Operating Pressure

Separators can be classified according to their operating pressure. [3]Low pressure units handle
pressures of 10 to 180 psi (0.69 to 12 bar), medium pressure separator operates from 230-700 psi (15
bar to 48bar) and high-pressure units handle pressure from 975 to 1500 psi (67 to 103 bar).

1
1.1 DESCRIPTION ON SELECTED EQUIPMENT

According to the above selection procedure, the equipment selected was a vertical type flash separator
of low pressure which is basically a two-phase separator.

Figure 1. 1 Vertical separator schematic

In a flash separator, liquid is separated by gravity and falls. Vapor travels upward at a design velocity
and minimizes the liquid droplet entrainment. The major parts of a flash gravity separator are feed
pipe, inlet device, gas gravity separation section, mist extractor and the liquid gravity separation
section.

The various internal parts must be included in this vessel for promoting separation as required as
shown in Figure 1.1.

2
SIZE CALCULATION

Vapor-liquid separation occurs in 3 stages [4]. First stage is the primary separation, where an inlet
diverter is used, which causes momentum of the liquid entrained in vapor causes largest droplets to
impinge on the diverter and then drop under the gravity force. Then in the secondary separation stage,
when vapor flows through the disengagement area, the smaller droplets get separated under gravity.
Then in the final stage of separation, mist elimination happens and in this stage smaller droplets
coalesced and larger droplets are formed, which then get separated by gravity.

Figure 2. 1 Separator vessel dimensions

3
This is the maximum allowable vapor velocity and can be calculated by Sounders-Brown equation.
This is based on the force balance on a droplet falling through vapor.

𝜌𝐿 − 𝜌 𝐺
𝑈𝑡 = 𝐾√
𝜌𝐺

𝜌𝐿 − liquid density= 622kg/m3= 38lb/ft3

𝜌𝐺 − 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑑e𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑦= 4.6kg/m3= 0.290lb/ft3

𝐾-terminal velocity constant (vapor loading factor)

The “K: value largely independent on system variables. Reliable estimation of this K factor is crucial
in sizing flash drum.

a 99.99% of efficiency is assumed. So, k value selection when a mist eliminator is there is
considered.

from where? and what are these

numbers??????

The flash vessel pressure=P=7 bar=101.526psia

So 𝐾 = 0.430 − 0.023 ln 𝑃 = 0.324 ƒ𝑡/𝑠

37.472 − 0.31024
𝑡e𝑟𝑚𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑣e𝑙o𝑐𝑡𝑦 = 𝑈𝑡 = 3.4 ft/s √ = 3.543ft/s
0.31024

= 1 𝑚/𝑠

For conservation design, vapor velocity UG=0.75Ut

𝑉𝑎𝑝o𝑟 𝑣e𝑙o𝑐𝑡𝑦 = 𝑈𝐺 = 0.75 × 3.4 = 2.657ƒ𝑡/𝑠 = 2917.742𝑚/ℎ𝑟

4
 𝑉𝑎𝑝o𝑟 𝑣o𝑙𝑢𝑚e𝑡𝑟𝑐 ƒ𝑙ow 𝑟𝑎𝑡e = 𝑄𝐺 = 740.353𝑚3 /ℎ𝑟

𝑉𝑎𝑝o𝑟 𝑑𝑠e𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑔e𝑚e𝑛𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑚e𝑡e𝑟 = 𝐷 4𝑄𝐺 1/2 4 × 740.353 1/2

=( ) =( = 0.568𝑚
𝑉𝐷 )
𝜋𝑈𝐺 𝜋 × 2917.742

𝐿𝑞𝑢𝑑 𝑣o𝑙𝑢𝑚e𝑡𝑟𝑐 ƒ𝑙ow 𝑟𝑎𝑡e = 𝑄𝐿 = 399.971𝑙/𝑚𝑛 = 23.998𝑚3/ℎ𝑟

For this, the table in Figure 2.2 was referred.

Hold up time(Th) selected is 2min.

𝐻o𝑙𝑑 𝑢𝑝 𝑣o𝑙𝑢𝑚e = 𝑉𝐻 = (𝑇ℎ × 𝑄𝐿) = 2 × 399.97𝑙 = 28.250ƒ𝑡3 = 0.800𝑚

5
For this calculation, referring Figure 2.1; Surge time (TS)= 1 min
𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑔e 𝑣o𝑙𝑢𝑚e = 𝑉𝑆 = (𝑇𝑠 × 𝑄𝐿) = 1 × 399.97𝑙 = 14.125ƒ𝑡3 = 0.40𝑚3

Referring the below figure,

Figure 2. 3 Low liquid level height

𝐿ow 𝑙𝑞𝑢𝑑 𝑙e𝑣e𝑙 ℎe𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 𝐻𝐿𝐿𝐿 = 15 𝑛𝑐ℎ = 0.381m

Hold up height

This gives the height from low liquid level to normal liquid level

𝑉𝐻
𝐻𝐻 = 𝜋
( ⁄ )𝐷2
4
0.800
= 𝜋 = 1.96𝑚
( ⁄4) × 0.7212

This gives the height from normal liquid level to high liquid level (or high-level alarm)
𝑉𝑠
𝐻𝑠 = 𝜋
⁄ 𝐷2
4
0.40
=𝜋 = 0.980𝑚
⁄4 × 0.7212

For this, it must be decided whether put an inlet diverter or not.

The feed stream to the separator is typically a high velocity turbulent mixture of gas and liquid.
Because of this high velocity, the fluids enter with a high momentum and from an inlet diverter, the

6
direction of the flow can be abruptly changed by absorbing the momentum of the liquid. That allows
the liquid and gas to separate. The inlet diverter also referred as the primary separation section.

So, considering that an inlet diverter is to be used,

𝐻e𝑔ℎ𝑡 ƒ𝑟o𝑚 ℎ𝑔ℎ 𝑙𝑞𝑢𝑑 𝑙e𝑣e𝑙 𝑡o 𝑡ℎe 𝑐e𝑛𝑡e𝑟𝑙𝑛e oƒ 𝑡ℎe 𝑛𝑙e𝑡 𝑛o𝑧𝑧𝑙e = 𝐻𝐿 𝐼𝑁
= 12 + 𝑑𝑁 (𝑛𝑐ℎ)

dN is the nozzle diameter (inlet or outlet, vapor or liquid as specified.

4𝑄𝑚
𝑑𝑁 ≥ (60𝜋 )1/2
⁄√𝜌𝑚

𝑄𝑚 = 𝑄𝐿 + 𝑄 𝐺

𝜌𝑚 = 𝜌𝐿𝜆 + 𝜌𝐺(1 −
𝜆)
𝑄𝐿
𝜆=
𝑄𝐿 + 𝑄𝐺

23.998
𝜆= = 0.0314
740.353 + 23.998
𝜌𝑚 = 37.472 × 0.0314 + 0.310 × (1 − 0.0314) = 1.477𝑙𝑏/ƒ𝑡3
3
𝑄𝑚 = 𝑄𝐿 + ℎ𝑄𝐺 = 23.998 + 740.353 𝑚 ⁄ℎ = 7.498ƒ𝑡3 /𝑠
1
2
4 × 7.498
𝑑𝑁 ≥ (60𝜋 ) = 0.440ƒ𝑡 = 5.276𝑛𝑐ℎ
⁄
√1.477
So dN=5.276inch

𝐻𝐿 𝐼𝑁 = 12 + 5.276 = 17.276 𝑛𝑐ℎ = 0.438 𝑚

With a mist eliminator,

𝐻𝐷 = 24 + 1⁄2 𝑑𝑁 (𝑛𝑐ℎe𝑠)

𝐻𝐷 = 24 + 1⁄2 × 5.276 = 26.638(𝑛𝑐ℎe𝑠) = 0.677𝑚

7
Since there is a mist eliminator;

For the mist eliminator pad= 6 inch=0.1524m

From top of the mist eliminator to the top tangent line of vessel= 1ft=0.3048m

𝐻𝑀𝐸 = 0.1524 + 0.3048𝑚 = 0.4572𝑚

𝐻𝑇 = 𝐻𝐿𝐿𝐿 + 𝐻𝐻 + 𝐻𝑆 + 𝐻𝐿𝐼𝑁 + 𝐻𝐷 + 𝐻𝑀𝐸

𝐻𝑇 = 0.381𝑚 + 1.96𝑚 + 0.980𝑚 + 0.438 𝑚 + 0.677𝑚 + 0.4572𝑚

= 4.89𝑚

8
References

Mulyandasiri V, "KLM Technology Group," January 2011. [Online]. Available:

http://kolmetz.com/pdf/EDG/ENGINEERING_DESIGN_GUIDELINE
separator%20vessel_
REV01.pdf. [Accessed 03 September 2017].

Brainmass, "Brainmass.com," 2008. [Online]. Available:

https://brainmass.com/file/1539641/Flash%2Bvaporization.pdf. [Accessed 12 9 2017].
"Schlumberger- Oilfield Glossary," [Online]. Available:
http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/en/Terms/s/separator.aspx. [Accessed 11 09 2017].
Svrcek.W.Y and Monnery.W.D, "Scribd," October 1993. [Online]. Available:
https://www.scribd.com/document/70426273/Design-Two-Phase-Sep. [Accessed 12
september2017].
Svrcek.W.Y and Monnery.W.D, "Design of two phase separators within right limits," 1993.

Philip.C.Wankat, Equilibrium staged separation, Prentice Hall, 1988.