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One of the most common problems in Oil and Gas Processing facilities is underperforming vapor / liquid
separators. The most common types of gas-liquid separators are:
Slug catchers
Vessel / Finger-type
Conventional separators
Me gustaVertical / Horizontal
Scrubbers (i.e. Compressor Suction Scrubbers)
Gas polishers
2
Coalescing Filters / Filter Separators
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Underperforming separators generally result from either: 1. the wrong type of equipment was selected for
the application, or 2. the correct type of equipment was selected, but the sizing methodology was
inadequate. The type of separator required for an application depends largely on the gas-liquid ratio of the
stream to be treated, and the flow variability of the process, as shown in Figure 1. As the flow variability increases with low
to moderate gas-liquid ratios, the separator selection will move from a conventional separator to a slug catcher. For
applications where there is a high gas-liquid ratio (i.e. very low liquid content), and the flow variability is moderately low,
scrubbers and gas polishers would be the appropriate equipment selection depending upon the gas quality requirement for
the treated stream.
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Figure 1. Gas-Liquid Separation Equipment Selection Map [1]
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Figure 2. Troubleshooting Methodology [1]
June 2013
Unfortunately, once the equipment has been selected and installed, it is very costly to replace if the separator was not
specified properly. Common separator performance issues are: too much liquid in the separated gas, inadequate
slug/surge capacity, and too much gas in the separated liquid.
May 2013
This paper is focused on troubleshooting inadequate liquid removal from the gas for conventional separators (moderate to
high liquid loads) and scrubbers (very low liquid loads).
March 2013
April 2013
February 2013
A troubleshooting methodology is provided in Figure 2 [Reference No]. The problem, in this case, is too much liquid in the
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separated gas stream. In order to effectively troubleshoot separator performance, it is required to understand the metrics of
good performance, and the functions and analysis of the various components of the separation equipment.
Typical performance metrics for separators are provided in Table 1. The specific performance requirements for a given
separator are set by the sensitivity of the downstream process / equipment to the presence of liquids. For example, the
product gas (sales gas) off of the cold separator in an NGL Extraction facility is sensitive to the presence of entrained
liquids. The product gas can go off specification if there is too much carryover of liquids from the cold separator. On the
other hand, the sensitivity of the downstream equipment from the facility inlet separator is much less, and the amount of
liquids entrained in the gas is more tolerable.Table 1. Example separator performance metrics [1]
January 2013
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December 2011
Separator Components
November 2011
The main components of a separator, shown in Figure 3, are the feed pipe, inlet device, gas gravity separation section,
mist extractor and the liquid gravity separation section. The gas/liquid separator components will be briefly discussed in
regards to their effects on gas/liquid separation performance. These effects need to be understood and quantified in order
to troubleshoot separator operations, and to identify modifications that can be made to improve performance. The liquid
gravity separation section will not be discussed.
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Figure 3. Parts of a Conventional Separator [2]

Inlet Feed Pipe
The inlet feed pipe sizing and geometry is important as it is desired to keep the multiphase flow pattern stabilized in the
piping to minimize the production of small liquid droplets, and liquid entrainment into the gas phase. Figure 4 [2] shows the
effect of feed pipe velocity on liquid entrainment. Figure 5 [2] demonstrates how quickly the liquid entrainment increases
once the entrainment inception point is reached.
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Figure 4. Effect of feed pipe velocity on liquid entrainment [2]
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March 2008
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Figure 5. Example of liquid entrainment behavior in a gas-liquid system [2]
April 2007
Some general guidelines for inlet piping to minimize liquid entrainment are:
March 2007
Provide 10 diameters of straight pipe upstream of the inlet nozzle without valves, expansions/contractions or
elbows.
If a valve is required, only use full port gate or ball valves.
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
Inlet Device
The main purpose of an inlet device is to improve separation performance. This is achieved by maximizing the amount of
gas-liquid separation occurring in the feed pipe, minimizing droplet shearing, and optimizing the downstream velocity
distributions of the separated phases into the separator. Schematics for inlet devices are shown in Figure 6. In large
capacity, more critical separation applications, the vane-type and cyclonic inlet devices are commonly used. The simpler,
and less expensive, impact (or diverter plates) are often used where the separation performance is less critical.
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Figure 6. Various separation equipment inlet devices [2]
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Table 2 provides a comparison of the performance of various inlet devices.
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Table 2. Comparison of inlet devices [2]
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The inlet momentum (mV2m density*velocity2 of the mixture) of the feed stream is typically used to select and size inlet
devices. Table 3 provides the suggested upper limits of inlet momentum values. For conditions where it is not practical to
avoid higher feed pipe velocities, it must be recognized that failure to do so will result in higher entrainment loads, smaller
droplet sizes, and more difficult separation conditions.
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Table 3. Inlet device V2 upper limits [3]
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The quality of the flow distribution downstream of the inlet device is critical to mist extractor performance. Historically,
tracer surveys have been used to provide an approximate indication of the continuous phase velocity within separators. In
more recent years, the use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) has provided insight into the flow behavior of fluids,
and has resulted in significant improvement in separator internals design. Separator performance is to a large degree
dependent on the removal of droplets/ bubbles from the continuous phase. The efficiency of this removal is a function of
the continuous phase velocity, thus the importance of understanding the factors that affect velocity profiles. Figure 7
provides an example of ideal versus actual gas velocity profiles within a separator.
Figure 7. Ideal and actual gas velocity profiles [3]

Gas Gravity Separation Section
The gas gravity separation section of a separator has two main functions: 1) reduction of entrained liquid load not removed
by the inlet device, 2) improvement / straightening of the gas velocity profile.
Most mist extractors have limitations on the amount of entrained liquid droplets that can be efficiently removed from the
gas, thus the importance of the gas gravity section to remove the liquids to an acceptable level upstream of the mist
extractor. This is particularly important for separators handling higher liquid loads. For scrubber applications with low liquid
loadings, the Ks value will be primarily dependent on the mist extractor type, and the gas gravity separation section
becomes less important.
For the higher liquid load applications, there are two approaches for sizing the gravity separation section to remove liquid
droplets from the gas: 1) Ks method, 2) Droplet settling theory.
Historically the Ks method has been employed as it can provide reasonable results and is easy to use, but has
shortcomings in terms of quantifying separator performance. References 3-5 provide the details on the droplet settling
theory methods which can be used to more accurately quantify separator performance. The Ks approach is limited in that it
only informs of the average droplet size, but cannot quantify the amount of liquid droplets exiting the gas gravity section.
The Ks method (Equation 1) is an empirical approach to estimate the maximum allowable gas velocity to achieve a desired
droplet separation.
Where:
L
g
= liquid density kg/m3 (lbm/ft3)

= gas density kg/m3 (lbm/ft3)
Vgmax = maximum allowable gas velocity m/s (ft/sec)

KS
= an empirical constant m/s (ft/sec)
Figure 8 provides the relationship of Ks values for various droplet sizes and separator operating pressures for the gas
gravity section. Typically, a Ks value is selected that will achieve removal of all entrained droplets larger than a specified
target droplet diameter in the original design of the separator. For conventional separators the target droplet diameter is
typically 150 microns, and for scrubbers the target droplet size should not exceed ~500 microns. This correlation can also
be used to determine the performance of the gas gravity section based upon current operating conditions. The separator
Ks value can be estimated from the actual velocity and fluid conditions, and the droplet size removed in the gas gravity
section can be estimated from Figure 8.
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Figure 8. Ks vs. pressure and droplet size for empty vessels [2]
Mist Extraction Section
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. Figure 9 shows the location and function of a
typical mist extractor in a vertical separator.
Figure 9. Typical mist extractor in a vertical separator [2]

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 1. 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. Figure 10 provides some
mesh pad examples. Table 4 provides a summary of mesh pad characteristics and performance parameters.
Figure 10. Mesh pad examples [1]

Table 4. Mesh pads summary of characteristics and performance parameters [1,4]
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Notes:
Flow direction is vertical (upflow).
Assume mesh pad Ks values decline with pressure as shown in Table 5. Table 5 was originally developed for mesh
pads, but is used as an approximation for other mist extractor types. [6].
If liquid loads reaching the mesh pad exceed the values given in Table 4, assume capacity (Ks) decreases by 10%
per 42 L/min/m2 (10% per gal/min/ft2). [3-5].
These parameters are approximate.
Table 5. Mesh pad Ks deration factors as a function of pressure [2]
Vane packs, like mesh pads, capture droplets primarily by inertial impaction. The vane bend angles force the gas to
change direction while the higher density liquid droplets tend to travel in a straight-line path, and impact the surface of the
vane where they are collected and removed from the gas flow. Figure 11 shows a schematic of a single-pocket vane mist
extractor. Table 6 provides vane pack performance characteristics.
Figure 11. Single-pocket vane schematic [2]

Table 6. Typical vane-pack characteristics [1,4]
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Notes:
1. Assume vane-pack Ks values decline with pressure as shown in Table 5.
2. If liquid loads reaching the vane pack exceed the values given in Table 4, assume capacity Ks decreases by 10%
per 42 L/min/m2 (10% per gal/min/ft2). [3-5].
3. These parameters are approximate only. The vane-pack manufacturer should be contacted for specific information.
In the case of demisting cyclones, the vendor should be consulted in regards to performance for the current operations of
interest.
Troubleshooting
When troubleshooting a separator, one needs to quantify the acceptable performance of the separator in terms of the
amount of liquids in the separated gas. The separator physical condition and design is then assessed to determine the
liquid removal capability of the separation equipment installed. Each separator component should be analyzed in terms of
the current operating conditions versus the original design specifications.
Table 7 provides a few common causes of inadequate liquid removal performance of a separator. The separator
components that need to be reviewed are identified to determine the specific limitation. This table can serve as a road map
for the calculations to work through when doing this type of analysis.
Table 7. Common conditions resulting in inadequate separated gas quality [1]
There are numerous options available to improve the performance of a separator depending upon what the cause for the
poor performance is. Depending upon the size and construction of the separator, it may be possible to retro-fit the
separator internals. Another option may be modification of the inlet feed piping geometry and number of fittings upstream of
the vessel if this is found to be less than ideal. The inlet device may be damaged, or in the bottom of the vessel. Higher
efficiency inlet devices may be an option for consideration. Frequently, different mist extraction equipment can be selected
to improve performance. For example, if the mist extractor Ks value is greater than the original design, a different mist
extraction device could improve performance. The separator internals modifications may or may not be possible without
welding on the vessel (which adds additional complications and cost to the project).
The operating liquid levels should also be reviewed in terms of the distance of the normal operating liquid level in relation
to the inlet feed device. If the liquid level is too high, the gas velocity from the inlet could be re-entraining liquids that were
previously separated in the feed piping / inlet device. Unfortunately, in some cases the only way to improve performance is
to cut rate (i.e. gas velocity) through the separator.
To learn more about troubleshooting separators and other production equipment, we suggest attending our PF-49
(Troubleshooting Oil and Gas Processing Facilities), or PF-42 (Separation Equipment Selection and Sizing) for
more details on the selection and specification of separators.
By: Kindra Snow-McGregor
Reference:
1. PF-49, Troubleshooting Oil and Gas Processing Facilities, Bothamley, M., 2014, PetroSkills, LLC. All Rights
reserved.
2. Campbell, J.M., Gas Conditioning and Processing, Volume 2: The Equipment Modules, 9th Edition, 2nd Printing,
Editors Hubbard, R. and SnowMcGregor, K., Campbell Petroleum Series, Norman, Oklahoma, 2014.
3. Bothamley, M. 2013. Gas-Liquid Separators Quantifying Separation Performance Part 1. SPE Oil and Gas
Facilities, Aug. (22 29).
Facilities, Oct. (35 47)
Facilities, Dec. (34 47)
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6. Fabian, P., Cusack, R., Hennessey, P., Neuman, M. 1993. Demystifying the Selection of Mist Eliminators, Part
1: The Basics. Chem Eng 11 (11): 148 156.
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22 responses to Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from

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1. Maureen McCall says:
December 10, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Please put me on your eail list
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2. M. H. says:
December 15, 2014 at 3:50 am
Very insightful article!
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3. melbaseer says:
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January 3, 2015 at 10:49 am
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April 1, 2015 at 12:03 pm
Interesting.
BTW, (rho) v^2 is called momentum criterion, not momemtum, which is (rho) v.
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June 2, 2015 at 7:33 am
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11. Gas-Liquid Separators Sizing Parameter | Campbell Tip of the Month says:
September 1, 2015 at 10:54 am
[] the December 2014 tip of the month (TOTM) [1], we discussed troubleshooting of gas-liquid separators for
removal of liquids from the []
Reply
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15. Parametros de Dimensionamiento Separadores Gas- Lquido | Campbell Tip of the Month Spanish says:
[] SnowMcGregor, K., http://www.jmcampbell.com/tip-of-the-month/2014/12/troubleshooting-gas-liquidseparators-removal-of-… []
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16. What is the Impact of Feed Gas Conditions on the Adsorption Dehydration System? | Campbell Tip of the
Month says:
October 3, 2015 at 8:00 am
[] PetroSkills May 2015 tip of the month (TOTM) [2] discussed the efficient operation of molecular sieve
dehydration units. Specifically, it []
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25. Niaz says:
April 28, 2016 at 11:51 am
29/09/2016 18:17
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Hello sir
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by suggesting any reference where i can get all the steps to design a whole new flash tank
Reply
26. Projecting the Performance of Adsorption Dehydration Process | Campbell Tip of the Month says:
June 6, 2016 at 4:13 pm
[] May 2015 tip of the month (TOTM) [1] presented a method which allows the users to estimate the decline of
their adsorbent []
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Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of

English TOTM Home

Figure 1. Gas-Liquid Separation Equipment Selection Map [1]

Figure 2. Troubleshooting Methodology [1]

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Figure 3. Parts of a Conventional Separator [2]

Figure 4. Effect of feed pipe velocity on liquid entrainment [2]

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Figure 6. Various separation equipment inlet devices [2]

Table 2 provides a comparison of the performance of various inlet devices.

Table 2. Comparison of inlet devices [2]

Water and Corrosion

Table 3. Inlet device V2 upper limits [3]

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Figure 7. Ideal and actual gas velocity profiles [3]

= liquid density kg/m3 (lbm/ft3)

Vgmax = maximum allowable gas velocity m/s (ft/sec)

= an empirical constant m/s (ft/sec)

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Figure 9. Typical mist extractor in a vertical separator [2]

Figure 10. Mesh pad examples [1]

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Figure 11. Single-pocket vane schematic [2]

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

Troubleshooting Gas-Liquid Separators Removal of Liquids from the...

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