Newton laws of motion for your Oil- Gas Separator Optimization

Newton Second Laws:- Total force acts on a body in any

direction is equal to mass times acceleration in that
direction. For downward direction. Fd Fb
Fnet,down = m x adown= (ρlV ) x adown
Fnet,down =Fg –(Fd+Fb)
Gravitational Force (Fg)= ρlgVp When Fnet,down =0
2
Drag force (Fd)= CDAPρLV /2 Terminal Velocity V=
(4𝑔𝐷𝑝)(ρl− ρv) Fg
(3𝐶𝑑)(ρl
)
Buoyance force (Fb)= ρvgVp
When the droplet of liquid travel in the separator, all the forces act on the droplets are as indicated in figure.
Gravitational Force (Fg); The force that pulls droplet down due to its weight.
Fg = ρlg Vp
Drag force (Fd): The force that opposes the motion of the droplet due to the friction between the droplet and the fluid.
Fd= CDAPρLV2/2
Buoyance force (Fb): The force that pushes the droplet up due to displaced fluid.
Fb = ρvg Vp
Vp is volume spherical of droplet;
1
V𝑝 = π𝐷 3 𝑝
6
Where;
AP is Projected area of droplet
1
A𝑝 = π𝐷 2 𝑝
4
CD is Drag Coefficient
V is Gas Velocity
ρl is density of liquid
ρv is density of gas
g is acceleration due to gravity
When a particle falls under the influence of gravity it will accelerate until the frictional drag in the fluid balances the gravitational forces.
At this point it will continue to fall at constant velocity. This is the terminal velocity or free-settling velocity. The general formulae for
particle of any shape are as follows.

When these forces are balanced the droplet will no longer accelerate and will move at a constant velocity. This constant velocity is also
known as terminal velocity.
We know from, Newton Second Laws of motion which state that total force acts on a body in any direction is equal to mass times
acceleration in that direction.
So, we can write in downward direction.
Fnet,down = m x adown
Here, Fnet,down =Fg –(Fd+Fb)
When these forces are balanced the droplet will no longer accelerate and will move at a constant velocity. This constant velocity is also
known as terminal velocity.
Fg = (Fd+Fb)
Or, Fg - Fb = Fd
(ρl- ρv) gVp= CDAPρLV2/2
Solving For Gas Velocity

(𝟒𝒈𝑫𝒑)(𝛒𝐥− 𝛒𝐯)
V= ;……………………………… (1)
(𝟑𝑪𝒅)(𝛒𝐥)

The volumetric flow rate of the gas processed by a gas–oil separator is directly related to the cross-sectional area of flow and the maximum
allowable gas velocity at which the oil droplets will be suspended and not carried over. Mathematically,
Qg = AgV ; Ag is the available area for gas to flow
Here, one need to note that above equation is volumetric flow rate Qg under actual separator pressure and temperature. However, the
volumetric flow rate of gas is normally reported at standard pressure and temperature condition. So, conversion from standard condition to
Volumetric flow is required to apply above equation.

So, Ag = (π/4)D2min (Fg)=Qg / V ………………………..(2)

Once the maximum, VGmax, gas velocity through the vessel is determined by Equation 1, one can calculate the required minimum cross-
sectional area of vessel for gas flow by the following equation.

(𝟒𝑸𝒈)
Solving above equation We get Dmin= ……………..(3)
(𝛑𝐕𝐅𝒈)

Where:

Fg = Fraction of cross-sectional area available for gas flow (FG = 1 for vertical separators and it is a function of liquid height for horizontal
separators)

Qg = Gas flow rate at the actual flowing condition

The drag coefficient, Cd, is a function of Reynolds number, Re=(DPVρG)/µG.

Author Function Range of Applicability

Perry & Chilton Cd =24/Re Re<0.3
Cd =24/Re0.6 0.3 <Re<1000
Cd =0.44 Re>1000

Substitution of Cd from above table into Equation 1 gives liquid droplet terminal velocity, V, in the gas phase.
Putting the value of V in equation 3 we get minimum diameter (of the separator for a droplet to settle down the separator.