Title: TEG Flash Drum Design

Checked
Rev. Date Description Prepared Approved
FIN Process
00 02/14/2020 Issue for Information MGK SVD
01 10/10/2021 Issue for Information MGK SVD

It is forbidden to copy or use in whole or in part outside the strict contract terms, without the prior written consent of a Frames company
1 General

1.1 Introduction

The purpose of this document is to help (new and inexperienced) process engineers to get a good idea on how TEG
Flash drum design. TEG flash drum is downstream of TEG high pressure contactor, before rich TEG flow go towards
Flash drum, high pressure will reduced to 5-6 barg & then it will feed to Flash drum.

In Glycol contactor, TEG will absorb few amount of Light & Heavy hydrocarbons at high pressure, while reducing the
pressure before entering the Flash drum inlet, Three phases will appear at Low pressure 5-6 bar, Light hydrocarbon will
go from Top of flash drum, Heavy hydrocarbon condensate & Rich TEG separate by Gravity difference via Bucket weir.

In TEG flash drum, below internals normally recommended on the basis of oil content,

 Inlet device: Perforated pipe

 Bucket weir: collection of Heavy HC condensate

 Right weir: Collection of Rich TEG

 Demister: Top of Gas outlet.

Normally residence time criteria will be 25-30 min for TEG flash drum.

Typical Sketch of TEG flash drum with Bucket Weir.

1.2 Reference Documents

The referenced project documents are listed as below for Flash drum design calculations,

Document title
Scope of supply & client specifications. (SMS)

P&ID of Flash drum.

Process Data Sheet – Flash drum.

Internals required for Flash drum.

Performance criteria
 2. TEG Flash drum sizing steps:

The TEG flash drum sizing to be carry with Frames P-PC-CAL-HS (Horizontal separator).

 Enter the Gas, Oil & TEG properties from simulation as input to Vessel sizing sheet. Check provided client
PDS has given nozzle sizes for Flash drum & its adequacy as per momentum criteria. If not provided then
fixed the nozzle sizes as per recommended momentum.

 Enter the Wave motion criteria if given by client for FPSO. If vessel is going to be installed on platform or
onshore then select no option for wave motion.
 Assume the Diameter & Length by considering L/D ratio between 2.5 to 5 (as per GPSA) for initial estimate of
levels of condensate & TEG.

 Levels to be adjusted by following two ways

o To keep minimum 100 mm difference between levels (i.e. LLIL, LIL, HIL,HHIL) or residence time
criteria 25-30 minutes.
o To considered the levels or residence time specified by customer PDS.

 See below example, we kept the levels as per 100 min between LLIL-LIL, LIL-HIL & HIL-HHIL.

 Bucket weir design :

o Due to consideration of Wave motion 3°, pitch angle is governing highest deviation which
considered as max i.e. 172 mm for deciding the Bucket left weir height, so TEG will not directly
entrained in oil Bucket weir.
So Left weir should be calculated as below
o Left weir elevation = High fixed interface level + Level deviation due to pitch motion
Left weir = 669 + 172 = 841 mm so we considered as 875 mm in 3-weir systems table as more
conservative purpose design.
o Bucket right weir at least to highest than 200 mm min, so selected as 1100 mm.
o Minimum bucket length to be considered as 500 mm for instrument nozzle.
 o Bucket bottom to be considered as min 200 mm from flash drum bottom or to check the flow rate of
TEG can pass below from the bucket with recommended velocity & pressure drop or to check the
outlet TEG nozzle to be less than gap between the bucket bottom to bottom of drum.

 TEG weir is selected as 820 mm which is less than Bucket left weir 875 mm, so TEG withdraw from TEG
compartment at downstream compartment of flash drum & Interface level to be maintain upstream of bucket
left weir.

 Performance of flash drum :

o Check the performance of Water in oil & Oil in water within the specified parameters with the help
of standard FIN S&T guidelines, if not adjust the levels & do trail-error till get the specified
performance.
o

 Residence time to be calculated using same another sheet P-PC-CAL-HS, as below.

 Copy the same earlier design Sheet & delete all levels earlier considered, to put the left weir of bucket 875 mm
as weir in new copy sheet & high fixed interface level which is 669 mm as NIL to estimate the residence time
upstream of bucket weir.

Residence time will be estimated as 65 min as highlighted in yellow color which is between the bottom of vessel to
normal interface level (NIL) which is upstream of bucket left weir.

See typical sketch of Flash drum design:

Gas By Blow case – Flash Drum Design:

During Gas by Blow case, Rich TEG from contactor will come to Flash drum, so same volume should be occupied in
Flash drum.

The design exercise carried out for south ghawar, always refer while design Flash drum:

G:\Shared drives\105579 PDO South Ghawar JGC Gulf\105579\DOCUMENTS\PC-PROCESS\CAL\Equipment Sizing\

Rich TEG Flash Drum