Petroleum Refinery

Engineering

Chapter 2 Separation
principles

Prepared by: Mr Ali Abbas

1 Petroleum Refinery Engineering Mr. Ali Abbas

 Separation processes

Generally, separation processes may be classified as either mechanical-

physical separation processes or mass transfer operations.

• Mechanical-physical separation processes (do not require a mass

transfer gradient for the separation)

• Mass transfer operations (based on diffusion and require a mass

transfer gradient for the separation.

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 Separation processes

Examples of mechanical-physical separation processes are:

• Size separation.
• Filtration
• Some and not all membrane separation processes
• Sedimentation (Thickening and clarification)
• Floatation
• Centrifugation

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 Separation processes

Examples of mass transfer operations are:

• Distillation
• Drying
• Liquid-liquid extraction
• Gas absorption
• Membrane separation (Not all membrane separation
processes)
• Adsorption

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 Mechanical-physical separation processes

• Separators
A separator is a vessel in which a mixture of fluids that are not
soluble in each other are separated from one another. In the oil field
separators are used to separate gas from liquid. They are also used to
separate two liquids, such as condensate and water or crude oil and
water. There are more separators in oil and gas process facilities than
any other type of process equipment. Sometimes they are called
scrubbers, accumulators, flash tanks etc. All these vessels have the
same function. They separate two or more fluids; usually gas and
liquid. They all operate in the same way

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 Separators

Separators are classified in two ways:

• The position of the vessel.
• The number of fluids to be separated. (phases) Separators can be
used in the horizontal position or in the vertical position.
The two types of separators most commonly used are:
• Two phase horizontal separator.
• Three phase horizontal separator.

The number of phases tells you the number of separate streams that
leave a separator and not the number of phases that are in the inlet
stream.

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 FACTORS THAT CAUSE SEPARATION

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Separators

The normal separator must have certain characteristics which are

essential in field operations and plant processes. These are as follows:
• The separator must be strong enough to withstand operating
pressures.

• The separator must have a space where the heavier components can
be collected. It must also have an easy way to drain them.
• It must have outlets on the top for the gas and vapors and outlets for
relief valves. It must also have manholes for inspections and for
cleaning out the bottom of the vessel.

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 Separators

• It must be fitted with a controlling system on the inlet or outlet line.

These controls regulate the working pressure on the separator and
control the plant gas intake. There is also an automatic shut off valve
upstream of this control valve to shut off the gas inlet in case of
emergency.

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 THREE PHASE HORIZONTAL SEPARATOR

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 SCRUBBERS

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 Mass transfer operations

• The separation is based on differences of certain physical properties

of the constituents such as the boiling and melting points, adsorption
affinities on a certain solid, and diffusion through certain membranes

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 DISTILLATION

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 ABSORPTION PROCESS

• This process selectively removes a certain gas from a gas mixture

using a liquid absorbent. In the refining industry, this process is used
extensively to free the product gas streams from acid gases (mainly
H2S) either by using a physical or a chemical absorbent.

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 ADSORPTION PROCESS

• Adsorption processes use a solid material (adsorbent) possessing a

large surface area and the ability to selectively adsorb a gas or a
liquid on its surface. Examples of adsorbents are silica (SiO2),
anhydrous alumina (Al2O3), and molecular sieves (crystalline
silica/alumina).
• Adsorption processes may be used to remove acid gases from natural
gas and gas streams. For example, molecular sieves are used to
dehydrate natural gas and to reduce its acid gases. Adsorption
processes are also used to separate liquid mixtures. For example,
adsorption of n- paraffins from a lowoctane naphtha fraction.

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SOLVENT EXTRACTION

• Liquid solvents are used to extract either desirable or undesirable

compounds from a liquid mixture. Solvent extraction processes use a
liquid solvent that has a high solvolytic power for certain compounds
in the feed mixture. For example, ethylene glycol has a greater
affinity for aromatic hydrocarbons and extracts them preferentially
from a reformate mixture.

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 SOLVENT EXTRACTION

• Propane deasphalting removes asphaltic materials from heavy lube

oil base stocks. These materials reduce the viscosity index of lube
oils. In this process, liquid propane dissolves mainly paraffinic
hydrocarbons and leaves out asphaltic materials. Higher extraction
temperatures favor better separation of the asphaltic components.

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