Part-4

Separation Process
2 Phase separator- Sizing
Why separator is needed?

Product specifications has limits on impurities

Oil should not contain > 1% BS&W
Gas sales contract → no free liquids in gas

Measurement devices (metering) for gases/liquids highly inaccurate when the

other phase is present

Downstream equipment cannot handle gas-

liquid mixtures
Pumps require gas-free liquid
Compressor/ dehydration equipment require liquid-free gas
How separation happens?
Principles of separation!
Momentum
Fluid phases at different densities have different momentum
Changes in fluid direction will separate fluids at different momentum
Gravity
Liquid phase separated from gas due to difference in weight of droplets
Coalescence
Small droplets coalesced when “combined” together
Coalescing devices force small droplets flowing through it to collide, form larger
droplets and then settling out of the gas phase by gravity
What properties affect
separation?
Gas and liquid flow rates
Operating & design pressures and temperatures
Surging or slugging tendencies of the feed streams
Fluid physical properties – density, compressibility
Desired phase separation - gas-liquid or liquid-liquid
Desired degree of separation - e.g. remove 100% particles >10
micron in size
Presence of impurities – paraffin, sand, scale
Foaming tendencies
Corrosive tendencies
Must know and understand the
characteristics of the flow stream
in order to design separators!
Three basic principles are used to achieve physical separation of gas, liquids and solids:
1. Momentum
2. Gravity
3. Coalescing (a subset of momentum)

Any separator may employ one or more of these principles to achieve separation.
Fluid phases must be “immiscible” and have different densities for separation to occur.

Fluid phases with different densities will have different momentum.

If a two-phase stream changes direction sharply, greater momentum will not allow particles of the
heavier phase to turn as rapidly as the lighter fluid, so separation occurs.
Momentum is usually employed for bulk separation of the two phases in a stream.
Sizing Horizontal Three Phase Separator

Required Data for Horizontal Three Phase Separator

Sizing
To size horizontal three phase separator, we need the following data:
•Oil rate,
•water rate, and
•gas rate
•Operating pressure
•operating temperature
•Properties (density, viscosity) of oil and gas, respectively
•Retention time of oil and water, respectively
•Droplet size of liquid and oil to be removed
 Liquid droplets will settle out- if the gravitational force acting on the droplet is greater than the drag force of
the gas flowing around the droplet.
Drag Force of gas on Droplet
Particle Terminal velocity (Vt)
Vt is directly proportional to Dp

Liquid
Droplet
(Dp)

will settle out

If – Gravitational Force> Drag Force
Gravitational Force on Droplet
Droplet attains terminal velocity (Vt)
when

Gravitational force = drag force

Liquid Droplet in Vapor Phase
Direction of Gas The force balance between drag and gravitational forces exerted
on a liquid droplet leads to its terminal settling velocity:
Velocity
Design Droplet size

The maximum allowable gas velocity, VGmax, which prevents the entrainment of liquid
is obtained.

Equation 2 is called Souders-Brown Equation

The terms ρG and ρL are the gas phase and liquid phase densities,

KS is referred to as the design or sizing parameter

Once the maximum gas velocity, VGmax, by Eqn 2 ,

Calculate the minimum vessel diameter, Dmin

maximum allowable gas velocity,

FG = Fraction of cross-section area available for gas flow

FG = 1 for vertical separators and
is a function of liquid height for horizontal separators)
qa = Gas flow rate at the actual flowing condition
The Design Parameter, KS
The design parameter, KS, in the Souders-Brown equation is an empirical parameter and is a key factor for the
sizing the gas-liquid separators vessel diameter as well as for determination of the mist extractor
diameter. Its value depends on several factors including:
•Pressure
•Fluid properties (note temperature has a large impact on fluid
properties) There are several sources that
•Separator geometry
one can look up the KS –values
• Vessel length and the liquid level (for horizontal separators)
•Steadiness of flow for different applications. In
•Inlet device design and performance the following sections, we will
•Relative amounts of gas and liquid discuss three sources.
•Most importantly – mist extractor type and design (e.g. mesh pad,
vane pack, multi–cyclone)

API 12 J – For Design parameter Ks

The API 12J [7] recommends ranges of KS –
values for vertical and horizontal gas-liquid
separators. These values are presented in
Table 1. The equivalent of API 12J for the
North Sea region is NORSOK P-100.
EXAMPLE PROBLEMS

Size a standard oil-gas separator both vertical and horizontal for

the following conditions

Gas Flow Rate: 5.0 MMSCFD Operating Pressure: 800 psig

Condensate Flow Rate: 20 bbl/MMSCF

Total Liquid Capacity = 20 (5.0) = 100 bbl/day

From Figure 2A, at 800 psig operating pressure, a 20” x 7’-6” vertical separator will handle 5.4 MMSCFD.

From Table 2B, a 20” x 7’-6” separator will handle the following liquid capacity

From Figure 4A, at 800 psig operating pressure and ½ full of

liquid, a 16” x 5’ horizontal separator will handle 5.1 MMSCFD.

From Table 4B, a 16” x 5’ separator will handle:

Therefore, a smaller horizontal separator would be required and
would be more economical. For the operating pressure involved,
at least a 1,000 psig working pressure separator should be used.
API 12 J – For Design parameter Ks
The API 12J [7] recommends ranges of KS –
values for vertical and horizontal gas-liquid
separators. These values are presented in
Table 1. The equivalent of API 12J for the
North Sea region is NORSOK P-100.

Per API 12J, “the maximum allowable superficial velocity, calculated form 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 the gas.

The maximum allowable superficial velocity or other design

criteria should be considered for other type mist extractor.

Mist extractor manufacturer’s recommended minimum

distances upstream and downstream of the wire mesh
between gas inlet and outlet nozzles should be provided for
full utilization of the mist extractor. These values assume
separators are equipped with standard mesh pad mist
extractors” [7].
Mist Extractors

The mist extractor is the final gas cleaning device in a conventional separator.
The selection, and design to a large degree, determine the amount of liquid
carryover remaining in the gas phase. The most common types include wire mesh
pads (“mesh pads”), vane-type (vane “packs”) and axial flow demisting cyclones.

Mist extractor capacity is defined by the gas velocity at which re-

entrainment of the liquid collected in the device becomes
appreciable. This is typically characterized by a KS –value, as shown in
Equation 2.

Mesh pads are the most common type of mist extractors used in vertical
separator applications. The primary separation mechanism is liquid
impingement onto the wires, followed by coalescence into droplets large
enough to disengage from the mesh pad.
SEPARATOR DESIGN - LIQUID CAPACITY:
Good separation requires sufficient time
to obtain an equilibrium condition
between the liquid and gas phases at the
temperature and pressure of separation.

The liquid capacity of a separator the retention time of the liquid within the vessel

The liquid capacity of a separator or the settling volume required based on

retention can be determined from the following equation.

Where: W = Liquid capacity, bbl/day

V = Liquid settling volume, bbl
t = Retention time, min

Basic design criteria for liquid retention times in separators have been determined by
numerous field tests. These are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Uses inlet device to break the momentum and distribute the flow
Feed Pipe Geometry

Large Inlet Nozzle

•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•

Small Inlet Nozzle

Inlet Device

ρm * Vm2
ρ