An eulerian-eulerian approach for oil&gas separator design conference Paper

OIL and GAS SEPARATORS 
Gas/liquid separators are process equipment used for the bulk gravity-based separation of gas, oil 
and water from a multiphase flow stream. Even though the major components are oil, water and gas, 
it is often present a small amount of solid particles; however, the term three-phase separator 
remains. The goal of a well-designed separator or group of separators is to provide an almost pure 
stream of three main components of the inlet mixture. The effectiveness of this process is of 
tremendous importance in the field treatment plant for the following reasons: 

Liquid in gas carryover can damage compressors downstream and waste valuable products; 

Oil in water carry under can overload water treatment plant and water in oil carry under can 
overload oil treatment plant; 

Gas transported in liquids can damage pumping equipment downstream and create 
hazardous conditions upon gas release; 

Solids accumulated in liquids can impair emulsion separation downstream and create 
accumulations in electrostatic components; 
Oil& Gas industry uses a great variety of separators that are often divided in the following four broad 
categories [1]: 
1. 
Conventional separators:
conventional gas-liquids separators are usually characterized as 
vertical, horizontal or spherical. Horizontal separators can be single or double barrel and can 
be equipped with sumps or boots. They may be further classified as two or three-phase, 
whereas vertical separators handles a two-phase mixture. Regardless of shape, separation 
vessels usually contain four major sections plus the necessary controls: inlet device, gas 
gravity separation, liquid-gravity separation and mist extraction. 
2. 
Centrifugal gas-liquid separators: 
centrifugal separators utilize centrifugal action for the 
separation of materials of different densities and phases. They are built in stationary and 
rotary types. Various modifications units are used more than any other kind. Centrifugal 
separators are generally divided into three types: stationary vane separators, cyclone 
separators, inertial centrifugal separators. 
3.