Project: 3rd year design By: D.

Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Purpose: Vertical Separator Calculation This example shows a difficult to size separator due to the very high liquid flow rates

Method: The method follows that presented in "Applied Process Design, Vol 1" by Ernest Ludwig for impingment separators vallow = k L v v

Assumptions: Per the method, droplet sizes of less than about 10 microns will be captured. There is a curve of droplet size vs efficiency in the book.

Unit Definition (for Mathcad use): none used

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Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Data: Liquid Density L := 1033 v := 12.12 kg m Vapour Density

3

kg m
3

k for demister

k := 1260

m hr

with a demister

Vapour Flow Rate

m volflow := 558 hr

Liquid Flow Rate

m flowliquid := 237 hr

vallow := k

L v v

4m vallow = 1.156 10 hr

vdesign := 0.75 vallow

m vdesign = 2.409 s

Area :=

volflow vdesign dia

2

Area = 0.064 m

Area =

Vessel Diameter for adequate vapour/liquid separation dia := 2 Area dia = 0.939 ft

dia = 0.286 m

Calculate the Liquid holdup requirements holdup time := 10 min m flowliquid := 237 hr
3

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Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

volholdup := holdup time flowliquid

volholdup = 39.5 m

Calculate the vessel height for just the liquid holdup portion heightliquid_holdup := volholdup Area heightliquid_holdup = 613.947 m

This is not a feasible solution. If our diameter were larger more the same amount of liquid could be held in a shorter vessel. We'll remove the demister and calculate the maximum diameter 10% of velocity allowable is a typcial minimum velocity (when using a demister) that ensures droplets impact the wire mesh. vdesign := 0.1 vallow m volflow := 558 hr Area := volflow vdesign Area = 0.483 m
2 2 3

m vdesign = 0.321 s

Area = dia := 2

2
Area dia = 2.572 ft

dia

dia = 0.784 m

Now Calculate the Liquid holdup requirements holdup time := 10 min m flowliquid = 237 hr
3

volholdup := holdup time flowliquid

volholdup = 39.5 m

Calculate the vessel height for just the liquid holdup portion heightliquid_holdup := volholdup Area
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heightliquid_holdup = 81.86 m

Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Still not feasible; Remove the demister and use 10% of Vel allowable k := 576 m hr L v v vdesign := 0.1 vallow
3m vallow = 5.286 10 hr

without a demister

vallow := k

m vdesign = 0.147 s

volflow = 558 hr

Area :=

volflow vdesign dia 2

2

Area = 1.056 m

Area =

therefore

dia := 2

Area

dia = 1.159 m dia = 3.803 ft

Now Calculate the Liquid holdup requirements holdup time := 2 min flowliquid = 237 hr volholdup = 7.9 m
3

volholdup := holdup time flowliquid

Calculate the vessel height for just the liquid holdup portion heightliquid_holdup := volholdup Area heightliquid_holdup = 7.484 m heightliquid_holdup = 24.555 ft This liquid height is to the normal liquid level. The maximum liquid height is usually twice the normal, therefore total height for the liquid holdup is: heightliquid_holdup := 2 heightliquid_holdup heightliquid_holdup = 14.969 m heightliquid_holdup = 49.11 ft Still extremely tall, should be split into two vessels, or we need to go below Vmin and we need to check our correlations (Stokes Law & Impingment separators) to see if separation is still going to work. For illustration purposes of the method, we'll go with this design for now.

Add in the Vapour Liquid disengagement space

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Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Size the Nozzle at 50% of errosional velocity: velnozzle := 50 % 2phase sec 100 ft

2phase := 316

kg m
3

lb 3 ft
ft sec m s

velnozzle = 11.257 Inlet_massflow := 2.515 10 Inlet_massdensity := 316 kg

3

velnozzle = 3.431

5 kg

hr this is the density of the 2phase flow stream

3

Inlet_volflow := Inlet_massdensity Nozzlearea := Inlet_volflow velnozzle

m Inlet_massflow

m Inlet_volflow = 0.221 s

Nozzlearea = 0.064 m

dianozzle := 2

Nozzlearea dianozzle = 0.94 ft

say 12 inch nozzle

dianozzle := 12 in
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Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Distance from nozzle to high liquid level 1 heightLL_to_nozzle := 12in + dianozzle 2 Distance from nozzle to top of separator 1 heightnozzle_to_top := 36in + dianozzle 2 Overall height Heightoverall := heightnozzle_to_top + heightLL_to_nozzle + heightliquid_holdup Heightoverall = 16.5 m Heightoverall = 54.11 ft heightLL_to_nozzle = 0.457 m

heightnozzle_to_top = 1.067 m

L / D ratio is: Heightoverall dia = 14.226

If we examine splitting this into two vessels, we would have a small separator that discharges liquid into a holding tank that we'll assume has an L/D of about 3

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Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Two Vessels: Separator Dimensions will be per the first iteration of calculations

Separator

Liquid Holdup

k for demister vallow := k L v v

k := 1260

m hr

with a demister

4m vallow = 1.156 10 hr

vdesign := 0.75 vallow

m vdesign = 2.409 s

Area :=

volflow vdesign dia

2

Area = 0.064 m

Area =

Vessel Diameter for adequate vapour/liquid separation dia := 2 Area dia = 0.939 ft

dia = 0.286 m Separator height

1 heightLL_to_nozzle := 12in + dianozzle 2 Distance from nozzle to top of separator 1 heightnozzle_to_top := 36in + dianozzle 2
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heightLL_to_nozzle = 0.457 m

heightnozzle_to_top = 1.067 m

Project: 3rd year design By: D. Mody Date: Nov 25 2008

Engineering Calculations

Heightoverall := heightnozzle_to_top + heightLL_to_nozzle Separator dimensions: Heightoverall = 1.5 m Heightoverall = 5 ft

Should check this against industrially available units - see spirax sarco Dimensions for liquid holdup volholdup = 7.9 m
3

this is to the normal liquid level volholdup_full = 15.8 m vessel_length = 3 dia

1 3 3

volholdup_full := volholdup 2 vol = vessel_length

2

this is full

dia

dia vol = 3 dia 2

volholdup dia := 2 3

dia = 1.886 m

vessel_length := 3 dia

dia = 6.187 ft

check the volume calculation dia volumecalc := vessel_length 2

3 2

volumecalc = 15.8 m

All okay!

Summary, The holdup vessel should be 1.89 m dia (rounded up to nearest 6") = 6.5 ft. The vessel should be 3x that length, 19.5 ft long.

Separator dimensions 1ft dia x 5 ft high

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