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Comparison Horizontal Vs Vertical Separator
Comparison Horizontal Vs Vertical Separator
Roberto Bubbico
PhD, Chem. Eng.
Department of Chemical Engineering
“Sapienza” University of Rome
bubbico@ingchim.ing.uniroma1.it
INTRODUCTION
• In phase separation, two or more phases can be
separated because a given force will act differently
on them, or because one of the phases impacts
on a solid barrier.
• The forces are usually gravity, centrifugal, and
electromotive.
• Examples are removal of a solid from a liquid by
impaction (filtration), gravity (settling), centrifugal
force (cyclones or centrifuges), and the attraction
of charged particles in an electrostatic precipitator.
INTRODUCTION
• One exception to these mechanisms is
drying by evaporating unbonded water from
a solid. In this case, separation of a liquid
from a solid occurs by mass transfer.
• Since many component separations require
contacting two phases, like liquid-liquid
extraction, component separation is
frequently followed by phase separation.
• Phase separators can be classified
according to the phases in contact: liquid-
gas, liquid-liquid, liquid-solid, solid-gas, …
INTRODUCTION
• In many cases separators will also have the
role of accumulators, with the aim of
reducing fluctuations in flow rate, pressure
and/or composition (improving process
control)
• Where the carryover of some fine droplets
can be tolerated it is often sufficient to rely
on gravity settling in a vertical or horizontal
separating vessel (K-O drum or knockout
pot).
INTRODUCTION
Reasons for using gas-liquid or vapor-liquid
separators are:
• to recover valuable products,
• improve product purity,
• reduce emissions,
• protect downstream equipment,
• ...
Gas-liquid separators are used after flashing a
hot liquid across a valve (flash drum)
INTRODUCTION
The forces acting on a liquid droplet suspended in a
gas are:
• gravity (acting FG = M L g
downward)
• buoyancy (acting M L ρV g
FB =
upward) ρL
FG = FD
4 gD p (ρ L − ρV )
UT =
3CD ρV
INTRODUCTION
• The drag coefficient C’ is a function ρ GU T D p
Re =
of the Reynolds number: µ
• Depending on the Reynolds number, the terminal
velocity can be defined further:
gD p ( ρ L − ρ G )
• Re>500 (Newton’s law) U T = 1.74
ρG
gD p ( ρ L − ρ G )
2
UT = K
(ρ L − ρV )
ρV
where K is an empirical constant which depends on
• properties of the fluids,
• design of the separator,
• size of the drops,
• vapor velocity,
• degree of separation required
INTRODUCTION
• In general around 95 % separation of liquid from
vapor is accomplished by an empty drum
• If greater separation efficiencies are required, or
very small drops need to be separated an
uneconomically large separator should be used
• Very small drops (down to 1 µm) can be
separated by impaction using a wiremesh pad
located at the top of the separator
INTRODUCTION
• The value of K
also depends
upon the
operating
pressure
INTRODUCTION
Disadvantages:
• It requires a footprint area larger than a vertical one
• At high liquid levels, the liquid entrainment rate
progressively increases with the increase in liquid level
Vertical separators
Advantages:
• The liquid surface area does not change with liquid
height: liquid entrainment is reasonably constant
• It requires a smaller footprint area
• Easier to install level instruments, alarms, and shutdown
systems
• Usually more efficient for high vapor/liquid ratios
Disadvantages:
• Not suitable for three-phase separation
• Less suitable for high liquid–vapor ratios
Vertical separators design
• The separator
diameter must be
determined first
• The gas velocity
must be low enough
to allow the liquid
droplets to settle out
Vertical separators design
• After defining the maximum
droplet diameter, the critical Uv = Kv
(ρL − ρV )
gas velocity Uv can be ρV
calculated:
4Q v
• the minimum vessel Dv =
diameter is given by:
πU v
• Dv=minimum vessel diameter, m
• Qv=gas, or vapour volumetric flow-rate, m3/s
• Kv= 0.07 m/s if a demister pad is used, and 0.15*0.07 without
a demister pad, m/s
Vertical separators design
The height of the vessel is composed of a
number of terms:
• droplet settling length: it is the length from the
center line of the inlet nozzle to the bottom of
the mist eliminator.
– 0.75 D or a minimum of 12 in (0.305 m), or
alternatively
– a length equal to the diameter or a minimum of 3 ft
(0.914 m)
Vertical separators design
• height from the bottom of the inlet nozzle to
liquid surface: it is required to prevent nozzle
flooding.
– a minimum of 6 in (0.152 m) from the bottom of the
nozzle to the liquid surface or a minimum of 12 in
(0.305 m) from the center line of the nozzle to the
liquid surface
– 12 in (0.305 m) plus 1/2 of the inlet nozzle outside
diameter or 18 in (0.4570 m) minimum
– 0.5 D or 2 ft (0.610 m) minimum.
Vertical separators design
If a mist eliminator is present (demister pad), the
following lengths must be added:
• thickness of the mist eliminator (usually 6 in
(0.152 m))
• an additional 12 in (0.305 m) above the
eliminator to obtain uniform flow distribution
across the eliminator (if it is too close to the
outlet nozzle, most of the flow will be directed to
the center of the eliminator, with reduced
efficiency)
Vertical separators design
• the liquid height: an appropriate residence
time of the liquid (surge time) is required to
dampen variations in the liquid flow rate.
– 2 to 5 min
– sometimes 10 min is selected.
VS
Vs = QLts HS =
(π / 4)DV
2
Vertical separators design
• there is a minimum liquid height required to
prevent a vortex from forming. The design of the
separator will have to include a vortex breaker.
The minimum liquid level should cover the
vortex breaker plus an additional liquid height
• In other words:
L HV L
≥ U AH ≤ UV
U AH UV HV
where
– UAH= vapor velocity
– UV= critical drop velocity
– HV= height for vapor flow
Horizontal separators design
• Since the upward drag of the vapor is practically
absent in a horizontal drum, the empirical
coefficient K is the same as for vertical vessels
but multiplied by a factor of 1.25
Operating Length/diameter,
pressure, bar L/D
0-20 3
20-35 4
>35 5
Horizontal separators design
• For preliminary designs, set the liquid
height at half the vessel diameter:
hv = Dv/2 and fv = 0.5
1. Calcolo QV = WV / ρV
Q L = WL / ρ L
2. Calcolo
ρ L − ρV U V = 0,75U T
UT = K
3. Calcolo ρV
4. Fisso TH V H = TH Q L
6. La sezione totale: πD 2
AT =
4
7. Fisso il livello minimo di liquido HLL (da tabelle) oppure:
in alternativa,
con
x= ALL/AT e
y= HLL/D :
x = π cos (1 − 2 y ) − π (1 − 2 y ) y − y
1 −1 2 2
Horizontal separators design
15.
– Se L<Lmin (differenza < 20%) =>
pongo L=Lmin (l’abbattimento del
vapore è controllante)
– Se L<<Lmin si incrementa HV e si riparte da
9.
– Se L>Lmin => OK
– Se L>>Lmin (hold-up controllante) si
può aumentare Lmin e ridurre L diminuendo HV (se
maggiore del minimo in 9.)
Horizontal separators design
– ANL=ALL+VH/L
– Da ANL/AT HNL
– e quindi HHL=D-HV.