Design of a Vertical Flash Drum

Abstract

A flash drum is a separating vessel used to partialize the components of a feed mixture entering in it at

specific temperature and pressure conditions. The flash vessel operates on a principle that when the

pressurized stream enters a big volume of flash drum, it separates out into liquid and vapor mixture and

liquid goes to downward section while vapors to the top section of the drum. The main objective of this

design is to understand the flashing process and design of the flash vessel. The purpose of this design is to

study the effects of changing one parameter on the others. A flash drum works on the gravity, liquid

moves download and vapors, due to light weight, moves to the top, if there is an air space inside the

vessel chamber for effective separation. The gas outlet itself is encompassed by a spin mesh screen, or a

grating so any fluid that approaches the outlet strikes the grating, is accelerated, and thrown away from

the outlet. The vapor goes through the gas outlet at a design velocity which limits the entrainment of any

fluid beads in the vapor as it leaves the vessel. The feed to a vapor-fluid separator may likewise be a fluid

that is as a rule incompletely or completely flashed into a vapor and fluid as it enters the separator.
Introduction

A flash drum is a vessel utilized for the detachment of vapor-fluid parts of a blend dependent on their

relative volatilities. This could likewise be alluded to as vapor-fluid separator. A fluid stream containing a

few segments is in part vaporized in a "streak drum" at a specific weight and temperature. This outcome

in two stages: a vapor stage, improved in the more unstable segments, and a fluid stage, advanced in the

less unpredictable segments. Generally, there are two sorts of a vessel in chemical processings: those

significantly without internals and those with internals. The primary kinds are regularly utilized as middle

stockpiling or flood of a procedure stream for a constrained or broadened period, or to give a stage

division by settling. The second classification incorporates the shells of hardware, for example, warm

exchangers, reactors, blenders, fractionators, and other gear whose lodging can be planned and developed

to a great extent freely of whatever internals are fundamental. Separator vessel along these lines basically

implies as a vessel or tank without internals to give a stage detachment. This separator vessel besides can

be ordered into a few classes dependent on their functionality.

Generally, flash drums are classified into:

1. Vertical Flash Drum

It is preferred when there is:

 Small liquid load

 Limited plot space

 Ease of level control is desired

2. Horizontal flash drum

It is preferred when there is:

 Large liquid loads are involved, consequently hold-up will set the size
  Three phases are present

The liquid is heated and pressurized and is then gone through a throttling valve or spout into the flash

drum. Due to the substantial pressure drop, some portion of the liquid vaporizes. The vapor is taken off

overhead, while the fluid channels to the base of the drum, where it is pulled back. The framework is

designated "flash" because of the fact that the vaporization is very quick after the feed enters the drum. In

light of the cozy contact among fluid and vapor, the framework in the flash chamber is near a balance

arrange. The figure demonstrates a schematic illustration of a blaze unit. On the off chance that if the feed

consists of two components, we have a binary flash system.

The designer of a flash system needs to know the pressure and temperature of the flash drum, the size of

the drum and the liquid and vapor compositions and flow rates. Also, he knew that which of these

variables are specified and which need to be chosen depends on the application. In general notation, the

feed is specified, i.e. the flow rate F, composition z, pressure P F and enthalpy hF are known. The other

variables are the vapor flow rate V, vapor composition y, liquid flow rate L, liquid composition x,

temperature T and pressure P in the flash unit and heat input Q. These cannot be chosen freely. To see

how they are related to each other, we write material and energy balances for the system. The boundary of

the system is shown by the dashed, red line in Figure. As stated above, the two phases in the flash drum
are at equilibrium (iso fugacity condition). Therefore, we can write the following equations for the phase

equilibria (we assume the liquid and vapor phase):

f Vi =f iL

i = 1,2 (For binary system)

yP=x PV1 (T )

For i = 1

( 1− y ) P=( 1−x ) PV2 (T )

Furthermore, we have material balances for the whole flash unit, and for one of the components:

F=V + L

Fz=Vy+ Lx

and an energy balance based on the enthalpies (hF, hL, HV) of the various streams:

F h F +Q=L hL +V H V

These equations can either be solved numerically (works; but may be difficult, since several equations are

non-linear) or by an iterative approach. For this, we choose

a trial variable, for example the temperature T. Then the

procedure is as follows:

1. Guess a value for the trial variable

2. Calculate the values for all other variables, e.g. x, y, V,

L using the equations introduced above.

3. Check the energy balance: is equation 5 fulfilled?

4. If not, repeat This problem can also be solved graphically.

The dew point of a mixture is the point (temperature and pressure) at which a vapor will start condensing.

Similarly, the bubble point is the point at which a liquid starts boiling. In other words, the vapor fraction

at the dew point is 1, while it is 0 at the bubble point. To calculate the dew and bubble point, we again

look at the material balances and equilibrium conditions.

Vapor liquid separation factor, which is equal to (F L/Fv) / (pv/pL)½; Using the graph, we notice that the

Vapor Velocity Factor outcome as:

Maximum design vapor velocity is obtained by multiplying the vapor velocity factor with {(p L – pv)/ pL}
0.5
. The value of velocity comes out to be:

Uv = Kv × {(pL – pv)/pL} 0.5

Dividing volumetric flow rate by the vapor velocity, we get the minimum cross-sectional area of the

drum. Hence:

Amin = VL/Uv

From this minimum cross-sectional area, we can calculate the minimum diameter for the vessel. Actual

internal diameter is obtained by adding 6in to this minimum diameter.

For a vertical Flash Drum, the surge time is in the range of 4 to 7 min and that for a horizontal vessel, it

ranges between 7 to 12 min. Flash Drum used in Cativa Process has a surge time of 5 min. So,

multiplying this time with the liquid volumetric flow rate, we get the liquid volume held in the flash

drum. Since the vessel is cylindrical, therefore its volume is equal to

V = 3.145 × (radius)2 × height

Using this relation, we can determine the liquid height in the vessel. Now both H. Silla and Coulson have

suggested the following formula for determining the vapor height in the vessel. This formula is:

Vapor Height = 1.5 × D + 0.4

Now by adding the liquid and vapor heights, we can determine the total internal height of the vessel. The

L/D ratio for the Flash Drum comes out to be a satisfactory value. This ratio determines the type of

vessel. It tells us that whether we should go for a horizontal vessel or a vertical one. If the value of L/D

ratio is between 3 and 5, then a vertical flash drum is used. If its value exceeds 5, then a horizontal vessel

should be employed.
Conclusion

The results are satisfactorily good with the feed F = 2431.229966 lbmol/hr and top vapor product V =

611.1073 lbmol/hr and the liquid bottom product L = 1820.1227 lbmol/hr with the V/F ratio of 0.25. The

results shown that the V/F ratio says about the part of the feed which partialize into vapors and moves

towards the top section of the vessel. When V/F is large, more and more part of feed moves to the top

section while when it is small, more part is present in the bottom product of the vessel. The temperature

and pressure conditions play the key role in separation. If there will be any change in these conditions, it

will disturb the separation process and separation does not occur significantly.

The diameter of the vessel comes out to be 3.70 feet which is approximately 4 feet with the height of

14.83 approximately equal to 15 feet which is a quite long vessel as the feed contains a mixture of

hydrocarbons and their relative volatilities are near to each other so, there will be a separation at every

point along the length of the flash vessel.