Advanced topics in petrochemical engineering

Separation process
lecture(2)
Separation theory
Separation is carried out according to density
difference between the mixture(( 2 or 3 substances
that can not react chemically ))

 To reduce the time of separating

• Reduce the volume of vessel

• Increase the number of separators or stages
 Temperature Effects on Separation Process

• Adding heat to the incoming oil/water stream is the

traditional method of separating the phases. The
addition of heat reduces the viscosity of the oil phase
allowing more rapid settling velocities.
• It also has the effect of dissolving the small crystals of
paraffin and asphaltenes and thus neutralizing their
effect as potential emulsifiers.
Chemicals use on separation process
 Demulsifier
• Rate or the speed at which this separation takes place
• Amount of water left in the crude oil after separation
• Quality of separated water for disposal
 Antifoam
• Foam, in this case meaning "bubbly liquid", is also produced as an often-
unwanted by-product in the manufacture of various substances.
• Foam is a problem because it alters the liquid flow For this reason,
antifoaming agents, like silicone oils, are added to prevent these
problems
 Separators types and its design
Flash tank
Flash Tanks are used to flash
steam from high temperature
condensate prior to introducing
into low pressure lines and to
flash condensate prior to
returning to the boiler or
condensate tank.
 Knockout drum

• A vertical separator used or a bulk

separation of gas and liquid .
• It’s sited after the main heater to
insure that no liquid droplet enters
the compressor
Horizontal separator
• A vessel, with its cylindrical axes parallel to the ground, that is
used to separate oil, gas and water from the produced stream.
The horizontal separator can be a two-phase or three-phase
separator.
Horizontal separator (cont)
Separation process stages:
1- momentum
• . Fluid phases with different densities will have different
momentum. If a two phase stream changes direction
sharply, greater momentum will not allow the 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.
Separation process stages:(cont)
2- gravity settling
• . Liquid droplets will settle out of a gas phase if
the gravitational force acting on the droplet is
greater than the drag force of the gas flowing
around the droplet. These forces can be
described mathematically using the terminal or
free settling velocity.
• Very small droplets such as fog or mist cannot be
separated practically by gravity. These droplets
can be coalesced to form larger droplets that will
settle by gravity.
Separation process stages:(cont)
3-coalescing
• . Coalescing devices in separators force
gas to follow a tortuous path. The
momentum of the droplets causes
them to collide with other droplets or
the coalescing device, forming larger
droplets. These larger droplets can
then settle out of the gas phase by
gravity. Wire mesh screens, vane
elements, and filter cartridges are
typical examples of coalescing devices.
Horizontal separator (cont)
• Regions on figure:
1.Primary section.
2. Secondary section
(gravity settling).
3. Coalescing section.
4. Sump or liquid collecting
section.
Point 2 in figure (gravity settling)
• How to reduce the gas at point 2 in the fig ?
decrease the velocity of the gas hence turbulence
will decrease so the drag force and separation
occurs.
Factors affect on gas at 2:
1.Particle size.
2. Density of liquid
3. Velocity of particle
Spherical separators
• These separators are
occasionally used for high
pressure service where
compact size is desired
and liquid volumes are
small
Spherical separators
Factors considered for a spherical separator are:

1. compactness.
2. limited liquid surge
capacity
3. minimum steel for a given
pressure
Controllers
1- Liquid Level Controller (LLC)

• Use to maintain the liquid level inside the separator at a

fixed height. Consists of a float that.
• Exists at the liquid–gas interface and sends a signal to an
automatic diaphragm motor valve on the oil outlet.
Controllers (cont)
2- pressure control valve (PCV)
• The pressure control valve (PCV) is an automatic
backpressure valve that exists on the gas stream outlet.
• The valve is set at a prescribed pressure
3- pressure relief valve (PRV)

• The pressure relief valve (PRV) is a safety device that will

automatically open to vent the separator if the pressure
inside the separator exceeded the design safe limit.
 Mist Extractor
• The function of the mist extractor
is to remove the very fine liquid
droplets from the gas before it
exits the separator

Inlet diverter
Vortex breaker
• Normally installed on the
liquid outlet to prevent
formation of a vortex when
the liquid outlet valve is
open.
• The formation of a vortex
at the liquid outlet may
result in withdrawal and
entrainment of gas with
the exiting liquid (gas
blow-by)
De-foaming Plates
• The foam, having a density between that of the liquid
and gas, will disrupt the operation of the level
controller.
• Foaming problems may be effectively alleviated by the
installation of defoaming plates within the separator.
• In some situations, special chemicals known as foam
depressants may be added to the fluid mixture to solve
foaming problems
• If the foam exited with liquid ( liquid carryover ) and ( gas
blowby ) if the foam exited with gas
Horizontal VS. Vertical Separator Selection
Horizontal separator
• smaller and less expensive than vertical separators .
• the liquid droplets fall perpendicular to the gas flow and thus are more
easily settled out of the gas continuous phase.
• interface area is larger in a horizontal separator .
• Horizontal separators offer greater liquid capacity
• best suited for liquid-liquid separation and foaming crudes.
Vertical separator
• Vertical vessels work most effectively in low GOR ( gas-oil ratio)
applications. They are also used in some very high GOR applications, such as
scrubbers where only fluid mists are being removed from the gas.
 references
• Georgie, Wally J. 2013. Foaming in Separators: Handling and
Operation. https://webevents.spe.org/products/foaming-in-separators-
handling-and-operation
• Carios, E., Vega, L., Pardo, R., and Ibarra, J. 2013.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/165033-MS
• Matar, Omar K. 2013. Defoaming Additives in Horizontal Multiphase
Flow—Impact on Flow Regime and
Separations. https://webevents.spe.org/products/defoaming-additives-
in-horizontal-multiphase-flow-impact-on-flow-regime-and-separations