 Separators and Filters

• Separators.
• Large Vessels are used to separate the gas, oil, water and sand using their
differing densities.

• Sufficient time has to be given to allow the water droplets to settle from the
oil and vice versa.

• Multiple stages are used to liberate gas and remove water.

• The separation process may require heating to help destabilise oil-water

emulsions.

• Chemicals are utilised to assist droplet coalescence, break foams and prevent
corrosion.

• To prevent remixing and effective separation the separator is fitted with a

range of devices.
 Separators and Filters

• Flash Tank.
 A vessel used to separate the gas evolved from liquid flashed
from a higher pressure to a lower pressure.

• Scrubber or Knockout.
 A vessel designed to handle streams with high gas-to-liquid
ratios. The liquid is generally entrained as mist in the gas or is
free-flowing along the pipe wall. These vessels usually have a small
liquid collection section.
 Separators and Filters

• Separator.
 A vessel used to separate a mixed-phase stream into gas and
liquid phases that are "relatively" free of each other.

• Slug Catcher.
 A particular separator design able to absorb sustained in-flow of
large liquid volumes at irregular intervals. Usually found on gas
gathering systems or other two phase pipeline systems. A slug
catcher may be a single large vessel or a manifolded system of
pipes.
 Separators and Filters
• Three Phase Separator.
 A vessel used to separate gas and two immiscible liquids of
different densities (e.g. gas, water, and oil).

• Filter Separator.
 A filter separator usually has two compartments. The first
compartment contains filter-coalescing elements. As the gas flows
through the elements, the liquid particles coalesce into larger
droplets and when the droplets reach sufficient size, the gas flow
causes them to flow out of the filter elements into the center
core. The particles are then carried into the second compartment
of the vessel (containing a vane-type or knitted wire mesh mist
extractor) where the larger droplets are removed. A lower barrel
or boot may be used for surge or storage of the removed liquid.
 Separation
HP Gas
LP Gas

Typically water content

1-2% Pipeline Export
HP Separator LC LP Separator LC 0.25-1% Tanker

Heating/ Heating/
Cooling Cooling

Water

Export

Cooling
Dehydration/
LC
Desalter
Pump

Typically 20-30%
water content
Water
Typically 2-10%
water content
 Separators and Filters

 PRINCIPLES OF SEPARATION:

• Three principles used to achieve physical separation of gas

and liquids or solids are:

I. Momentum.

II. Gravity settling.

III. Coalescing.

 Any separator may employ one or more of these principles.

 Separators and Filters
I. 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.
 Separators and Filters
II. 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
 Separators and Filters

III. Coalescing.

• 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.

• 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.
 Separators and Filters

A. Primary Separation.
B. Gravity Settling.
C. Coalescing.
D. Liquid Collecting.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

 Parts of a Separator…
 Separation vessels usually contain four major sections, plus the
necessary controls.

I. The primary separation section, A, is used to separate the main

portion of free liquid in the inlet stream.

 It contains the inlet nozzle which may be tangential, or a

diverter baffle to take advantage of the inertial effects of
centrifugal force or an abrupt change of direction to separate the
major portion of the liquid from the gas stream.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

 Parts of a Separator…
II. The secondary or gravity section, B, is designed to
utilize the force of gravity to enhance separation of
entrained droplets.
 It consists of a portion of the vessel through which the
gas moves at a relatively low velocity with little
turbulence.
 In some designs, straightening vanes are used to reduce
turbulence.
 The vanes also act as droplet collectors, and reduce the
distance a droplet must fall to be removed from the gas
stream.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

II. The secondary or gravity section, B.

 The ease with which the droplets will settle out of the gas
stream and fall into the liquid accumulation section of the
separator depends on a number of factors, these include:
• The size of the droplets.
• The density of the liquid droplet, compared to the
density of the gas,
• The velocity at which the gas stream is traveling through
the separator, and
• The turbulence which exists in the flowing gas stream.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

II. The secondary or gravity section, B.

Turbulence can be reduced by having devices called

straightening vanes built into the separator to make the gas
flow more streamlined.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

 Parts of a Separator…

III. The coalescing section, C,

• The secondary separation of liquid droplets from the gas by

gravity settling will not usually remove very small particles.

• These particles tend to remain in the gas stream in the form of a

mist.

• In order that the gas leaving a separator as free as possible from

liquid, a final mist extraction section is built into the vessel.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

 Parts of a Separator…

III. The coalescing section, C, utilizes a coalescer or

mist extractor which can consist of a series of vanes,
a knitted wire mesh pad, or cyclonic passages.
• This section removes the very small droplets of liquid
from the gas by impingement on a surface where they
coalesce.
• A typical liquid carryover from the mist extractor is
less than 0.1 gallon per MMscf.
 SEPARATOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

 Parts of a Separator…
IV. The sump or liquid collection section, D, acts as receiver for all
liquid removed from the gas in the primary, secondary, and
coalescing sections.

• Depending on requirements, the liquid section should have a

certain amount of surge volume, for degassing or slug catching,
over a minimum liquid level necessary for controls to function
properly.
• Degassing may require a horizontal separator with a shallow liquid
level while emulsion separation may also require higher
temperature, higher liquid level, and/or the addition of a
surfactant.
 Vertical Separators...

 Vertical separators …
 Vertical separators are usually
selected when the gas-liquid
ratio is high or total gas
volumes are low.
• In the vertical separator, the
fluids enter the vessel striking
a diverting baffle which
initiates primary separation.

• Liquid removed by the inlet

baffle falls to the bottom of
the vessel.
 Horizontal Separators...
 Spherical Separators...
 Spherical Separators...
 Spherical Separators...

o Spherical separators:
o Used for high pressure service where compact size is desired and liquid
volumes are small.

 Factors considered for a spherical separator are:

I. compactness.

II. Limited liquid surge capacity.

III. Minimum steel for a given pressure.

 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Liquid Level Controller…

• The liquid level controller (LLC) is used to maintain the liquid

level inside the separator at a fixed height.

• The liquid level controller (LLC) 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. The signal causes the
valve to open or close, thus allowing more or less liquid out of
the separator to maintain its level inside the separator.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Pressure Control Valve…

• 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. It will automatically
open or close, allowing more or less gas to flow out of the
separator to maintain a fixed pressure inside the separator.

 Pressure Relief Valve…

• 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.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Mist Extractor…

• The function
of the mist
extractor is to
remove the
very fine
liquid
droplets from
the gas
before it exits
the separator.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Inlet Diverters…

• Inlet diverters are used to cause the initial bulk separation of liquid
and gas.

• The most common type is the baffle plate diverter, which could be in
the shape of a flat plate, a spherical dish, or a cone. Another type, is
the centrifugal diverter; it is more efficient but more expensive.

• The diverter provides a means to cause a sudden and rapid change of

momentum (velocity and direction) of the entering fluid stream. This,
along with the difference in densities of the liquid and gas, causes
fluids separation.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Inlet Diverters…
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Wave Breakers…
• In long horizontal separators, waves may develop at the gas–liquid
interface. This creates unsteady fluctuations in the liquid level and
would negatively affect the performance of the liquid level controller.
• To avoid this, wave breakers, which consist of vertical baffles
installed perpendicular to the flow direction, are used.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Defoaming Plates…

• Depending on the type of

oil and presence of
impurities, foam may form
at the gas–liquid interface.

 This results in the following serious…

I. Foam will occupy a large space in the separator that otherwise
would be available for the separation process; therefore, the
separator efficiency will be reduced unless the separator is oversized
to allow for the presence of foam.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Defoaming Plates…

II. The foam, having a density between that of the liquid and gas, will
disrupt the operation of the level controller.

III. If the volume of the foam grows, it will be entrained in the gas and
liquid streams exiting the separator; thus, the separation process will
be ineffective.

• The entrainment of liquid with the exiting gas is known as liquid

carryover. Liquid carryover could also occur as a result of a normally
high liquid. The entrainment of gas in the exiting liquid is known as
gas blowby. This could also occur as a result of a normally low liquid
level.
 Controllers and Internal Components of Gas–Oil Separators...

 Defoaming Plates…

• Foaming problems may be effectively alleviated by the installation of

defoaming plates within the separator.

 Defoaming plates are basically a series of inclined closely spaced

parallel plates. The flow of the foam through such plates results in
the coalescence of bubbles and separation of the liquid from the gas.

 In some situations, special chemicals known as foam depressants may

be added to the fluid mixture to solve foaming problems.
 Vertical Separators...

1. Easy to clean.
2. Saves space.
3. Provides better surge control.

4. Liquid level control is not critical.

5. Less tendency for reevaporization of liquid into the

gas phase due to the relatively greater vertical
distance between liquid level and gas outlet
Ideal use
• Low to intermediate gas-oil ratio, and where relatively large
slugs of liquid are expected
 Horizontal Separators...

1. Can handle much higher oil-gas ratio well streams because the
design permits much higher gas velocities.
2. For a given oil and gas capacity, the horizontal usually will be
cheaper than a vertical.
3. For a given size, more area is available for settling in the liquid phase.
Thus, the horizontal conforms to three phase operation better than
does a vertical..
4. Reduces turbulence and reduces foaming (thus, it can handle
foaming crude).
5. Several separators may be stacked, minimizing space requirements.
Ideal use
o High gas-oil ratio crudes, foaming crudes, or for liquid
liquid separation. Good for a diverse range of situations.
 Spherical Separators...

1. minimum steel for a given pressure.

2. limited liquid surge capacity.

3. Very compact and easy to ship and install.

4. Better clean-out.

Ideal use
 Intermediate or high gas-oil ratio, preferably two-
phase separation
Controllers and Internal Components
of Gas–Oil Separators
 Vortex Breaker

A vortex breaker, similar in shape to those used in

bathroom sink drains.
Is 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 blowby).