INDEX:

1 Discussion
2 Nomenclature
3 References
4 Standard Separator Sizes as per API
5 Separator sizing with mist extractor
5A Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Vertical Separator as per API 12J
5B Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Horizontal Separator as per API 12J
5C Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Vertical Separator as per API 12J
5D Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Horizontal Separator as per API 12J
6 Separator sizing without mist extractor
6A Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Vertical Separator As per Petroleum and Gas Field Processing
6B Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Horizontal Separator as per Petroleum and Gas Field Processing
6C Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Vertical Separator as per Petroleum and Gas Field Processing
6D Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Horizontal Separator as per Petroleum and Gas Field Processing

Prepared by:
Ajay S. Satpute
Sr. Process Engineer
Ramboll Consulting Engineering, Qatar
DISCUSSION

This spreadsheet provides an easy and simple approach to (2/3 phase and vertical/horizontal) separator
sizing. Formulae and references are also provided for process engineers to edit/duplicate this work (file is
NOT password protected).

There is as much art as there is science to properly design a separator. Three main factors should be
considered in separator sizing:
1) vapor capacity, 2) Liquid capacity, and 3) operability.
The vapor capacity will determine the cross-sectional area necessary for gravitational forces to remove the
liquid from the vapor. The liquid
capacity is typically set by determining the volume required to provide adequate residence time to “de-gas”
the liquid or allow immiscible liquid phases to separate. Operability issues include the separator’s
ability to deal with solids if present, unsteady flow/liquid slugs, turndown, etc. Finally, the optimal design will
usually result in an aspect ratio that satisfies these requirements in a vessel of reasonable cost. These factors
often result in an iterative approach to the calculations.

Two sets of calculations are carried out here.

1. Separators with Mist Extractors and
2. Separators without Mist Extractors

Several useful guidelines for separator design are provided below;

Momentum & Velocity criteria for nozzles (Source: DEP 31.22.05.12 - Gen.- 2008)
Inlet Nozzle Momentum or Velocity Limit
No Internal Max. Momentum, ρm V2m ≤ 1400 Pa
Half open pipe Max. Momentum, ρm V2m ≤ 2100 Pa
Schoepentoeter used as inlet device Max. Momentum, ρm V2m ≤ 8000 Pa

Gas outlet Nozzle Max. Momentum, ρg V2g,out ≤ 4500 Pa

Liquid outlet Nozzle Maximum velocity, 1 m/s

Selection guideline for separator types

System Characteristics Type of Separator
Large vapour, less liquid Load (by volume) Vertical
Large liquid, less vapour Load (by volume) Horizontal
Large vapour, large liquid Load (by volume) Horizontal
Liquid-liquid separation Horizontal
Liquid-solid separation Vertical

Level setting in the separator

Level type Level setting
Level Alarm High High (LAHH) 30 – 60 seconds or 200 mm whichever is greater
Level Alarm High (LAH) 30 – 60 seconds or 200 mm whichever is greater
Normal Alarm Level (NAL) 60% of horizontal separator
Level Alarm Low (LAL) 30 – 60 seconds or 200 mm whichever is greater

30 – 60 seconds or 200 mm whichever is greater Should

be at least 200 mm above the vessel bottom or maximum
Level Alarm Low Low (LALL) interface level

Typical K factors for the sizing of wire mesh demisters (Source: IPS-E-PR-880, 1997)
Separator type K factor (m/s)
Horizontal (with vertical pad) 0.122 to 0.152
Spherical 0.061 to 0.107
Vertical or horizontal (with horizontal pad) 0.055 to 0.107
At atmospheric pressure 0.107
At 2100 kPa 0.101
At 4100 kPa 0.091
At 6200 kPa 0.082
At 10300 kPa 0.064
Wet steam 0.076
Most vapours under vacuum 0.061
Salt and caustic evaporators 0.046
INDEX
NOMENCLATURE INDEX

A total cross sectional area of the separator.

Aw cross sectional area of the separator occupied by water, ft 2
Ao cross sectional area of the separator occupied by oil, ft 2
Ag cross sectional area of the separator occupied by gas, ft 2
CD drag coefficient
d vessel internal diameter, in.
dm bubble or drop diameter, μm
D vessel diameter, ft
h liquid height, in.
hg gas-phase space height, in.
ho oil pad height, in.
hw water pad height, in.
K mesh capacity factor, ft/sec
Leff or L effective length of the vessel where separation occurs, ft
Lss or Ls seam-to-seam vessel length, ft
NLL normal liquid level, %
P operating pressure, psia
Qc continuous liquid-phase flow rate, bbl/day
Qg gas flow rate, MMSCFD or ft3/s
Qo oil flow rate, bbl/day
W or Qw water flow rate, bbl/day
Re Reynolds number
T operating temperature, °R
V liquid settling volume
Va max. allowable velocity through secondary separation section
Vm velocity of the mixture, m/s
Z gas compressibility
μc continuous phase dynamic viscosity, cp
μw water dynamic viscosity, cP
ρ density, lbm/ft3
ρg gas density, lbm/ft3
ρl liquid density, lbm/ft3
ρo oil density, lbm/ft3
ρm mean density of mixture, kg/m3
ρw water density, lbm/ft3
REFERENCES

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Vapor-liquid_separator

API 12J, Specification for oil and gas separators, 1989

http://petrowiki.org/Separator_sizing

http://www.cheresources.com/invision/topic/11856-selecting-vertical-separator-ld-ratio/

Petroleum and Gas Field Processing - Hussein K. Abdel-Aal, Mohamed Aggour, M. A. Fahim

http://books.google.com.qa/books?id=BZOPlA-SmMUC&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97&dq=%22three+phase
%22+separator+L/D+ratio+%22GPSA
%22&source=bl&ots=u979BoWCxd&sig=p13fCbqS52y7bE3eGRDtfj7nGq0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=s9dMVJHiHKvcy
http://www.cheresources.com/invision/topic/17158-three-phase-separator-design-suggestion-needed/
wO4tIK4BQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22three%20phase%22%20separator%20L%2FD%20ratio

http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Vapor-liquid_separator

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=8913.0

http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=9252.0

http://www.cheresources.com/invision/topic/41-sizing-a-flash-tank-or-vapor-liquid-separator/

http://www.eng-tips.com/faqs.cfm?fid=1153

http://process-designs.com/

http://www.razifar.com/cariboost_files/
Design_20Two_20Phase_20Separators_20Within_20the_20Right_20Limits.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souders%E2%80%93Brown_equation

http://books.google.com.qa/books?id=lpA83iVcaGYC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=Kh+
%3D+1.25+Kv+separator&source=bl&ots=fV8ewKHkag&sig=q70X8-
xfxPnk9MBMHgaEFwLhIhU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=M-NVVPepM4XWPfaLgYAI&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Kh
IPS-E-PR-880, 1997
%20%3D%201.25%20Kv%20separator&f=false

GPSA - Engineering Data Book (12th Ed)

INDEX
STANDARD SEPARATOR SIZES AS PER API INDEX
D [in] x H or L [ft]
12¾ in x 5 ft
12¾ in x 7½ ft
12¾ in x 10 ft

16 in x 5 ft
16 in x 7½ ft
16 in x 10 ft

20 in x 5 ft
20 in x 7½ ft
20 in x 10 ft

24 in x 5 ft
24 in x 7½ ft
24 in x 10 ft

30 in x 5 ft
30 in x 7½ ft
30 in x 10 ft

36 in x 5 ft
36 in x 7½ ft
36 in x 10 ft
36 in x 15 ft

42 in x 7½ ft
42 in x 10 ft
42 in x 15 ft

48 in x 7½ ft
48 in x 10 ft
48 in x 15 ft

54 in x 7½ ft
54 in x 10 ft
54 in x 15 ft

60 in x 7½ ft
60 in x 10 ft
60 in x 15 ft
 INDEX
Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Vertical separator: As per API 12J
INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 25 mmscfd Gas rate
Qo 3000 bbl/d Oil rate SCHEMATIC
γ 0.70 Gas specific gravity

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

ρ'o 40 oAPI Oil density
γo 0.83 Oil specific gravity
P 814.5 psia Operating pressure
T' 80 oF Operating temperature
T 540 oR Operating temperature
MW 20.3 lb/lbmole Molecular weight
t 1 minutes Retention time (Refer Table 2)
Z 0.84 Gas compressibility
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
H 10 ft Shell height (assume)
K 0.30 ft/s Refer Table 1
NLL 30% Normal liquid level (assume)

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS TABLES

Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 3.4 lb/ft3 Gas operating density Table 1
Typical K factor
ρo 51.5 lb/ft3 Oil operating density Height, ft
range
5 0.12 to 0.24
Step 2: Souders-Brown equation 10 0.18 to 0.35
Va 1.13 ft/s
Qg,a 4.55 ft3/s Actual volume flow of gas Table 2

Retention time,
Ag,min 4.03 ft2 Minimum gas flow area Oil Gravities
minutes (Typical)

Dmin 27 in Minimum ID of separator Above 35 oAPI 1

20 to 30 API
o
1 to 2
Dselected 30 in Next larger and appropriate size 10 to 20 oAPI 2 to 4
H 10 ft Shell height
H/D 4.0 unitless Refer Note 4

Step 3:

V 2.6 bbl Liquid volume (excluding bottom head)

Liquid capacity of separator should be Manipulate NLL and H to get

W 3777 bpd appropriate W.
more than 3000 bpd (input value)

NOTES
1. The maximum allowable superficial velocity calculated from the above factors is for separators normally having a wire mesh mist extractor.
This rate should allow all liquid droplets larger than 10 microns to settle out of gas.
2. Additional resource for K factor from GPSA Engineering Data Book:
Pressure, barg K factor, m/s Adjustment of K factor for pressure
0 0.11 Pressure, psig % of Design value
7 0.11 Atm. 100
21 0.10 150 90
42 0.09 300 85
63 0.08 600 80
105 0.07 1150 75

GPSA Notes:
1. K = 0.107 at a gauge pressure of 7 bar. Subtract 0.003 for every 7 bar above a gauge pressure of 7 bar.
2. For glycol or amine solutions, multiply above K values by 0.6 - 0.8.
3. Typically use one-half of the above K values for approximate sizing of vertical separators without mesh pads.
4. For compressor suction scrubbers and expander inlet separators, multiply K by 0.7 - 0.8.
3. Additional resource for retention times from gas Conditioning and Processing, Volume 2.
Natural gas-oil 1 to 3 minutes
Lean oil surge tanks 10 to 15 minutes
Fractionation feed surge tanks 8 to 15 minutes
Refrigerant surge tanks 4 to 7 minutes
Refrigerant econonomizers 2 to 3 minutes
4. As per GPSA, typical vertical H/D ratios are normally in the 2 to 4 range.
 Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Horizontal Separator: As per API 12J
INPUT PARAMETERS SCHEMATIC
Qg 25 mmscfd Gas rate
Qo 3000 bbl/d Oil rate
γ 0.70 Gas specific gravity

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

ρ'o 40 oAPI Oil density
γo 0.83 Oil specific gravity
P 814.5 psia Operating pressure
T' 80 oF Operating temperature
T 540 o
R Operating temperature
MW 20.3 lb/lbmole Molecular weight
t 1 minutes Retention time (Refer Table 2)
Z 0.84 Gas compressibility
µg 0.012 cP Gas viscosity
K 0.5 ft/s Refer Table 1
NLL 30% Normal liquid level (assume)
L 10 ft Shell Length (assume)

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS TABLES

Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 3.4 lb/ft3 Gas operating density Table 1
Typical K factor
ρo 51.5 lb/ft3 Oil operating density Length, ft
range, ft/s
10 0.4 to 0.5
Step 2: Souders-Brown equation Other Lengths 0.4 to 0.5 x (L/10)0.56
Va 1.881 ft/s
Qg,a 4.55 ft3/s Actual volume flow of gas Table 2

Retention time,
Ag,min 2.42 ft2 Minimum gas flow area Oil Gravities
minutes (Typical)

Dmin 4 in Assume Above 35 oAPI 1

Ag,min 2.42 ft2 20 to 30 oAPI 1 to 2
Error 0.00 10 to 20 API
o
2 to 4
Dselected 30 in Next larger and appropriate size
L 10 ft Shell length
L/D 4.0 unitless Refer Note 4

Step 3:

V 3 bbl Liquid volume (excluding bottom head)

Liquid capacity of separator should be Manipulate NLL and L to get

W 3644 bpd
more than 3000 bpd (input value) appropriate W.

NOTES
1. The maximum allowable superficial velocity calculated from the above factors is for separators normally having a wire mesh mist extractor. This
rate should allow all liquid droplets larger than 10 microns to settle out of gas.
2. Additional resource for K factor from GPSA Engineering Data Book:
Pressure, barg K factor, m/s Adjustment of K factor for pressure
0 0.11 Pressure, psig % of Design value
7 0.11 Atm. 100
21 0.10 150 90
42 0.09 300 85
63 0.08 600 80
105 0.07 1150 75

GPSA Notes:
1. K = 0.107 at a gauge pressure of 7 bar. Subtract 0.003 for every 7 bar above a gauge pressure of 7 bar.
2. For glycol or amine solutions, multiply above K values by 0.6 - 0.8.
3. For compressor suction scrubbers and expander inlet separators, multiply K by 0.7 - 0.8.
3. Additional resource for retention times from gas Conditioning and Processing, Volume2.
Natural gas-oil 1 to 3 minutes
Lean oil surge tanks 10 to 15 minutes
Fractionation feed surge tanks 8 to 15 minutes
Refrigerant surge tanks 4 to 7 minutes
Refrigerant econonomizers 2 to 3 minutes
4. As per GPSA, typical horizontal L/D ratios are normally in the 2.5 to 5 range.
INDEX
 INDEX
Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Horizontal Separator: As per API 12J
INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 8 mmscfd Gas rate SCHEMATIC
Qo 8000 bbl/d Oil rate
Qw 3000 bbl/d Water rate
γ 0.70 Gas specific gravity

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

ρ'o 40 API
o
Oil density
γo 0.83 Oil specific gravity
P 250 psia Operating pressure
T' 60 oF Operating temperature
T 520 oR Operating temperature
MW 20.3 lb/lbmole Molecular weight
H 18 ft Shell height (assume)
to 5 minutes Oil retention time (Refer Table 2)
tw 5 minutes Water retention time (Refer Table 2)
Z 0.84 Gas compressibility
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
K 0.35 ft/s Refer Table 1
NLL 50% Normal liquid level (assume)

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS TABLES

Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 1.1 lb/ft3 Gas operating density Table 1
Typical K factor
ρo 51.5 lb/ft3 Oil operating density Height, ft
range, ft/s
5 0.12 to 0.24
Step 2: Souders-Brown equation 10 0.18 to 0.35
Va 2.4 ft/s
Qg,a 4.58 ft3/s Actual volume flow of gas Table 2

Retention time,
Ag,min 1.92 ft2 Minimum gas flow area Oil Gravities
minutes (Typical)

Dmin 19 in Assume Above 35 oAPI 3 to 5

Next larger (than Dmin) and appropriate
Dselected 96 in Below 35 oAPI
size
H 18 ft Shell height 100+ oF 5 to 10
H/D 2.3 unitless Refer Note 4 80+ Fo
10 to 20
60+ oF 20 to 30
Step 3:

V 81 bbl Liquid volume (excluding bottom head)

Liquid capacity of separator should be Manipulate NLL, D and H

W 11602 bpd
more than 11000 bpd (input value) to get appropriate W.

NOTES
1. The maximum allowable superficial velocity calculated from the above factors is for separators normally having a wire mesh mist extractor.
This rate should allow all liquid droplets larger than 10 microns to settle out of gas.
2. Additional resource for K factor from GPSA Engineering Data Book:
Pressure, barg K factor, m/s Adjustment of K factor for pressure
0 0.11 Pressure, psig % of Design value
7 0.11 Atm. 100
21 0.10 150 90
42 0.09 300 85
63 0.08 600 80
105 0.07 1150 75

GPSA Notes:
1. K = 0.107 at a gauge pressure of 7 bar. Subtract 0.003 for every 7 bar above a gauge pressure of 7 bar.
2. For glycol or amine solutions, multiply above K values by 0.6 - 0.8
3. Typically use one-half of the above K values for approximate sizing of vertical separators without mesh pads
4. For compressor suction scrubbers and expander inlet separators, multiply K by 0.7 - 0.8
3. Additional resource for retention times from gas Conditioning and Processing, Volume2.
Natural gas-oil 1 to 3 minutes
Lean oil surge tanks 10 to 15 minutes
Fractionation feed surge tanks 8 to 15 minutes
 Refrigerant surge tanks 4 to 7 minutes
Refrigerant econonomizers 2 to 3 minutes
4. As per GPSA, typical horizontal H/D ratios are normally in the 2 to 4 range.
INDEX
 Three Phase (Gas - Oil) Horizontal Separator: As per API 12J
INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 8 mmscfd Gas rate SCHEMATIC
Qo 8000 bbl/d Oil rate
Qw 3000 bbl/d Water rate
γ 0.70 Gas specific gravity

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

ρ'o 40 API
o
Oil density
γo 0.83 Oil specific gravity
P 250 psia Operating pressure
T' 60 oF Operating temperature
T 520 oR Operating temperature
MW 20.3 lb/lbmole Molecular weight
L 18 ft Shell Length (assume)
to 5 minutes Oil retention time (Refer Table 2)
tw 5 minutes Water retention time (Refer Table 2)
Z 0.84 Gas compressibility
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
K 0.35 ft/s Refer Table 1
NLL 50% Normal liquid level (assume)

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS TABLES

Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 1.1 lb/ft3 Gas operating density Table 1
Typical K factor
ρo 51.5 lb/ft3 Oil operating density Length, ft
range, ft/s
10 0.4 to 0.5
Step 2: Souders-Brown equation Other Lengths 0.4 to 0.5 x (L/10)0.56
Va 2.388 ft/s
Qg,a 4.58 ft3/s Actual volume flow of gas Table 2
Retention time,
Ag,min 1.92 ft2 Minimum gas flow area Oil Gravities
minutes (Typical)
Dmin 2.4 in Assume Above 35 oAPI 3 to 5
Ag,min 1.92 ft 2
Below 35 APIo

Error 0.00 100+ oF 5 to 10

Next larger (than Dmin) and appropriate
Dselected 78 in 80+ oF 10 to 20
size
L 18 ft Shell length 60+ oF 20 to 30
L/D 2.8 unitless Refer Note 4

Step 3:

V 77 bbl Liquid volume (excluding bottom head)

Liquid capacity of separator should be

W 11036 bpd Manipulate NLL, D and L
more than 11000 bpd (input value)
to get appropriate W.

NOTES
1. The maximum allowable superficial velocity calculated from the above factors is for separators normally having a wire mesh mist extractor.
This rate should allow all liquid droplets larger than 10 microns to settle out of gas.
2. Additional resource for K factor from GPSA Engineering Data Book:
Pressure, barg K factor, m/s Adjustment of K factor for pressure
0 0.11 Pressure, psig % of Design value
7 0.11 Atm. 100
21 0.10 150 90
42 0.09 300 85
63 0.08 600 80
105 0.07 1150 75

GPSA Notes:
1. K = 0.107 at a gauge pressure of 7 bar. Subtract 0.003 for every 7 bar above a gauge pressure of 7 bar.
2. For glycol or amine solutions, multiply above K values by 0.6 - 0.8
3. For compressor suction scrubbers and expander inlet separators, multiply K by 0.7 - 0.8
3. Additional resource for retention times from gas Conditioning and Processing, Volume2.
Natural gas-oil 1 to 3 minutes
Lean oil surge tanks 10 to 15 minutes
 Fractionation feed surge tanks 8 to 15 minutes
Refrigerant surge tanks 4 to 7 minutes
Refrigerant econonomizers 2 to 3 minutes
4. As per GPSA, typical horizontal L/D ratios are normally in the 2.5 to 5 range.
INDEX
 Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Vertical Separator: As per "Petroleum and Gas Field Proce
Hussein K. Abdel-Aal, Mohamed Aggour, M. A. Fahim"

INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 15 mmscfd Gas rate
Qo 3000 bbl/d Oil rate

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

γ 0.6 Gas specific gravity
ρ'o 35.0 oAPI Oil density
γo 0.85 Oil specific gravity
P 985 psia Operating pressure
T' 60 F o Operating temperature
T 520 oR Operating temperature
t 3 minutes Retention time (Refer Table 1)
Z 0.84 Gas compressibility
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
dm 100 Micron Smallest oil droplet size to be removed

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS
Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 3.7 lb/ft3 Gas operating density
ρo 53.0 lb/ft3 Oil operating density

Step 2: Determine Cd
Cd 1.13 Assume Drag coefficient
u 0.41 ft/s Settling velocity of oil droplet
Re 56 Reynolds no.
Cd 1.16

Click me
Use goal seek to get error zero, by changing
Error 0.00 asssumed Cd

Step 3: Check for gas capacity constraint

D2 974 in2
Minimum allowable vessel diameter for separation
Dmin 31.2 in of oil droplets down to 100 micron

Step 4: Check for liquid capacity constraint

DH 2
77085

Try different combinations of D. H = Height of oil column

TABLE 1
 H = Height of oil column

D, in H, in Ls, ft SR
30 85.7 13.5 5.4
36 59.5 11.3 3.8
42 43.7 10.5 3.0
48 33.5 10.1 2.5
54 26.4 10.0 2.2 TABLE 2 (Ref. API 12J)
60 21.4 10.1 2.0 Oil Gravities
66 17.7 10.3 1.9 Above 35 oAPI
72 14.9 10.6 1.8 20 to 30 oAPI
78 12.7 10.9 1.7 10 to 20 oAPI
84 10.9 11.2 1.6
90 9.5 11.6 1.6

Ls 11.3 ft Seam to seam length (select from Table 1)

SR 3.8 Slenderness ratio (typical value 3 to 4) (select from Table 1)
D 36.0 in Separator diameter (select from Table 1)

NOTES
1. As per GPSA, typical vertical H/D ratios are normally in the 2 to 4 range.
 INDEX
m and Gas Field Processing -
M. A. Fahim"

SCHEMATIC

EQUATIONS
TABLE 2 (Ref. API 12J)
Retention time,
Oil Gravities
minutes (Typical)
Above 35 oAPI 1
20 to 30 oAPI 1 to 2
10 to 20 oAPI 2 to 4

le 1)
 INDEX
Two Phase (Gas - Oil) Horizontal Separator: As per "Petroleum and Gas Field Processing -
Hussein K. Abdel-Aal, Mohamed Aggour, M. A. Fahim"

INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 15 mmscfd Gas rate SCHEMATIC
Qo 3000 bbl/d Oil rate

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

γ 0.6 Gas specific gravity
ρ'o 35.0 oAPI Oil density
γo 0.85 Oil specific gravity
P 985 psia Operating pressure
T' 60 F o Operating temperature
T 520 oR Operating temperature
t 3 minutes Retention time (Refer Table 2)
Z 0.84 Gas compressibility
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
dm 100 Micron Smallest oil droplet size to be removed
NLL 50% Normal Liquid Level

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS
Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 3.7 lb/ft3 Gas operating density
ρo 53.0 lb/ft3 Oil operating density

Step 2: Determine Cd
Cd 1.2 Assume Drag coefficient
u 0.40 ft/s Settling velocity of oil droplet
Re 55 Reynolds no.
Cd 1.19

Click
Click me
me
Use goal seek to get error zero, by changing
Error 0.00 asssumed Cd

Step 3: Check for gas capacity constraint

LD 83 in.ft

Step 4: Check for liquid capacity constraint

D2L 12852 in2.ft

Try different combinations of D.

TABLE 1

SR = 12 ls
Ls, ft Governing (oil or
D, in Lg, ft (gas) Lo, ft Ls, ft (oil) case gas)/D
Liquid
6 13.85 14.35 357.00 476.0 Capacity 952.00
Liquid
12 6.93 7.93 89.25 119.0 Capacity 119.00
Liquid TABLE 2 (Ref. API 12J)
24 3.46 5.46 22.31 29.8 Capacity 14.88
Liquid Retention time,
Oil Gravities
30 2.77 5.27 14.28 19.0 Capacity 7.62 minutes (Typical)
Liquid Above 35 oAPI 1
36 2.31 5.31 9.92 12.4 Capacity 4.14
Liquid 20 to 30 oAPI 1 to 2
42 1.98 5.48 7.29 9.8 Capacity 2.80
Liquid 10 to 20 oAPI 2 to 4
48 1.73 5.73 5.58 8.1 Capacity 2.02
Liquid
54 1.54 6.04 4.41 6.9 Capacity 1.53
Gas
60 1.39 6.39 3.57 6.1 capacity 1.28
Gas
66 1.26 6.76 2.95 5.5 capacity 1.23
Gas
72 1.15 7.15 2.48 5.0 capacity 1.19

Ls 12.4 ft Seam to seam length (select from Table 1)

SR 4.1 Slenderness ratio (typical value 3 to 5) (select from Table 1)
D 36 in Separator diameter (select from Table 1)

NOTES
1. As per GPSA, typical horizontal L/D ratios are normally in the 2.5 to 5 range.

2. If D>30", Ls = 2.5 + Lo;

Else, Ls = (4/3)*Lo
Ref. http://process-designs.com/separators_and_scrubbers/separators_and_scrubbers.jsp
 Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Vertical Separator: As per "Petroleum and Gas Field Processing -
Hussein K. Abdel-Aal, Mohamed Aggour, M. A. Fahim"

INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 8 mmscfd Gas rate SCHEMATIC
Qo 8000 bbl/d Oil rate
Qw 3000 bbl/d Water rate
ρ'o 27.6 API
o Oil density

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

γo 0.89 Oil specific gravity
µo 20 cP Oil viscosity
γw 1.04 Water specific gravity
γ 0.65 Gas specific gravity
Z 0.89 Gas compressibility
P 250 psia Operating pressure
T' 95 oF Operating temperature
T 555 oR Operating temperature
tw 10 minutes Water retention time (Refer Table 2)
to 15 minutes Oil retention time (Refer Table 2)
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
dm,w 500 Micron Smallest water droplet size to be removed
dm,o 100 Micron Smallest oil droplet size to be removed

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS
Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 0.89 lb/ft3 Gas operating density
ρo 55.5 lb/ft3 Oil operating density

Step 2: Determine Cd
Cd 2.07 Assume Drag coefficient
u 0.65 ft/s Settling velocity of oil droplet
Re 22 Reynolds no.
Cd 2.09
Error Use goal seek to get error zero, by changing
0.00 Click me
asssumed Cd

Step 3: Determine minimum diameter for water droplet settling

D2min 28428 in2
Dmin 168.6 in

Step 4: Check for gas capacity constraint

D2min 1475 in2
Dmin 38.4 in

Dmin 168.6 in Larger of Step 2 and 3 values

Step 5: Check for liquid capacity constraint

D2(Ho + Hw) 1286400 in3

Try different combinations of D.

TABLE 1 TABLE 2 (Ref. API 12J)

SR = 12 Retention time, minutes

Oil Gravities
D, in Ho + Hw, in Ls, ft Ls / D (Typical)
16 5025 425.1 318.8 Above 35 oAPI 3 to 5
20 3216 274.3 164.6 Below 35 API o

24 2233 192.4 96.2 100+ oF 5 to 10

30 1429 125.4 50.2 80+ oF 10 to 20
36 993 89.0 29.7 60+ oF 20 to 30
42 729 67.6 19.3
48 558 53.9 13.5
54 441 44.6 9.9
60 357 38.1 7.6
120 89 20.8 2.1
132 74 20.5 1.9

Ls 20.8 ft Seam to seam length (select from table 1)

SR 2.1 Slenderness ratio (typical value 1.5 to 3) (select from Table 1)
D 120.0 in Separator diameter (select from Table 1)
Qg 86 mmscfd Calculated gas capacity for selected L & D (Should be more than 8 MMSCFD - input value)

NOTES
1. As per GPSA, typical vertical H/D ratios are normally in the 2 to 4 range.
INDEX
 Three Phase (Gas - Oil - Water) Horizontal Separator: As per "Petroleum and Gas Field Processing - Hussein
K. Abdel-Aal, Mohamed Aggour, M. A. Fahim"

INPUT PARAMETERS
Qg 8 mmscfd Gas rate SCHEMATIC
Qo 8000 bbl/d Oil rate
Qw 3000 bbl/d Water rate
ρ'o 27.5 API
o
Oil density
γo 0.89 Oil specific gravity

Yellow boxes are input boxes.

µo 20 cP Oil viscosity
γw 1.04 Water specific gravity
γ 0.65 Gas specific gravity
Z 0.89 Gas compressibility
P 250 psia Operating pressure
T' 95 oF Operating temperature
T 555 o
R Operating temperature
tw 10 minutes Water retention time (Refer Table 2)
to 15 minutes Oil retention time (Refer Table 2)
µg 0.013 cP Gas viscosity
dm,w 500 Micron Smallest water droplet size to be removed
dm,o 100 Micron Smallest oil droplet size to be removed
NLL 50% Normal liquid level due to oil and water

CALCULATIONS EQUATIONS
Step 1: Determine gas and oil properties
ρg 0.89 lb/ft3 Gas operating density
ρo 55.5 lb/ft 3
Oil operating density

Step 2: Determine Cd
Cd 2.07 Assume Drag coefficient
u 0.65 ft/s Settling velocity of oil droplet
Re 22 Reynolds no.
Cd 2.09
Error 0.00 Click me Use goal seek to get error zero, by changing asssumed C d

Step 3: Determine minimum diameter for water droplet settling

Ho,max 36.0 in
Aw / A 0.10 Ao + Aw = NLL * A
Ho / D 0.315 Assume
Aw / A 0.13
Error 0.00 Click me Use goal seek to get error zero, by changing asssumed H o/D
Dmax 114 in Maximum allowable vessel diameter

Step 4: Check for gas capacity constraint

DL 122 in.ft

Step 4: Check for liquid capacity constraint

D2L 214350 in2ft

Try different combinations of D (smaller than D max).

TABLE 1
Ls (gas)= L + SR = L /
D, in L (gas), ft L, ft Ls (liquid)= 4 L/3, ftGoverning
D/12, ft case (D/12)

12 10.2 11.2 1488.5 1984.7 Liquid TABLE 2 (Ref. API 12J)

Capacity 1984.7
Retention time, minutes
24 5.1 7.1 372.1 496.2 Liquid Oil Gravities
Capacity 248.1 (Typical)

30 4.1 6.6 238.2 317.6 Liquid Above 35 oAPI 3 to 5

Capacity 127.0

36 3.4 6.4 165.4 220.5 Liquid Below 35 oAPI

Capacity 73.5

66 1.9 7.4 49.2 65.6 Liquid 100+ oF 5 to 10

Capacity 11.9

72 1.7 7.7 41.3 55.1 Liquid 80+ oF 10 to 20

Capacity 9.2
 78 1.6 8.1 35.2 47.0 Liquid 60+ oF 20 to 30
Capacity 7.2

84 1.5 8.5 30.4 40.5 Liquid

Capacity 5.8

90 1.4 8.9 26.5 35.3 Liquid

Capacity 4.7

96 1.3 9.3 23.3 31.0 Liquid

Capacity 3.9

102 1.2 9.7 20.6 27.5 Liquid

Capacity 3.2

Ls 35.3 ft Seam to seam length (select from Table 1)

SR 4.7 Slenderness ratio (typical value 3 to 5) (select from Table 1)
D 90.0 in Separator diameter (select from Table 1)
Effective length of
L 26.5 ft
the separator
Qg 156 mmscfd Calculated gas capacity for selected L & D (Should be more than 8 MMSCFD - input value)

NOTES
1. As per GPSA, typical horizontal L/D ratios are normally in the 2.5 to 5 range.
 INDEX
sing - Hussein

tion time, minutes

(Typical)

3 to 5

5 to 10

10 to 20
20 to 30