, m/s

1.0 Bubble,
Slug
Elongated
Bubble Flow
Flow multiphase flow behavior in separator feed piping.
1.0 The amount of liquid entrained as droplets
Annular,
Annular Mist
Flow
in the gas phase is generally small for stratified and
0.1
wave flow conditions but entrainment begins to
increase as the transition to annular mist flow occurs.
Stratified Wave 0.1
Flow Flow
Generally speaking, an increase in gas
0.01 velocity increases entrainment and decreases droplet
sizes, both of which will negatively impact separa-
0.01
0.1 1.0 10 100 tion. From an overall separation standpoint, stratified
Superficial Gas Velocity, vSG, m/s or wave flow is preferred for separation of liquid
droplets from the gas; however, it is seldom econom-
Figure 11.5 Flow Pattern Map of Mandane, et.al.,
Horizontal Flow (11.16)

6 VOLUME 2: THE EQUIPMENT MODULES