Design Checks for Main Fractionator Overhead

Component
HC vapour( Wv)
HC liquid (WLL)
*Water vapour
Liquid Water (WHL)

Mass Flow Kg/hr Vol Flow m3/hr

34753
57438
471 770.4

Operating Conditions
Pressure (bar)
Temperature
36C
Liquid resident time
8 minutes

8237.2600

Mass flow lb/hr Density Kg/l @std

76616.4638

0.004219

78.2214 126627.8148
1038.3666

0.7343

0.8

1698.4238

0.963

1.2

*Properties of water vapour are obtained considering the process conditions in the vessel

It is assumed that the operating conditions in the drum does not give room for much water to sti
vapour phase. Much of the steam coming from the overhead air coolers is condensed in the reflu
the rest is condensed in the trim cooler downstream of the reflux drum. On this note the vessel
not factoring in the volume occupied by water vapour in the drum

1. Calculate the vapour volumetric flow rate Qv ( Eq. 5)

Qv = 80.7974569214
2. Calculate the light and heavy liquids volumetric flowrates
QLL= 46.0354028737
QHL= 0.45656555
3. Calculate the vertical terminal velocity using equation 4 and set Uv=0.75UT
a. Calculate terminal velocity constant K using GPSA formula
K= 0.35825952
b. Calculate UT using equation 4
UT= 0.2127
UV= 0.1595064063
4. Select holdup and surge times from table 6 and calculate the holup and surge volumes, VH AND
Hold up time TH= 5
Surge time TS= 3
VH= 232.45984211
VS= 139.475905266

5. Obtain L/D from table 7 and the solve for D using Equation 33. then calculate total cross-sectional a
L/D=
2
D=
7.33620526
AT= 42.2486274798
6. Set the vapour space height Hv to the larger of 0.2D or 2ft

Hv=
Hv/D=
Av/AT=
Av=

2
0.2726205073
0.2208592433
9.3309998964

7. Set the light liquid height in the vessel and in the boot
HLLV=
1
HLLB=
0.5

8. Calculate the cross-sectional area of the light liquid above the bottom of the vessel, ALLV using tabl
HLLV/D= 0.1363102537
ALLV/AT= 0.0817639791
ALLV=
3.454415894
9. Calculate the minimum length to accommodate the liquid holdup/surge
L= 12.6237340076
10. Calculate the liquid drop out time
= 12.5386813406
11. Calculate the actual vapour velocity UVA
UVA= 8.6590352394
12. Calculate the minimum length required for liquid/vapour separation, Lmin using Equation 25
Lmin= 108.572883584
13. Criteria for selecting L
L= 12.6237340076
14. Calculate the settling velocities of the heavy liquid out of the light phase UHL
ks= 0.163
UHL= 7.1753932626
15. Calculate the settling time of the heavy liquid out of the light liquid phase
tHL= 9.7603658165
16. Calculate the residence time of the light liquid
LL= 9.0266045008

17. From 15 and sixteen above the light liquid does not stay long enough for the heavly liquid to settle
long enough. This will require adding to the length of the drum
L= 13.6499014523

18. Calculate L/D. If L/D << 1.5 then decrease D if it is not at minimum. If L/D >>6.0 then decrease D
L/D= 1.8606215296

19. Calculate the thickness of the shell and heads according to table 8. ( Dished heads).
tc=
th=
ts=
t=

0.125
0.109772923
0.0549175881
0.234772923

ator Overhead Drum

Density lb/ft3 @std Mol Wt

0.2634

viscosity cp

43.77

45.8444

0.367

62

0.682

for much water to still exist in the

ondensed in the reflux drum and
this note the vessel is designed

rge volumes, VH AND VS

otal cross-sectional area AT

essel, ALLV using table 3

ng Equation 25

heavly liquid to settle out, meaning the the vessel is not long

>6.0 then decrease D and repeat from step 5

heads).