Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Chemical Process Equipment Design

Gas Liquid separator design

Homework No: 3-VL separator delivered: 96-02-23 to return before: 96-03-07

In an overhead receiver in a petrochemical plant, the feed stream (345) is separated into
an overhead off-gas (346) and a liquid split as reflux (347) and product to battery limit
(355) with stream compositions shown in table 1. You are asked to design the vessel for
the condition shown in table 2. You may use mist eliminator for a better separation of
droplets below 100 microns.
For the startup cases there would be a boot to separate the steam condensate from the
hydrocarbons. Assume that during the startup the vessel would be filled with saturated
steam at atmospheric pressure then the main stream will be opened, this means a steam
condensate formed at 90oC plus the normal feed.

346
345

347

355

Stabilizer
Stabilizer
Table 1 Off Gas to Stabilizer LPG to Batt
Trim Cooler kmol/h kmol/h kmol/h kmol/h
Stream sum LPG Drum Reflux kg/h Limit kg/h
out kg/h
kg/h
Stream No 345 346 347 355 345 346 347 355
H2 11 10 1 0 5.39 5.03 0.31 0.04
C1 235 170 57 8 14.67 10.60 3.56 0.50
C2 4 077 1 706 2 080 291 135.59 56.74 69.18 9.67
C3 11 238 2 329 7 817 1 093 254.86 52.82 177.26 24.78
nC4 7 417 631 5 953 832 127.60 10.86 102.42 14.32
iC4 6 803 748 5 313 743 117.05 12.86 91.41 12.78
nC5 13 0 11 2 0.18 0.01 0.15 0.02
iC5 114 5 96 13 1.58 0.07 1.32 0.19
Total kg/h 29 909 5 600 21 328 2 981
Total kmol/h 656.92 149.00 445.63 62.29

What to report:
1- Diameter, Tangent-Line to tangent-line distance, shown on your drawing.
2- Shell & Heads thickness and weight, with the case of full of water: 2:1 ellipsoidal
3- Determine all dimensions (hi like HLL, LLL, HLAlarm, LLI Switch & LLAlarm)
in metric for nozzle location from left tangent line (TL) or nozzle elevation
 Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Chemical Process Equipment Design

above/below (+/-) vessel centerline (CL). The same distances for vortex breaker
(if necessary) height or location should be mentioned.
4- Fill out a Nozzle chart; with all nozzles designated on your drawings.
5- Determine nozzle sizing/orientation table/figure/chart for process &
instrumentation (i.e. 90o rotated, off center, etc).
6- Fill out the Data Sheet and the Nozzle chart (Horz Vert Vess Data Sht.rar).
7- Sketch a drawing (at least with visio in word) mentioning all dimensions on it.
8- Costs using aspen Icarus.
9- Minimum design temperature= 0oC at design pressure.
10- Carbon steel (CS) Material is proposed for all parts with 3 mm corrosion
allowance. Consider a joint efficiency of E=0.85 and a max stress of S=1220 bar
for CS.
11- The vessel shall be designed for Maximum liquid density= 1000 kg/m3.
12- Steam out is necessary; Steam out conditions: T= 100oC/atmospheric & full
vapor.
13- Flanges: ANSI class: to determine, facing: Raised face.
14- Corrosion Allowance= 3mm.
15- Elliptical (2:1) Heads with total insulation, see Table 4 [1, 2, 3.]
16- Low-Low & High-High level switches require separate nozzles.

No Student ID Table 3 – Individual Assignments.

No Use the Exxon practice and the
one below
1 95012010 Shell
2 95201382 Svrcek
3 95201393 Shell+KnitMesh
4 95201682 Shell + Kimre mist_elimination
5 95206259 Svrcek+Koch mist eliminator
6 95206261 Svrcek +Knitmesh
7 95206272 Svrcek+Kimre
8 38260259 Svrcek +Amistco
9 95206294 Svrcek+ACS
10 95206301 Shell + ACS
11 95206312 Shell + Amistco
12 39996699 Svrcek+ ACS
 Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Chemical Process Equipment Design

STABILIZER TRIM STABILIZER OFF GAS STABILIZER LPG TO BATTERY

Table 2- COOLER OUTLET TO LPG DRUM REFLUX LIMIT
Stream Properties 345 346 347 355
Temperature °C 40 40 40 40
Pressure bar g 15.0 15.0 15.5 30.0
TOTAL STREAM
Weight rate kg/h 29 909 5 600 21 328 2 981
Molar rate kmol/h 656.92 149.00 445.63 62.29
Enthalpy MW 1.319 0.637 0.599 0.084
Density kg/m3 118.0 27.60 481.1 485.6
Mol. Weight kg/kmol 45.5 37.6 47.9 47.9
Wt pc vapor % 18.72 100.00
Wt pc free water % 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTAL VAPOR
Weight rate kg/h 5 600 5 600
Normal vapor rate m3/h 3 339.7 3 339.7
Enthalpy MW 0.637 0.637
Density kg/m3 27.60 27.60
Mol. Weight kg/kmol 37.6 37.6
Viscosity cP 0.010 0.010
Thermal Cond. kW/m.°C 0.000024 0.000024
Specific Heat kJ/kg.°C 2.153 2.153
Cp/Cv 1.275 1.275
Comp. factor 0.827 0.827
TOTAL LIQUID
Weight rate kg/h 24 309 21 328 2 981
Volumic rate m3/h 50.5 44.3 6.1
Std liquid rate m3/h 47.0 41.3 5.8
Enthalpy MW 0.682 0.599 0.084
Spec. Gravity 0.517 0.517 0.517
Density kg/m3 480.9 481.1 485.6
Mol. Weight kg/kmol 47.9 47.9 47.9
Viscosity cP 0.092 0.092 0.093
Thermal Cond. kW/m.°C 0.000111 0.000111 0.000113
Specific Heat kJ/kg.°C 2.723 2.721 2.681
Surf. Tension dyn/cm 5.6 5.6 5.6
DRY LIQUID
Weight rate kg/h 24 309 21 328 2 981
Spec. Gravity 0.517 0.517 0.517
Density kg/m3 480.9 481.1 485.6
Mol. Weight kg/kmol 47.9 47.9 47.9
Viscosity cP 0.092 0.092 0.093
Thermal Cond. kW/m.°C 0.000111 0.000111 0.000113
Specific Heat kJ/kg.°C 2.723 2.721 2.681
Surf. Tension dyn/cm 5.6 5.6 5.6
Crit. Pressure bar a 41.2 41.2 41.2