2 CLASSIFICATION OF SEPARATORS
I. DESCRIPTION OF SEPARATORS
A. Classification
Separators are classified in two ways: the
position or shape of the vessel, and the num-
ber of fluids to be segregated. Two vessel
shapes are commonly used:
1. Horizontal, shown on pages 2, 3 and 4. 2.
Vertical shown on pages 1, 5 and 7.
The number of fluids to be segregated is
usually either two or three. If there are two
fluids, such as gas and liquid, the separator is
referred to as a 2-phase type; if three fluids
are segregated, such as gas, oil and water,
the vessel is a 3-phase type. The number of
phases refers to the number of streams that
leave the vessel, and not the number of phases
that are in the inlet stream.
For example, wellstream separators fre-
quently have gas, oil, and water in the inlet
stream, but only the gas and liquid are segre-
gated in the vessel. The liquid flows to another
separator, where oil and water are segre-
gated. Consequently, a 2-phase separator is
one in which the inlet stream is divided into
two fluids, and a 3-phase will have three
products.
HORIZONTAL WELLHEAD SEPARATOR
SEPARATORS
Each of the vessel shapes can be either 2-
phase or 3-phase. In other words, we can
have a horizontal 2-phase, a horizontal 3-
phase, a vertical 2-phase, and so on.
Some wellstreams contain sand or other
solid particles which are removed in a separa-
tor. Special internal devices are provided to
collect and dispose of solid materials. They
are not considered another fluid phase in the
classification of the vessel.
Most separators operate under pressure.
They are usually constructed of steel and built
in accordance with rigid pressure vessel speci-
fications. The heads and shell are usually
made of steel, and all seams are welded. If
severe corrosion is anticipated, the separator
may be lined with a corrosion resistant mate-
rial such as monel or stainless steel. If salt
water is the corrosive agent, protection can be
provided with a coating or special paints or tar.
Most internals are also made of steel and
welded to the wall or heads of the vessel. If
manways are provided, the internals may be
bolted in place so that they can be removed for
cleaning or repair.