VERTICAL TWO-PHASE SEPARATOR DESIGN: Liquid / Vapor Service

DIRECTIONS:
Input values in the gray cells only!
Answer questions in the blue cells. Calculations performed in this spreadsheet are based on these answers.
This spreadsheet is based on the following reference:
Monnery, Wayne D. and William Y. Svrcek. "Design Two-Phase Separators Within the Right Limits." Chemical Engineering Progress. October 1993, pp. 53 - 60.

Spreadsheet Strategy: Vessel diameter is calculated based on the amount of vapor flowing into the vessel.
Liquid holdup (residence) time and liquid flow rate are used to determine vessel volume and height.

DOES THE DESIGN INCLUDE A MIST ELIMINATOR? 1 Enter a "1" for YES or a "0" for NO
DOES THE DESIGN INCLUDE AN INLET DIVERTER? 1 Enter a "1" for YES or a "0" for NO
PROCESS OPERATING CONDITIONS / CHARACTERISTICS NOTES:
Liquid - L ----- Supplied design specification.
Vapor - V ----- Supplied design specification.
Density of the Liquid - rL lb / ft3 38.83 Supplied design specification.
Density of the Vapor - rV lb / ft3 4.01 Supplied design specification.
Operating Pressure - P psia 1000.00 Supplied design specification.
Operating Temperature - T o
F 650.00 Supplied design specification.
Vapor Mass Flow Rate - WV lb / h 145600.0 Supplied design specification.
Liquid Mass Flow Rate - WL lb / h 46100.0 Supplied design specification.
Vapor Volumetric Flow Rate - QV ft3 / s 10.09 Equation: QV = WV / ( 3600 * r V )
Liquid Volumetric Flow Rate - Q L ft3 / min 19.79 Equation: QL = WL / ( 60 * r L )
Terminal Velocity Constant - K ft / s 0.2711 Calculated based on pressure and whether a mist eliminator will exist. (Calculations can be seen below.)
Terminal Vapor Velocity - UT ft / s 0.7989 Equation: UT = K * [ ( r L - r V ) / r L ] ^ 0.5.
Vapor Velocity - UV ft / s 0.5992 A conservative design where UV is 0.75 the Terminal Vapor Velocity.

VESSEL SIZING - DIAMETER NOTES:

Vessel Inside Diameter - ID ft 4.630 Equation: ID = [ ( 4 * QV ) / ( 3.1415 * UV ) ] ^ 0.5
Additional Size in Diameter - x in 4.500 If a mist eliminator will exist, 4.5 inches (3 to 6 in.) is added to the ID to accommodate a support ring; if not, 0 inches is added.
Vessel Diameter - D ft 5.500 Actual diameter after the calculated diameter is rounded up to the nearest half foot. (Calculations can be seen below.)

VESSEL SIZING - HEIGHT NOTES:

Liquid Holdup (Residence) Time - TH min 10.0 See the TABLE for Holdup Time selection.
Liquid Holdup Volume - VH ft3 197.87 Equation: VH = TH * QL
Liquid Surge Time - TS min 5.0 See the TABLE for Surge Time selection.
Liquid Surge Volume - VS ft3 98.94 Equation: VS = TS * QL
Low Liquid Level Height - HL in 6.0 Depends on pressure and diameter; either 6 or 15 inches.
Liquid Holdup Height - HH ft 8.33 Equation: HH = VH / [ ( 3.1415 / 4 ) * D ^ 2 ]
Liquid Surge Height - HS ft 4.16 Equation: HS = VS / [ ( 3.1415 / 4 ) * D ^ 2 ]
High Liquid Level to Centerline of Inlet Nozzle - H C in 13.82 Calculated based on whether an inlet diverter will exist. (Calculations can be seen below.)
Disengagement Height - HD in 24.91 Calculated based on whether a mist eliminator will exist. (Calculations can be seen below.)
Additional Height - y in 18.0 If a mist eliminator will exist, 6 inches is added for the pad and an additional 12 inches above the pad; if not, 0 inches is added.
Vessel Height - HT ft 18.00 Actual height after the calculated height is rounded up to the nearest half foot. (Calculations can be seen below.)
 TABLE:  RECOMMENDED HOLDUP TIMES
RECOMMENDED
TYPE OF SERVICE Holdup Time - TH Surge Time - TS
(NLL-HLL) (NLL-LLL)
(min) (min)
Unit Feed Drum 10 5
Separators
Feed to column 5 3
Feed to other drum or tankage
- with pump or through exchanger 5 2
- without pump 2 1
Feed to fired heater 10 3
Reflux or Product Accumulator
Reflux only 3 2
Reflux and product 3+ 2+
Column Bottoms
Feed to another column 5 2
Feed to other drum or tankage
- with pump or through exchanger 5 2
- with pump 2 1
Feed to fired boiler 5-8 2-4
 Unit Conversion

LENGTH INCHES FEET YARDS

12.00 1.00 0.33
12.00 1.00 0.33
12.00 1.00 0.33
12.00 1.00 0.33
12.00 1.00 0.33
12.00 1.00 0.33
11.81 0.98 0.33
11.81 0.98 0.33

AREA IN2 FT2 CM2

144.00 1.00 929.03
144.00 1.00 929.03
143.99 1.00 929.00
143.99 1.00 929.00

VOLUME OUNCES (US LIQ) GAL (US LIQ) BARRELS (US PET)
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24
1,280.00 10.00 0.24

LINEAR VELOCITY IN / SEC IN / MIN FT / MIN

10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00
10.00 600.00 50.00

VOLUMETRIC FLOW GPM GPH GPD

0.17 10.00 240.05
0.17 10.00 240.00
0.17 10.00 240.00
0.17 10.00 240.00

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 Unit Conversion

0.17 10.00 240.00

0.17 10.00 240.00

0.17 10.00 240.00

0.17 10.00 240.00
0.17 10.00 240.00
0.17 10.00 240.00

GRAVIMETRIC FLOW LBS / HR LBS / DAY KG / HR

100.00 2,400.00 45.36
100.00 2,400.00 45.36
99.87 2,396.86 45.30
99.85 2,396.42 45.29

MASS OUNCES LBS TONS

35.27 2.20 0.00
35.27 2.20 0.00
32,000.00 2,000.00 1.00
35.27 2.20 0.00
35.27 2.20 0.00
35,273.92 2,204.62 0.91

DENSITY LBS / GAL LBS / FT3 LBS / BBL (US PET)

8.35 62.43 347.73
8.35 62.43 347.73
8.35 62.43 347.73
8.35 62.43 347.73
8.35 62.43 347.73

PRESSURE PSI ATM BAR

14.70 1.00 1.01
14.70 1.00 1.01
14.70 1.00 1.01
14.70 1.00 1.00
14.70 1.00 1.01
14.70 1.00 1.01
14.70 1.00 1.01

TEMPERATURE o
C o
F o
K
24.00 75.20 297.15
24.00 75.20 297.15
24.00 75.20 297.15
24.00 75.20 297.15

ENERGY JOULES CALORIES BTU

418.40 100.00 0.40

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 Unit Conversion

4.18 1.00 0.00

418.40 100.00 0.40
418.40 100.00 0.40
418.40 100.00 0.40
418.40 100.00 0.40

KINEMATIC VISCOSITY CENTIPOISE POISE LBS / FT-SEC

100.00 1.00 0.07
100.00 1.00 0.07
100.00 1.00 0.07
100.00 1.00 0.07
100.00 1.00 0.07

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 Unit Conversion

UNIT CONVERSIONS
MILES MILLIMETERS CENTIMETERS METERS
0.00 304.80 30.48 0.30
0.00 304.80 30.48 0.30
0.00 304.77 30.48 0.30
0.00 304.80 30.48 0.30
0.00 304.80 30.48 0.30
0.00 304.80 30.48 0.30
0.00 300.00 30.00 0.30
0.00 300.00 30.00 0.30

M2
0.09
0.09
0.09
0.09

IN3 FT3 CM3 M3

2,310.00 1.34 37,854.12 0.038
2,310.00 1.34 37,854.12 0.038
2,310.00 1.34 37,854.12 0.038
2,310.00 1.34 37,854.12 0.038
2,310.00 1.34 37,854.10 0.038
2,310.01 1.34 37,854.12 0.038
2,310.01 1.34 37,850.00 0.038
2,310.00 1.34 37,854.12 0.038

FT / HR CM / SEC CM / MIN M / HR
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.00 914.40
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.00 914.40
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.02 914.41
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.00 914.40
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.00 914.40
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.00 914.40
3,000.00 25.40 1,524.00 914.40
2,999.96 25.40 1,524.00 914.40

BPD (US PET) FT3PH FT3PD LPH

5.76 1.34 32.09 37.86
5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85
5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85
5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85

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 Unit Conversion

5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85

5.76 1.34 32.08 37.86

5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85

5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85
5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85
5.76 1.34 32.08 37.85

KG / DAY
1,088.62
1,088.62
1,087.20
1,087.00

GRAMS KGRAMS METRIC TONNES

1,000.00 1.00 0.00
1,000.00 1.00 0.00
907,186.64 907.19 1.10
1,000.00 1.00 0.00
1,000.00 1.00 0.00
1,000,000.00 1,000.00 1.00

G / CM3 KG / M3
1.00 1,000.00
1.00 1,000.00
1.00 999.99
1.00 1,000.00
1.00 1,000.00

mmHg inHg inH2O Pascal

760.00 29.92 406.80 101,324.51
760.00 29.92 406.80 101,330.00
760.00 29.92 406.78 101,325.00
760.00 29.92 406.79 101,323.20
760.00 29.92 406.80 101,325.49
760.00 29.92 406.80 101,352.31
760.20 29.93 406.80 101,352.31

o
R
534.87
534.87
534.87
534.87

FT-LBS KW-HR L-ATM

308.60 0.00 4.13

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 Unit Conversion

3.09 0.00 0.04

308.60 0.00 4.13
308.60 0.00 4.13
308.60 0.00 4.13
308.60 0.00 4.13

LBS / FT-HR GRAMS / CM-SEC

241.91 1.00
241.91 1.00
241.91 1.00
241.91 1.00
241.91 1.00

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 Unit Conversion

KILOMETERS
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00

LITERS
37.85
37.85
37.85
37.85
37.85
37.85
37.85
37.85

MPD
21,945.64
21,945.64
21,945.87
21,945.60
21,945.60
21,945.60
21,945.60
21,945.60

LPD M3PH M3PD

908.50 0.04 0.91
908.50 0.04 0.91
908.50 0.04 0.91
908.49 0.04 0.91

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 Unit Conversion

908.50 0.04 0.91

908.50 0.04 0.91
908.50 0.04 0.91
908.50 0.04 0.91
908.40 0.04 0.91
908.40 0.04 0.91

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Unit Conversion

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