DESIGN ENGINEERING GUIDELINE FOR VESSEL

SIZING

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Contents

DESIGN ENGINEERING GUIDELINE FOR PUMP SIZING............................................................1

Contents.........................................................................................................................................2
Table of figures..............................................................................................................................3
Table of Tables..............................................................................................................................4
1. Intro-......................................................................................................................................7
2. Reciprocating Pumps-............................................................................................................9
3. Centrifugal Pumps-..............................................................................................................12
4. Pumping of compressible Liquids........................................................................................13
5. Performance Curve-.............................................................................................................14
6. Data Required for proper Pump sizing-...............................................................................16
7. Basic aspects of Design-......................................................................................................16
8. Hydraulic disturbances-.......................................................................................................21
9. Pump Selection Criteria-......................................................................................................22
10. Pump Control-.................................................................................................................23
11. Pump Protection Factors-.................................................................................................24
12. Pump Protection Methods-...............................................................................................25
13. Pumps Arrangement-.......................................................................................................25
14. Affinity laws-...................................................................................................................26
15. References-......................................................................................................................28

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Table of figures
Figure 1.1 Development of head using Bernoulli Theorem...................................................................8
Figure 2.1 Indicator diagram for Positive displacement pumps...........................................................11
Figure 5.1 Performance curve of Positive displacement pump............................................................14
Figure 5.2 Performance curve of centrifugal pump.............................................................................15
Figure 5.3 Correction factors for change in viscosity..........................................................................16
Figure 7.1 Flow control Recirculation.................................................................................................18
Figure 7.2 Automatic recirculation valve............................................................................................18
Figure 7.3 Orifice plate for recirculation flow.....................................................................................19
Figure 7.4 Pump Hydraulics................................................................................................................19
Figure 8.1 Possible causes of hydraulic disturbances..........................................................................22
Figure 13.1 Parallel and Series arrangement of pumps........................................................................27
Figure 14.1 Performance curve using Affinity law for different impeller diameter.............................28

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Table of Tables
Table 1.1 Energy applying Methodologies to fluid................................................................................7
Table 1.2 Applying Principles...............................................................................................................7
Table 2.1 Different types of Positive Displacement pumps.[5]............................................................12
Table 2.2 Advantages and disadvantages of Positive displacement pumps.........................................12
Table 3.1 Different Centrifugal pumps.[5]..........................................................................................12
Table 3.2 Advantages and disadvantages of Centrifugal pumps..........................................................13
Table 7.1 Design flowrate for different Services.................................................................................17
Table 10.1 Advantages and disadvantages of different types of drivers.[3].........................................24
Table 10.2 Methodologies of flow variation for Positive displacement pumps[5]..............................24

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Abbreviations:

Symbol Description Unit

A1, A2, A, Area of the piston, ft2 or m2
as, ad Area of the suction and discharge lines ft2 or m2
Cp Heat capacity of the fluid J/kg oC
D, d, Diameter of pipe ft, inches or m
D1, D2 Diameters of impeller 1 and 2 m
e Efficiency of Pump
F, f Friction factor
g Gravitational constant m/s2 or ft/s2
ΔH Difference in Head ft or m
Hacceleration Head loss due to acceleration
Hatm Atmospheric Head
Hfriction, hf Head loss due to friction
Hdischarge, hd Head at discharge
Hsuction, hs Head at suction
Hseparartion, Hvap, Vapor pressure head
Hv, hv
K, constant for minor head losses
L Length of the pipe ft or m
n Rotation per minute
N1, N2 Rpm of impellers with diameter d1,d2
respectively
Ns Impeller Specific speed
NPSH Net Positive suction head
NPSHa Net Positive suction head available
NPSHr Net Positive suction head required
Pa Pressure at point A
Pa Absolute Pressure head at point A (NPSH h
calculation)
Pb Pressure at point B
ΔP Pressure drop psi or kPa
Q Volumetric flow rate ft3/s or m3/s
Qslip Slip volumetric flowrate m3/s
Qs, Qd Volumetric flow rate of suction and discharge
r Radius of the crank m
r Ratio of internal volume of fluid between
valves when the piston or plunger is at the end
of the suction stroke, to the piston or plunger
displacement
s Slip ratio
o
T1 Temperature of gas at inlet R
ΔT Temperature rise of the fluid o
C
TDH, h Total Discharge Head m
u, V Velocity ft/s or m/s
Vη Volumetric efficiency
Va Velocity at point a ft/s or m/s

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Vb Velocity at point b ft/s or m/s
VEsov, VEdov Overall efficiency at suction and discharge
VEl Overall Volumetric efficiency due to leakage
VEdovρ Overall Volumetric efficiency at discharge due
to density change
W, Wp, P’ Power of the pump kW
Z1 Elevation at point 1 ft or m
Z2 Elevation at point 2 ft or m
Ze Total elevation from pump Centreline ft or m
Symbols
π Mathematical constant pi
ω Angular velocitySS
η Overall efficiency of the pump mm
ρ Density of the fluid lb/ft3 or kg/m3
ρi density of fluid at the inlet lb/ft3 or kg/m3
ρo density of fluid at the outlet lb/ft3 or kg/m3

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1. Separator Vessels-
Different types of separators
 Filter Separators
 Flash Separator
 Line separators
 Liquid-Liquid separators
 Scrubber
 Separator
 Slug Catcher
 Three phase Separator
1.1 Gravity Settling-
Terminal velocity is given by

Vt =
√ 2 g ( ρl−ρg ) m
ρl Al Cd ρg
=
√
4 g ( ρl−ρg ) D
3 Cd ρg
Vt is in ft/s, g is in ft/s2, ρl, ρg are liquid and gas phase density in lb/ft3, Al area of liquid
droplet in ft2, D is the diameter of liquid droplet in ft
The drag coefficient has been found to be a function of the shape of the particle and the
Reynolds number of the flowing gas.
ρVtD
ℜ=
µ
Stokes Law-
At low Reynolds numbers (less than 2), a linear relationship exists between the drag
coefficient and the Reynolds number (corresponding to laminar flow). The droplet
diameter corresponding to a Reynolds number of 2 can be found using a value of 0.025
for KCR

( )
0.33
µ2
D=KCR
g ρg ( ρl−ρg )
Stoke’s law is typically applicable for small droplet sizes and/or relatively high viscosity
liquid phases.
Intermediate Law-
For Reynold’s numbers between 2 and 500, the Intermediate Law applies. The droplet
diameter corresponding to a Reynolds number of 500 can be found using a value of 0.334
for KCR. The intermediate law is usually valid for many of the gasliquid and liquid-liquid
droplet settling applications encountered in the gas business.
Newtons Law-
Newton’s Law is applicable for a Reynold’s number range of approximately 500 –
200,000, and finds applicability mainly for separation of large droplets or particles from a
gas phase, e.g. flare knockout drum sizing. The limiting drag coefficient is approximately
0.44 at Reynolds numbers above about 500.

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An upper limit to Newton’s Law is where the droplet size is so large that it requires a
terminal velocity of such magnitude that excessive turbulence is created. For the
Newton’s Law region, the upper limit to the Reynolds number is 200,000 and KCR =
18.13.
Settling Laws Drag coefficient and Terminal Critical Particle diameter
Velocity

( )
Stokes Law 24 µ
2 0.33
C= ℜ D=KCR
2 g ρg ( ρl−ρg )
1488 g ( ρl−ρg ) D
Vt =
18 µ KCR=0.025
Intermediate 18.5
C=
Law Re
0.6 KCR=0.334

0.71
3.49 g ( ρl−ρg )0.71 D1.14
Vt =
ρ g0.29 µ0.43

√
Newtons Law g ( ρl−ρg ) D KCR=18.13
Vt =1.74
ρg

C=0.44

Separators are usually characterized by orientation as vertical or horizontal. They may be

further classified as two-phase (gas-liquid) or three-phase (gas-liquid-liquid). Horizontal
separators can be single- or double-barrel and can be equipped with sumps or boots.

Parts of Separator
Regardless of shape, separation vessels usually contain four major sections plus the
necessary controls. These sections are shown for horizontal and vertical vessels in Fig. 7-

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7. The inlet device (A) is used to reduce the momentum of the inlet flow stream, perform
an initial bulk separation of the gas and liquid phases, and enhance gas flow distribution.

The gas gravity separation section (B) is designed to utilize the force of gravity to
separate entrained liquid droplets from the gas phase, preconditioning the gas for final
polishing by the mist extractor. It consists of a portion of the vessel through which the gas
moves at a relatively low velocity with little turbulence. In some horizontal designs,
straightening vanes are used to reduce turbulence. The vanes also act as droplet
coalescers, which reduces the horizontal length required for droplet removal from the gas
stream.
The liquid gravity separation section (C) acts as a receiver for all liquid removed from the
gas in the inlet, gas gravity, and mist extraction sections. In two-phase separation
applications, the liquid gravity separation section provides residence time for degassing
the liquid. In three-phase separation applications the liquid gravity section also provides
residence time to allow for separation of water droplets from a lighter hydrocarbon liquid
phase and vice-versa. Depending on the inlet flow characteristics, the liquid section
should have a certain amount of surge volume, or slug catching capacity, in order to
smooth out the flow passed on to downstream equipment or processes. Efficient
degassing may require a horizontal separator while emulsion separation may also require
higher temperature, use of electrostatic fields, and/or the addition of a demulsifier.
Coalescing packs are sometimes used to promote hydrocarbon liquid – water separation,
though they should not be used in applications that are prone to plugging, e.g. wax, sand,
etc.

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The mist extraction section (D) utilizes a mist extractor that can consist of a knitted wire
mesh pad, a series of vanes, or cyclone tubes. This section removes the very small
droplets of liquid from the gas by impingement on a surface where they coalesce into
larger droplets or liquid films, enabling separation from the gas phase. Quoted liquid
carryover from the various types of mist extraction devices are usually in the range of 0.1
- 1 gal/MMscf.
Factors to be considered for separator configuration selection include:
 What separation quality is required by downstream equipment and processes?
 How well will extraneous material (e.g. sand, mud, corrosion products) be handled?
 How much plot space will be required?
 Will the separator be too tall for transport if skidded?
 Is there enough interface surface for 3-phase separation (e.g. gas/hydrocarbon/glycol
liquid)?
 Can heating coils or sand jets be incorporated if required?
 How much surface area is available for degassing of separated liquid?
 Must surges in liquid flow be handled without large changes in level?
 Is large liquid retention volume necessary?
 What are the heat retention requirements (e.g. freeze protection)?
Vertical Separators-
 gas-liquid ratio is high or total gas volumes are low.
 Liquid slugs are typically handled by increasing vessel height to accommodate
additional surge volume.
 Slight fluctuations in liquid level don’t have an effect on the performance on
separation.
 Except for knockout drum applications, mist extractors are normally used to
achieve a low liquid content in the separated gas in vessels of reasonable diameter.
 Typical vertical separator L/D ratios are normally in the 2–4 range.
Eg- Compressor suction scrubber-
 Does not need significant liquid retention volume.
 A properly designed liquid level control loop responds quickly to any liquid
that enters, thus avoiding tripping an alarm or shutdown.
 The separator occupies a small amount of plot space.

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 1. Dimensions may be influenced by instrument connection requirements.
2. For small diameter separators (≤ 48inch ID.) with high L/G inlet flow ratios this
dimension should be increased by as much as 50%.
3. May use syphon type drain to:
 A. reduce vortex possibility.
 B. reduce external piping that requires heating (freeze protection)
Horizontal separators-
 Most efficient for low gas-liquid ratio/large liquid volumes.
 Preferred for three-phase separation applications.
 Increased surge results in low retention time and increased liquid level.
 Use of weir for better separation of three phase. (interface level controller).
 For large surge volumes double barrel used.
 liquid droplets or gas bubbles are moving perpendicular to the bulk phase velocity,
rather than directly against it as in vertical flow, which makes separation easier
 Typical L/D ratios for horizontal separators normally fall in the range of 2.5–5.
 The horizontal configuration handles a foaming liquid better than vertical.

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Inlet devices-
 Reduce the momentum of the inlet stream and enhance flow distribution of the gas
and liquid phases.
 Efficient separation of the bulk liquid phase.
 Prevent droplet shattering and re-entrainment of bulk liquid phase.
Types of inlet devices-
1. No inlet
2. Diverter plate
3. Reversed pipe
4. Half pipe
5. Vane type
6. Cyclonic type
The vane type and cyclonic inlet devices generally provide improved separation
performance compared to the others.

Mist extraction equipment-

Mist extractors are used to separate the small liquid droplets from the gas phase that
were not removed by the inlet device or gas gravity settling section (main “body”) of
the separator. These droplets are typically less than 150–500 micron in size and
usually much smaller.

Wire Mesh-
 Small Size droplets removal.
 Fine fibres are woven to remove droplets size of less than 10 micron.
 Installed horizontally, with gas flow vertical.
 Not used for dirty and fouling liquid as they get plugged.
 Performance adversely affected if titled 30oC to the horizontal.
 Firmly secure the top and bottom of the pad so that it is not dislodged by high
gas flows, such as when a pressure relief valve lifts or during an emergency
blowdown situation.
 Most installations will use a 6inch thick pad with 9-12 lb/ft3 bulk density.
 Minimum recommended pad thickness is 4inches.
 Manufacturers should be contacted for specific design.

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Separation Performance- There are two main aspects to mesh pad separation
performance.
 droplet removal efficiency
 gas handling capacity
Droplet removal efficiency is typically given by the manufacturer as a curve showing
% removal as a function of droplet size at design flow and a nominal liquid loading.
The gas capacity of mesh pads is almost universally specified by a load or sizing
factor, K, as utilized in the Souders and Brown equation given below:
K √ ρl−ρg
Vt =
ρg
The K-factor is also a function of separator geometry, including settling space both
upstream and downstream of the mist eliminator.
Q
Area of the mist extractor: A=
Vt
 Efficiency increases then throughput of gas decreases.
 Pressure drop across wire mesh is very low.
 The K capacity factor for mesh pads is often derated for higher pressure
operation, due to reduction in surface tension at high pressure.
 Mesh pads normally operate efficiently over a range of 30–110% of the design
gas rate.
 K decreases with increasing liquid loading
 Typical mesh pads have max liquid loading of n 1gpm/ft2.
Clearance of mist extractor-
( Mod −Nod )
Cm=0.707
2
Where, Cm is the minimum extractor clearance, Mod is the mist extractor outer
diameter and Nod is the nozzle outside diameter.

Performance Value Droplet Comments

terms size
Droplet 99 – 99.5% 3-10 Higher removal efficiency
removal is for denser, thicker pads and/or
efficiency smaller wire/co-knit fibre diameter.
Gas Capacity 0.22 – 0.39 3-10 Generally, the lower
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 capacities correspond to the mesh
pad designs with the highest
droplet removal efficiencies.

Pressure psig Percent of Design value

Atmospheric 100
150 90
300 85
600 80
1150 75

Vane- Vane or chevron-type mist extractors (vane-pack) use relatively closely spaced
blades arranged to provide sinusoidal or zig-zag gas flow paths.

 Used for Horizontal as well as vertical flow.

 Capacity is decreased for vertical flow.
 Use a downcomer to direct the liquid flow to the bottom of the vessel without
hampering the gas flow as in wire mesh.
 Hollow vane design used for Vertical flow.
 Pack thickness of 6-12 inches, blade spacing of 1-1.5 inches.
Performance Value Droplet Comments
terms size
Droplet 99 % 10-40 Higher removal efficiency
removal is for denser, thicker pads with close
efficiency vane spacings and more passes.
Gas Capacity Horizontal: 10-40 Higher capacities are generally
0.9-1.0 associated with pocketed vane designs.
Vertical: 0.4-
0.5

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  Mesh Droplet removal efficiency ˃ Vane Droplet removal efficiency, at high
pressures.
 Vane Droplet removal efficiency decreases drastically at turndown, due to decrease in
velocity
 Vane packings more tolerable to liquid loading than mesh.
Cyclonic-
For mist extraction applications, reverse-flow, axial-flow and recycling axial-flow cyclones
are typically used in multi-cyclone bundles.
Advantages-
 Good Droplet removal efficiency for High Gas capacity.
 Used for low liquid loads and High Pressure.
 Small vessel diameter.
Disadvantages-
 Cannot Handle Slugs very well.
 Pressure drop is greater than vane type.
 Relatively narrow operating window for Highest efficiency.
Data required for Gas liquid Separator Sizing-
1. Pressure
2. Temperature
3. Gas and Liquid Flowrates
4. Physical Properties such as density, viscosity, etc.
5. Type of Liquid (Mist, free liquid, Slug)
6. Percentage separation required at outlet.
Design Approach-
1. Vapor Capacity determine the area required for the settling of liquid droplets.
2. Liquid Capacity is determined by the residence time for the liquid to degas.
3. Operability is determined for turndown, ability to handle any solids present, unsteady
state conditions, slugs, etc.
Separators without Mist extractors-
 Only Flare knockout drums do not consists of mist extractors.
 Mist extractors are avoided for the diameters of 30-2000 microns.
 The time taken for the gas to reach the outlet from inlet is equal to the time required
by settling droplets to reach from the top to bottom of the vessel.
4Q
 The length is calculated as L=
VtπD
 If the separator is to be additionally used for liquid storage, this must also be
considered in sizing the vessel.
Separators with Mist extractors-
 the amount of liquid in the separator feed gas.
 the inlet flow condition of the feed, i.e. multiphase flow pattern.
 the type of inlet device used.

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  the sizing/dimensions of the gas gravity separation section of the separator.
 For low liquid loading the performance of mist extractor will decide the area
requirements of the gas gravity separation.
 For High liquid loads some preconditioning to reduce the gas entrainment loading
might be required.
Vertical Separators-
For vertical separators, the coefficient k from Sudders brown equation is used. The
variation in k value denotes non ideal/difficult to ideal/easy to separation of the inlet gas
liquid mixture. The gas handling capacity of extractors is dependent upon the liquid
loading which in turn is dependent on K value. traditionally the method typically used has
been to “oversize” the gas gravity section, i.e. vessel diameter, relative to the mist
extractor. This has generally been done in two ways:
1. Derate the K value and then calculate the Diameter using this new k value. For
steady flows, low inlet velocities, low liquid loading and good inlet device the
deration factor is approximately equal to 1. For significant liquid volumes,
unsteady flow, high velocity inlet and a simple diverter plate inlet device may
require a deration factor of 0.5.
2. Select as separable droplet size and then calculate the K value for the separator.
Usually 150 microns is preferred.
K=
√
4 gDp
3 Cd
However, the value of K in Eq 7-8 as used in practice depends on other factors besides
droplet size, drag coefficient, and liquid entrainment loading, including: type of internals,
unsteady flow, surface tension, liquid viscosity, foaming, gas velocity profile uniformity,
degree of separation required, etc.
Height feet K ft/sec
5 0.12 – 0.24
10 or taller 0.18 – 0.35

Horizontal Separators-
1. In liquid separators the settling is perpendicular to the gas flow.
2. For Horizontal separators the gas gravity separation is part of the total cross sectional
area, leaving the rest for the gas flow.
3. Gas capacity is calculated by subtracting the area of the liquid level(maximum) from
the total cross-sectional area.
4. K value is dependent on the length of the separator. K = 0.5 for wire mesh, and
greater than 0.5 for vane and cyclone.
5. For a horizontal separator, mesh pad and cyclonic type mist extractors will normally
be installed horizontally with vertical up flow, while vane pack may be installed
horizontally, vertically, or sometimes in a vee-pattern.
6. For vessels with mesh pad mist extractors a typical droplet size for design is 150
microns.
length feet K ft/sec
10 0.4 – 0.5

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 ( )
0.56
Other L
K 10
10

Liquid handling
The design criterion for separator liquid handling capacity is typically based on the following
two main considerations:
 Liquid degassing requirements.
 Process control/stability requirements.
Liquid capacity is typically specified in terms of residence time, which must be translated
into vessel layout requirements for dimensioning purposes.
Application Retention Time, Minutes
Natural Gas – Condensate separation 2–4
Fractionator Feed Tank 10 – 15
Reflux Accumulator 5 – 10
Fractionation Column Sump 2
Amine Flash Tank 5 – 10
Refrigeration Surge Tank 5
Refrigeration Economizer 3
Heat Medium Oil Surge Tank 5 – 10

Note
1. except for the Natural gas – condensate application, the residence times specified in
Fig. 7-20 are primarily based on process control stability/operability.
2. In practice, process control stability and operability requirements will often override
the degassing requirements.
3. If it is deemed necessary to calculate vessel liquid handling requirements for a
degassing constraint according to gravity settling theory, a gas bubble size of 150 –
200 microns has been suggested by several sources.
Three phase- Liquid-Liquid Separation-
For liquid capacities in three phase residence time of liquid is the governing rule. The
residence time for both the liquids is considered to be equal but there are certain limitations.
1. Considering equal residence time is not optimum. Eg (Oil and Water separation).
2. Residence time is not geometry specific. (Horizontal and Vertical)
3. Residence Time does not provide any idea of the percentage purity of the liquids.
Type of Separation Retention Time, Minutes
Hydrocarbon/Water Separators
Above 35° API hydrocarbon 3–5
Below 35° API hydrocarbon 5 – 10
100°F and above 10 – 20
80°F 20 – 30

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 60°F
Ethylene Glycol/Hydrocarbon 20 – 60
Separators (Cold Separators)
Amine/Hydrocarbon Separators 20 – 30
Coalescer, Hydrocarbon/Water
Separators
100°F and above 5 – 10
80°F 10 – 20
60°F 20 – 30
Caustic/Propane 30 – 45
Caustic/Heavy Gasoline 30 – 90

Gas-Liquid-Liquid(Three phase) separation is divided into two major parts-

1. Gas gravity separation
2. Coalescing Separation (Liquid-Liquid)
Two factors which prevent liquid-liquid separation-
 If droplet particles are so small that they may be suspended by Brownian movement.
 The droplets may carry electric charges due to dissolved ions.
The liquid-liquid separation capacity of separators may be determined using stokes law for
both horizontal and vertical vessels.
C ( SHL−SLL )
vertical vessels- Wcl= 0.785 D2
µ
C ( SHL−SLL )
horizontal vessels- Wcl= ≪ Hl
µ
where Ll and Hl are the width and height of the liquid intereface.
Emulsion Droplet Constant,10
Characteristic Diameter, C*
microns
Free Liquids 200 1,100
Loose Emulsion 150 619
Moderate Emulsion 100 275
Tight Emulsion 60 99

Gas-Liquid Surface Re-entrainment-

When gas flows across a liquid surface, it may re-entrain liquid from the gas-liquid interface
to the gas phase. As the gas velocity increases, waves form and build at the liquid surface,
releasing liquid droplets into the flowing gas stream. The extent of re-entrainment is a
function of the gas velocity, density, and transport properties, including liquid surface tension
and gas and liquid viscosity. Reducing surface re-entrainment to a minimum is typically a
key design goal for horizontal gas-liquid separators.

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The Ishii-Grolmes criteria can be used to estimate the maximum allowable gas velocity at
incipient entrainment in a horizontal separator vapor zone. Reynold’s film number, Nref, and
interfacial viscosity number, Nµ
ρl Vl Dh
Nref =
µ
0.066 µl
Nµ=

( ( ))
0.5 0.5
σ
σρl
g ( ρl−ρg )

Regime Nref Nµ Vrmax

( )( )
0.5
A <160 - σ ρl −0.5
4.92 Nre f
µl ρg

( )( )
0.5
B 160<Nref<1635 ≤0.0667 σ ρl 0.8 −0.333
38.64 N µ Nre f
µl ρg

( )( )
0.5
C 160<Nref<1635 >0.0667 σ ρl −0.333
4.43 Nre f
µl ρg

( )( )
0.5
D >1635 ≤0.0667 σ ρl 0.8
3.28 Nµ
µl ρg

( )( )
0.5
E >1635 >0.0667 σ ρl
0.376
µl ρg

Liquid-Liquid Coalescer-
Plate Type-
 Plate type coalescers are commonly limited to efficient removal of droplets above 50
microns minimum droplet size.
 Plates can be installed horizontally, or on angle to resist fouling.
 The settling mechanism in plates is often referred to as enhanced gravity separation.
Wire Coalescer-
 Simple wire mesh coalescers may remove droplets down to 20 micron, while co-knits
can be efficient down to 2 microns or less.
Liquid Carry over specification-
 0.1 gal / MMSCF (absolute reference)
 Supplier guarantee based on % removal for a specified droplet size, (i.e. d95, or 99%
removal efficiency at 10 microns)
 98% overall liquid recovery
Gas Carry Over specification-
 A typical requirement for light hydrocarbons is minimal carry-under for gas bubbles
200 micron and larger.
 Gas volumes above 2% should be checked by the pump manufacturer.
Water in Hydrocarbon specification-

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  For primary separators, with no emulsions, the typical separation results in 0.1 to 0.5
Vol.% water in hydrocarbon. For other production service the value may be higher or
lower depending on the destination
Oil in Water specification-
 Direct disposal options require relatively clean water (typically 15-50 ppm oil) which
often necessitates further treatment of the water discharged from a separator.
Separator Internal Configuration
Vertical Two Phase Separators with  Vertical with no mesh pad
Internals  Vertical with mesh pad
 Vertical with vane pack in horizontal
flow
 Vertical with vane pack in vertical
flow
 In-line vane pack (in-line separator)
 Cyclone
 Axial flow multi-cyclone
 Conventional (reverse flow) multi-
cyclone
 Combination configuration (e.g.,
vertical flow flooded mesh/ vane)
 Combination configuration (e.g.,
horizontal flow flooded mesh/ vane)
 Combination configuration (e.g.,
flooded mesh/multi-cyclone bank)
Horizontal Two Phase Separators  Horizontal with no mesh pad
 Horizontal with vertical mesh pad
 Horizontal with horizontal mesh pad
in box under outlet nozzle
 Horizontal with vertical vane pack
 Horizontal with vane pack canted
between vertical and horizontal
 Horizontal with inlet cyclones
and/or outlet cyclones
Liquid-Liquid and Three Phase Separators  Gravity separator (no baffles or
internals)
 Separator with mesh coalescer
 Separator with vane or plate
coalescer
 Three phase separator with single
overflow baffle
 Three phase separator with
overflow-underflow baffle
 Three phase separator with water
boot
 Complex multi-baffle separators
 Vertical three phase separator

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 Cyclonic Two and Three Phase Separators  • Conventional reverse flow cyclonic
separator
 Advanced compact cyclonic
separators
 Inline cyclonic device
Specialized  Wellhead Separator
Gas-Liquid  Test Separator
Separators  Vessel type slug catcher
 Harp type slug catcher
 Flare K.O. drums
 Specialized cyclone separators
Specialized Oil Treating Coalescing  Heater-Treater
Separators  Desalter
Specialized Water Treating Coalescing  Gunbarrel tank
Separators  Water hydrocyclone
 CPI Separator
 API Separator
 Dissolved gas flotation unit
 Walnut shell filter

Data and Information Required for sizing separators-

 Separator environment: wellhead, offshore, gas plant
 Service: K.O. drum, gas-liquid separator, surge, flash drum, reflux drum, crude oil
separator, solids removal
 Physical space limitations
 Typical sizing parameters for this service
 Separator effluent requirements/separation efficiency needed: Bulk liquid removal
and/or fine mist removal. Effect of separation efficiency on downstream equipment
 Conditions of service: clean, fouling, or potentially plugging service determines types
of entrainment separation devices that may be considered
 Operating Conditions: gas and liquid flow rates, operating temperature and pressure,
gas and liquid physical properties (densities at conditions, viscosities of liquid, vapor
and emulsion if present, liquid surface tension)
 Two or three phase separation
 Removal of accumulated solids from separator vessel
 Design factor for sizing: Typically design factor is based on either maximum
operating flow rate alone or operating flow rate plus a factor. This decision should be
based on specific service and project criteria.
 De-rating required for K factor due to experience with this service.
 Liquid residence time requirements for de-gassing or other needs for this service
based on experience or specific project criteria
 Liquid-liquid settling time requirements
 Nature of solids that may be present, size if available and solids removal efficiency
required
 Inlet slug size and frequency
 Surge time requirements
 Total Surge Time (HHLL to LLLL)
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  Control Surge Time (NLL to HLL)
 High Level Surge Time (HLL to HHLL)
 Low Level Response Time (LLLL to LLL)
 Nature of fluids being contained: hazardous properties (toxic, flammable, lethal, etc.)
and corrosively
 Mechanical design conditions: design pressure and temperature, corrosion allowance,
material of construction, minimum design metal temperature, and any projectspecific
requirement
Vertical separators with vanes are best utilized below 700 psig. Higher efficiency can be
obtained at pressures above 700 psig by using double pocket vanes. V
Vertical separators with vanes are a common alternative to mesh mist eliminators for
reciprocating compressors because of their more robust mechanical design, which is
advantageous in pulsating service.
Vertical Gas-Liquid Separator Comparison Chart
Separator No Mesh Vert. Horiz. In-line Axial Horiz. Vert. Flood
Type Interna Pad Vane Vane Vane Flow Flood Flood Mesh/
ls Pack Pack Pack Multi Mesh/ Mesh/ Multi
Cyclone vane vane Cyclone
Gas handling
Capacity Low Mode High Very Very Very Very Very Very
rate High High High High High High
Turndown Infinit 4:1 3:1 3:1 3:1 2:1 4:1 or 4:1 4:1
e higher higher higher
Liquid Removal
Overall Low Very Mode Low/ Low/ High Mode High High
Efficiency High rate Modera Modera rate
te te
Efficiency Very Very Mode Modera Modera High Very Very Very
Fine mist Low High rate te te Very High High High
High
Liquid handling
Slugs High High High Very Very High High High High
High Low
Droplets High High Mode Modera Low High High High High
rate te
Fouling Tolerance
Particulate Very Low Mode Modera Modera Moderat Low Low Low
High rate te te e
Fouling Very Very Mode Modera Modera Moderat Low Low Low
Material High Low rate te te e
Pressure
Pressure Very Very Low Low Low High Low Low High
drop Low Low
Operating - All < 700 < 700 < 700 > 600
Pressure psig psig psig psig

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Horizontal Gas-Liquid Separator Comparison Chart
Separator No Vertical Mesh Horizontal Vertical Vane
Type Internals Pad Mesh pad Pack
Capacity Low Moderate Moderate High
Turndown Infinite 4:1 4:1 3:1
Gas Handling
Overall Low Very High Very High Moderate
Efficiency
Efficiency Fine Very Low Very High Very High Moderate
mist
Liquid handling
Slugs Very High Very High Very High Very High
Droplets High High High Moderate
Fouling Tolerance
Particulate Very High Low Low Moderate
Fouling Very High Very Low Very Low Moderate
Material
Pressure drop Very Low Very Low Very Low Low

Gas Liquid-Liquid separator selection

Separator Horizontal Horiz. Horiz. / Horiz. Horiz. w/ Vertical
type No w/Baffle Verti. w/Boot Bucket &
Internals w/Plate Underflow
pack or Baffle
Mesh
Liquid-Liquid separation
Easy to Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Settle
Bulk Yes Yes - Yes Yes Yes
Separation
Most - With Yes With With With
Efficient coalescer coalescer coalescer coalescer
Separation
Gas- Liquid separation
Bulk Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Separation
Most With Mist With Mist With Mist With Mist With Mist With Mist
Efficient eliminator eliminator eliminator eliminator eliminator eliminator
Separation
Liquid Yes Yes - Yes Yes -
Controlled
(G/L/L)
Gas Yes - - - - Yes
Controlled
(G/L/L)
Fouling - - - Yes Yes Yes
Service

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 Solids - - - - - Yes
Handling
Interface - - - - Yes -
Level
Control
not
Required
Low Light - - - - Yes -
Phase
(Oil) Flow
Rate
Low - - - Yes -
Water
Phase
Flow Rate

Three phase (gas liquid-liquid) Separation-

Horizontal Gas-Liquid-Liquid Separator with Water Boot-
 It is best used in cases where the volume of the heavy phase is small (less than 5%)
and the removal of hydrocarbons in the water to very low concentrations is not
required.
Horizontal Gas-Liquid-Liquid Separator with Single Overflow Weir-
 A settler with a single overflow weir is a common configuration for gas-liquid-liquid
separation, where the liquid-liquid interface is well defined.
Horizontal Three Phase Separator with Bucket and Overflow Weir-
 It is best for services where the volume of the light phase is small (less than 5%) and
removal of water from the hydrocarbon to very low concentrations is not required.
Precautions to be taken for Separator inlet-
 Avoid such configurations within 5-10 pipe diameters of the separator- elbows in the
horizontal plane, two out of plane elbows, valves and other flow disturbances,
 high pressure drop which may cause flashing and atomization.
 The inlet piping design upstream should minimize low points and pockets.
 In addition, it is recommended that inlet piping diameter match the velocity
requirement of the inlet to the separator 10 pipe diameters upstream of the separator to
provide a flow regime which is fully developed before entering the separator.
Selection of Inlet devices-
 It is also necessary to maintain the inlet velocity head, J, within proper limits for the
selected inlet device to insure good gas distribution and minimum liquid shattering.
 Where, J=(ρV ²)
 4,000-6,000 max. typ, up to 10,000 max lb/ft • sec2 for diffuser distributor
 650-1,500 max lb/ft • sec² for no inlet distributor
 1,000-2,500 max lb/ft • sec2 for inlet half pipe or elbow distributor
 1,000-2,500 max lb/ft • sec2 for v-baffle or other simple inlet diverter designs

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Vmax velocities correlation-
Length Max Velocity

√
L < 10 ft ρl−ρg
Vmax=0.40 ¿ 0.45 .
ρg

( ) √
L > 10 ft L 0.5 6
ρl−ρg
Vmax=0.40 ¿ 0.45 .
20 ρg

( ) √
L > 10 ft L 0.58
ρl−ρg
Vmax=0.45 .
20 ρg

K- values for different Mist eliminator-

Device Typical Sudders Brown K value
Mesh Vertical Flow to Mesh 0.35
Mesh Horizontal Flow to Mesh 0.42
Vane (simple profile) — Vertical Flow to 0.50
Vane
Vane (simple profile) — Horizontal Flow to 0.65
Vane
Vanes with single or double pockets — 0.65 to 1.0
Vertical and Horizontal Flow to Vane
Vertical Flow To Axial cyclone 0.5 to 0.80
Combination Vane / Mesh Vertical Flow 0.50
Combination Vane / Mesh Horizontal Flow 0.65
Axial cyclone Combinations Vertical Flow 0.5 to 0.80

Typical ranges for the maximum velocity head allowed for the vapor outlet are 3000–3600
lb/ft sec 2.
Three phase separator design approach-
 There are two separate, distinct surge volumes for the two liquid phases. The surge
volume for the light phase liquid is calculated from the high to low liquid levels (HLL

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 to LLL) and the surge volume for the heavy phase is calculated from the high to low
interface levels (HILL to LILL).
 Similarly there are two separate, distinct volumes for separation of the two liquid
phases. Separation volumes and corresponding times are calculated based on the
effective volume of the phases at normal liquid levels and assuming fluctuation from
normal level for the interface The separation volume in a Gas-Liquid-Liquid separator
should not include the full volume between the vessel tangential lines since some
initial volume is required for the vapor phase to disengage from the two liquid phases
before separation of the two liquid phases can proceed, and to allow more even liquid
distribution. Perforated plate calming baffles which separate the inlet compartment
from the settling compartment are frequently used to achieve this purpose, and the
separation volume is calculated as the volume downstream of this baffle to the outlet
zone of the vessel.
 Typical requirements for the inlet zone and outlet zone depend on the application and
internals used, but are normally are about 0.5D and 0.25D respectively. In addition, it
is common to limit the individual phase axial (horizontal) velocity to 0.05 ft/sec, at
normal levels. Some users also will limit the maximum settling rate of any phase to no
more than 10 in/min.
 The volume for separation of the vapor and liquid phases is the volume in the top
vapor space of the separator above the high high liquid level (HHLL), or high liquid
level (HLL, depending on the service), and between the top tan line of the vessel.
 The light phase is withdrawn via a standpipe which terminates above the highest
interface level (HILL or HHILL).
Design of a Vapor-Liquid-Liquid Separator Drum with Boot-

 The boot diameter is sized based on the light-fromheavy phase settling rate and the heavy
phase flow rate. Boot diameters of 8 to 18 in, or larger are typical.
 The boot design must insure that the vertical heavy phase velocity is less than the terminal
velocity of a light fluid target droplet in the heavy phase.
 For designs with an integral boot a standpipe, or small internal baffle, is provided on the
light phase draw-off nozzle to prevent the heavy phase material flowing along the bottom of
the drum from being drawn off with the light phase.

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The following design procedures and heuristics are a result of a review of Literature sources
and accepted industrial design guidelines. The horizontal design procedure incorporates
optimizing the diameter and length by minimizing the weight of the shell and heads. To add a
degree of conservatism to the design, the volume available in the heads is ignored.
Two Phase Vertical separator Design-
1. Calculate the vertical terminal vapor velocity:
Vt = √
K ρl−ρg
ρg
Set actual velocity Va to 0.75 times the terminal velocity for conservative design. K
value can be calculate for vertical and horizontal separators for different lengths and
operating pressures of the separators.
2. Calculate the total vapor volumetric flowrate-
3
Wv f t
Qv=
3600 ρg s
3. Calculate the diameter of the vessel-

( )
Dv=
4 Qv
π Va
ft
If there is a mist eliminator, add 3 to 6 in. to Dv to accommodate a support ring and
round up to the next 6 in. increment to obtain D. If there is no mist eliminator this
diameter is the vessel diameter.
4. Calculate the liquid volumetric flowrate-
3
Wl ft
Q l=
3600 ρl s
5. Calculate the liquid holdup volume from the residence/retention/holdup time.
Services Control Surge Time LLL Retention time
to HLL
Compressor Drum 2 minutes
Flash Drum 2-5 minutes

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 Reflux Drum 5 minutes
Surge Drum Upstream of 5-10 minutes
a Tower
Surge Drum Upstream of 10 minutes
a Fired Heat
Net Product to Storage 5 minutes
Amine Flash Drum - 5-10 minutes, depending
on presence of
hydrocarbons
Glycol Flash Drum - 10-20 minutes
depending on presence of
hydrocarbons
Refrigeration 5 minutes
Accumulator
Refrigeration Economiser 3 minutes
Heat Medium Surge Drum

Services Holdup time LLL – NLL Surge Time NLL – LLL

Unit Feed Drum 10 5
Separators
1) Feed to column. 5 3
2) Feed to other drum or
tankage
 with pump or 5 2
through
exchanger
 without pump 2 1
3) Feed to fired heater. 10 3
Reflux or product
accumulator
1) Reflux only 3 2
2) Reflux and product 3+ 2+
 based on reflux
(3rnin.]
+appropriate
holdup time of
overhead product
(per B-1, 2,3)
Column bottoms
1) Feed to another column 5 2
2) Feed to other drum or
tankage
 with pump or 5 2
through exchange
 without pump 2 1
3) Feed to fired boiler. 5-8 2-4
 based on reboiler
vapor expressed
as liquid (3min.)

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 +appropriate hold
up time for the
bottom product
(per 0·1, 2
Compressor suction /inter
stage scrubber.
 min between HLL
(HLA) and HLSD
 10min from
bottom tangent
line to HLA
Fuel gas knockout drum
 20ft slug in the
incoming fuel gas
line between NLL and
HLSD

3
V h= (T ) ( Ql ) f t
6. Calculate the liquid surge volume from the surge time.
3
V s=( T ) ( Ql ) f t
7. Obtain the low liquid level height from the table-

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