Vapor-Liquid Separator Design

• Presented to CBE 497

• 15 Jan., 2002.

• By R. A. Hawrelak
 The Equation of State
• Composition, temperature and pressure define
the Equation Of State (EOS) for process
streams in a chemical plant.
• The EOS often shows a particular stream to be
a two-phase mixture of vapor and liquid.
• Chemical processes often require separation of
the vapor stream from the liquid stream.
• The separation usually takes place in a vapor-
liquid separator called a knock-out pot.
 There are 3 Basic Design
Zones in any Knock-out Pot

• The vapor-liquid inlet line.

• The vapor zone.

• The liquid zone.

 Design Basis – Inlet Line
• Inlet line: Baker Two Phase Flow in
Perry VI, CEHB, Page 5-41.
• Avoid high, two phase velocity which
may atomize liquid into particles too
small for fluid dynamic separation.
• Avoid “Slug Flow” regime where
vibrations may be damaging to inlet
pipe.
Baker Chart – Horizontal Flow
 Design Basis – Vapor Zone
• The Vapor Zone: Perry VI, CEHB, Eq 5-263,
page 5-66.
• Establish a design basis for liquid
entrainment in the vapor stream.
• Select a design liquid particle diameter for
liquid entrainment in the vapor stream.
• Select a vessel diameter to establish a
terminal velocity that will entrain particles
smaller than the design particle diameter.
Design Basis – Liquid Zone
• The Liquid Zone: Based on Liquid
retention time.
• Establish liquid residence times for
normal liquid level variation.
• Establish liquid residence times for
alarming and shut-downs beyond
normal liquid level variation.
 Design Basis – Vessel
Economics
• Combine the three design zones with
Pressure Vessel Economics to obtain
the most cost effective KO Pot.
 Types of KO Vessels

• Vertical – No Internals
Vertical KO – With Demister Mesh
 Peerless KO Pots With
Horizontal Flow Chevrons
FWG – Vertical Flow Chevron
Vanes
Cyclone KO Pot With
Tangential Entry
Porta-Test Centrifugal Separator
 Horizontal KO Pots
• API-521 Horizontal KO Pot With No Internals
API-521 Horizontal KO Pot With
Mesh Pad
Wu – Horizontal With Extended
Inlet
Kettle Refrigeration Exchanger
This Presentation Considers
• Vertical KO Vessel With No Internals
• Vertical KO With Mesh Pad
• As CBE 497 does not get to Phase III
Engineering where line sizing is a
factor, Inlet Line design is not part of
this presentation.
 Problem Statement
• Design a KO Pot to separate 49,423 lb/hr
of vapor from 382,290 lb/hr of liquid.
• Working Range liquid level holdup shall
be +/- 2 minutes on normal liquid level.
• Provide 2 minutes liquid holdup from high
opg LL to Max LL.
• Provide 2 minutes liquid holdup from low
opg LL to Min. LL.
• Total Liquid Retention time = 8 minutes.
 First Design Consideration
• As the liquid rate is high (382,290
lb/hr), liquid volume will probably be
the controlling design factor.
• Consider using a Standard Vertical
KO Pot with No Internals.
 Problem Statement Cont’d
• Vapor Destination – centrifugal compressor.
• Liquid Destination – C2 Splitter reflux.
• Compressor Spec – To prevent damage to the
compressor, the liquid droplet size in the inlet
vapor stream shall not exceed a particle
diameter, Dp, of 150 to 300 microns.
• Design Spec – To achieve a goal of 150
microns, design the KO Pot for a particle
diameter, Dp = 100 microns.
• Rate a 10 ft. dia. x 31 ft. t-t KO Pot.
Summary Of All Req’d Input
 Step (1): Calc CFS Of Vapor

• CFS = Vapor cubic feet per second.

• CFS Vapor = Wv / 3600 / Dv.
• CFS Vapor = 16.29 cubic ft. per sec.
 Step (2): Calc ( C )( Re^2 )
• CRe^2 from Perry VI - Eq 5-263
• CRe^2 = (A)( Constant)
• A = (Dp/304800)^3 (DL - Dv)(Dv) / cP^2
• Constant = (4*32.2/3/0.00067197^2)
• CRe^2 = 1,411.49

Where C = Drag Coefficient

Re = Particle Reynolds Number
Step (3): Calc Drag Coefficient, C

• Table 5-22, Perry VI, Page 5-67, gives C

values versus CRe^2. These values have
been curve fitted to a polynomial for the
Re range 0.1 to 2,000 as follows:
• C = EXP(6.496-1.1478*LN(CRe^2)
+0.058065*LN(CRe^2)^2 -
0.00097081*LN(CRe^2)^3)
• C = 2.35 for the example presented
Step (4): Calc Particle
Reynolds Number, Re

• Re = (CRe^2 / C)^0.5
• Re = 24.5
• Re falls within range 0.1 < Re < 2,000
OK to proceed to Step (5)
Step (5): Calc Drop Out Velocity
• Drop Out velocity, ut, from Perry VI -
Eq 5-264.
• Ut = [Re / C*4*32.2 *cP* 0.00067197
*(DL-Dv) / 3 / Dv^2]^0.333333.
• Ut = 0.4659 ft./sec.
Step (6): Calc Vessel Diameter
• Area = (CFS / ut) = (3.14 / 4 )(D)^2.
• KO Dia = (CFS / ut /0.785)^0.5.
• KO Dia = 6.67 ft.
• Round Diameter to Nearest 3.”
• Rounded Diameter = 7’ 0.”
Step (7): Calc Ht. Above C.L.
Of Inlet Nozzle, L1
• L1 Vapor ht. Referenced to C.L. Of
inlet nozzle.
• L1 Vapor ht. = 3 ft. + 0.5(Noz Diam.).
• L1 Vapor ht. = 3.83 ft. (C.L. to top t-L).
• See Design Uncertainty at end of this
report for future addition of a
demister pad, if required.
Step (8): Calc Liquid Vol, L3,
For Specified Retention Time
• Cubic Ft. Of Liquid = Vol L3.
• Vol L3 = (WL)(Ø min.) / DL / 60 cu. ft.
• Vol L3 = 1,629.02 cu. Ft.
Step (9): Calc Liq Vol for
minimum of 2 ft. Liquid.
• Liq Vol For 2 Ft. Minimum Liq Vol =
Vol L2 ft. = (p)(2)(Dia)^2 / 4.
• Vol L2 ft. = 76.97 cu. Ft.
Step (10): Select Maximum
of L3 Vol or L2 ft. Vol.
• Vol L3 = 1,629.02 cu. Ft.
• Vol L2 = 76.97 ft. cu. Ft. = cu. Ft.
• Max Liquid Vol = 1,629.02 cu. Ft.
 Step (11): calculate L3, ft.
• L3 = (Vol L3)(4) / (p)(Vessel Dia)^2.
• L3 = 42.33 ft.
• This makes the vessel roughly 7 ft. in
diam with an unusually high liquid
level (L3).
Step (12): Document Liquid
Retention Time
• Stated Liquid Retention Time
Required from Max to Min Liquid
Level = 8 minutes.
 Step (13): Calculate L2
• L2 is the height from the C.L. of the inlet
nozzle to the max Liquid level.
• L2 = 0.25(L3) + 0.5(Inlet Nozzle dia.).
• L2 = (0.25)(42.33) + (0.5)(20/12) =11.42 ft.
Step (14): Calculate t-t Length
• L total t-t = L1 + L2 + L3.
• L total t-t = 3.83 + 11.42 + 42.33.
• L total t-t = 57.58.
• L/D = 57.58 / 6.67 = 8.63.
• Economic L/D range between 3 to 4.
• Repeat Process with lower Dp to increase
dia and lower t-t length.
• Second Pass. Try Dp = 50 microns.
 Other Design Steps
• Step (15): Check L/D ratio (Goal 4-6)
• Step 16: Old Schieman Sizing Method.
• Step (17):Calculate Liquid Entrainment
(HTRI).
• Step (18): Determine Flow Regime for
Inlet Pipe using Baker Chart for
Horizontal Flow.
 Summary
1st pass 2nd pass final pass
Dp, microns 100 50 54
Ret Minutes 8 8 8.3

Step 6 Ves Dia ft. 6.67 10.51 9.95

Step 7 L1, ft. 3.83 3.83 3.83
Step 11 L3, ft. 42.33 17.14 21.52
Step 13 L2, ft. 11.42 5.12 6.21
Step 14 t-t length, ft. 57.58 26.09 31.57
L/D 8.63 2.48 3.17
Vertical KO
Pot with
Demister
Pad
 Design Basis
• Design is vapor liquid systems with lower
liquid rates.
• The particl size is usually set at a default
value of 500 microns, which is rain drop
sized particles.
• The wire mesh demister pad is usually 6 to
12 inches thick.
• The vapor stream will exit with liquid
drops no greater than 3 microns.
 Design Procedure
• The design procedure is exactly the
same as for KO Pots without
internals.
• Set the particle size at 500 microns
and proceed as before till an
economic vessel with and L/D range
of 3 to 4 is found.
 Design Uncertainty
• If the design is based on a vertical
vessel with no internals and there is
some uncertainty that the KO Pot will
achieve the desired liquid particle
size, provision can be made to add a
wire mesh demister pad at a later
date.
 Future Demister Pad

• Make L1 a minimum of 3 ft. + 0.5(inlet

nozzle dia.) for vessel diameters 4 ft.
and smaller.
• For vessels larger than 4 ft. in dia.,
make L 1 = 0.75(Vessel dia.).
• This will allow room to add a
demister at a later date, if needed.