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EJECTORS
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Changes shown by ➧

CONTENTS
Section Page

SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................................3

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................................3

DEFINITIONS ..................................................................................................................................................3

BACKGROUND...............................................................................................................................................3
WHAT IS AN EJECTOR?........................................................................................................................3
OPERATING PRINCIPLE .......................................................................................................................4
CLASSIFICATION ...................................................................................................................................4
APPLICATIONS ......................................................................................................................................5
MOTIVE FLUIDS .....................................................................................................................................5
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS..................................................................................................5
MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND SUCTION TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ....................................................6
OTHER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS ....................................................................................6

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ..........................................................................................................................7

MULTIPLICITY, SPARING, AND EVACUATION ....................................................................................7
STAGE CALCULATIONS ........................................................................................................................7
INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR SPECIFICATION...............................................................................9
EXAMPLE CALCULATIONS .................................................................................................................10
Example 1 - Single-Stage Steam Jet Ejector......................................................................................10
Example 2 - Two-Stage Steam Jet Ejector, Inter-Condenser .............................................................11

NOMENCLATURE.........................................................................................................................................13

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CONTENTS (Cont)
Section Page

TABLES
Table 1A Ejector and Condenser Calculation Form (Customary Units) ......................................14
Table 1B Ejector and Condenser Calculation Form (Metric Units) ..............................................16
Table 2 Ejector Data Sheet Exxon Research and Engineering Company ...............................18
Table 3 Determining Inlet Temperature and Pressure for use in Capacity Calculation.............19
Table 4A Vapor Pressure of Water (Customary Units)................................................................20
Table 4B Vapor Pressure of Water (Metric Units) .......................................................................20

FIGURES
Figure 1 Pressure and Velocity Variations within a Steam Jet Ejector Handling Gas
(Critical Flow)...............................................................................................................21
Figure 2 Range of Attainable Efficiencies for Steam Jet Air Ejectors.........................................22
Figure 3 Critical Flow Ejector Performance................................................................................23
Figure 4 Sub-Critical Flow Ejector Performance ........................................................................23
Figure 5 Ejector Performance Effect of Changing Molecular Weight .........................................24
Figure 6 Ejector Performance Effect of Changing Inlet Temperature.........................................24
Figure 7 Molecular Weight Entrainment Ratio ...........................................................................25
Figure 8A Temperature Entrainment Ratio (Customary Units).....................................................26
Figure 8B Temperature Entrainment Ratio (Metric Units) ............................................................26
Figure 9 Nomograph to Determine the Ratio of Motive Steam to Saturated Water Vapor, R3 ...27
Figure 10A Maximum Air Leakage Values for Commercially Tight Systems (Customary) .............28
Figure 10B Maximum Air Leakage Values for Commercially Tight Systems (Metric).....................29

Revision Memo
12/01 Page 4 ( Advantages/Disadvantages Table) Added Advantage of no separator
needed for eliminating droplets in suction
Page 7 Added freezing moisture and jacketing considerations.

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EJECTORS
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SCOPE
This section presents background information on ejectors and procedures for calculating utility requirements of ejector systems.
Since most plant systems use steam as the ejector motive fluid, steam jet ejectors are covered in greater detail.

REFERENCES
Lines, J. R. and Smith, R. T., Refinery Process Equipment Troubleshooting: Ejector Systems, Graham Manufacturing Co.,
1996.
Matthews, John, Low-Pressure-Steam Ejectors, Chemical Engineering, June 22, 1987.
Newman, Eugene F., How to Specify Steam-Jet Ejectors, Chemical Engineering, April 10, 1967.
Power, Robert B., Steam Jet Ejectors for the Process Industries, McGraw Hill, Inc., New York, 1994.
Standards for Steam Jet Vacuum Systems, Fourth Edition, Heat Exchange Institute, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, 1988.

DEFINITIONS
Booster - A term for ejectors applied for the high volume, low pressure stages of a multi-stage system up to the pressure level
where condensers are effective with available cooling medium.
Capacity - The vapor-handling capability of an ejector system or ejector stage in mass flow units, typically pounds per hour
(kilograms per hour) of dry air equivalent (DAE) at the design suction pressure.
Compression Ratio (or Pressure Ratio) - The ratio of the absolute pressure at the ejector discharge, P2, to the absolute
pressure at the ejector suction, P1.
Critical (Critical Flow, Critical Stage) - A condition in which sonic or supersonic velocities exist in the ejector, identified by gas
expansion and compression ratios which exceed about 2:1.
Entrainment Ratios - The molecular weight entrainment ratio is the ratio of the mass flow rate of gas entrained to mass flow
rate of air which would be entrained by the same ejector operating under the same conditions. The temperature entrainment
ratio is the ratio of the mass flow rate of air or steam at 70ºF (21ºC) to the mass flow rate of air or steam at a higher
temperature that would be entrained by the same ejector operating under the same conditions.
Expansion Ratio - The ratio of the motive fluid inlet pressure, Pm to the entrained fluid inlet pressure P1.
Dry Equivalent Air (DAE) - The flow in lb/hr (kg/hr) of dry air at 70ºF (21ºC) which will produce the same suction pressure as
the load mixture for which an ejector stage was designed. Heat Exchange Institute (HEI) standard correction factors for
temperature and molecular weight are used to convert gas and vapor load mixtures to equivalent air loads.
MDP (Maximum Discharge Pressure) - In critical ejector stages only, the stage discharge pressure below which the ejector is
always stable, operating on its basic performance curve. This limiting pressure varies with both the motive steam pressure and
the load.

BACKGROUND
WHAT IS AN EJECTOR?
Ejectors are devices for raising the pressure of liquids or vapors which operate by entrainment of a pumped fluid into a high
velocity jet of a higher pressure motive fluid stream. See Figure 1 for a cross section view of an ejector. Ejectors have no
moving parts, but are much less efficient than mechanical pumps and compressors and therefore are only applied where there
are large quantities of motive steam or compressed gas available at low cost. Because they can handle the large volume flow
rates at the low pressures required, they are commonly used on vacuum distillation towers and surface type steam condensers.
They compress vapors which are not condensible at available cooling water temperatures to pressures at which they can be
condensed or vented from the vacuum system. The following table summarizes some advantages and disadvantages of
ejectors:

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BACKGROUND (Cont)

SUMMARY OF EJECTOR ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

➧ ADVANTAGES
• Ejectors produce vacuum with no moving parts, no vibration, no
high cost electricity, no bearing or seal problems, low noise
level and minimum maintenance repair and operating attention.
• They are explosion-proof, can be installed indoors or outdoors,
have versatile mounting, long life and are easily cleaned.
• Low equipment cost.
• Low installation costs.
• Higher reliability in severe services (relative to compressors).
• Damage is easily repaired, and at relatively low cost.
• No sealing chamber or stuffing box sealing required.
• Requires no separator for eliminating droplets in suction flow.
DISADVANTAGES
• Very low efficiency (1 to 20%) when compared to mechanical
compressors.
• Running an ejector at motive steam pressure above design does
not increase suction capacity; it just uses more steam. In fact,
at motive steam pressures more than about 25% above design,
capacity will actually start to decline due to "choking" in the
venturi.
• Ejectors are very sensitive to lower-than-design motive steam
pressure. At pressures slightly below design, they simply do not
operate properly. Significant reductions in both suction capacity
and compression ratios may be expected.
• Ejectors do not work efficiently on wet steam. They also fail
faster, since wet steam erodes the steam nozzle and venturi.
Water droplets moving at near sonic velocity can do substantial
damage in a short time.

OPERATING PRINCIPLE
The principle governing ejector operation is that a high speed (reduced static pressure) fluid jet can entrain another fluid that is
in contact with it, mixing the two fluids together. An ejector stage accomplishes this with three parts: a nozzle, a suction
chamber, and a diffuser. Figure 1 illustrates the relative pressures and velocities in a steam jet gas ejector. The steam nozzle
allows expansion of the motive steam to a high velocity. This high speed jet, in contact with the gas to be compressed which
enters the suction chamber, entrains the gas forming a mixture with high velocity and at the entrained fluid inlet pressure, P1.
Compression of the mixture to discharge pressure, P2, takes place as the velocity energy is converted into pressure as the
mixture decelerates through the diffuser.

CLASSIFICATION
Service Classification - Services to which ejectors are applied may be classified in the following ways:
• Continuous or Intermittent Operation - Most process and machinery auxiliaries are continuous; startup evacuation is
intermittent.
• Motive Fluid Employed - Steam, process gas, air, liquid.
• Entrained (Process) Fluid - Liquid or vapor.
• Condensing or Non-Condensing - Continuous services almost always have condensers in the ejector system;
intermittent services normally do not.
• Inlet Pressure Below or Above Atmospheric Pressure - Most ejectors are applied in vacuum service. See Section
XI-B, Compressor Type Selection, Figure 13 for application range of ejectors in vacuum service.
• Single Stage or Multistage - Choice depends on pressure ratio requirement.
Ejector Type Classification - Ejector unit designs may be classified in the following ways:
• Motive Fluid - Liquid or vapor.
• Entrained (Process) Fluid - Liquid or vapor.
• Critical Flow or Subcritical Flow through the diffuser throat.

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BACKGROUND (Cont)

APPLICATIONS
The table below arranges ejectors applications by motive fluid and load (suction) material.

LOAD MATERIALS
MOTIVE FLUIDS
VAPOR (STEAM,
AIR, OTHER GAS) LIQUID SOLIDS
Vapor (Steam, Air, Refrigeration, stripping, Pump, heater, Conveyor
Other Gas) drying, compressor, "Btu injector, sampling,
controller," vacuum mixing
Liquid Vacuum, condenser, Pump, mixing Conveyor, mixing
pump priming

The "vapor-vapor" ejector is the only type widely applied in refineries. The other types (vapor-liquid, liquid-liquid, and liquid-
solid, etc.) are occasionally used for utility and special process purposes.

MOTIVE FLUIDS
Steam - Steam is the most common motive fluid used in process plant services. It has relatively low economic value, is readily
available, easily recoverable by condensers, and compatible with most fluids to be compressed. Because of its condensibility,
multistage continuous service applications usually have inter-condensers to remove motive steam (and any other condensible)
between stages and thus reduce the load to subsequent stages. Clean dry steam is necessary for proper performance. More
than 2 to 3% moisture in the inlet steam will reduce capacity and erode the nozzle excessively. Superheat insures dryness, but
the energy of superheat is not converted to additional ejector capacity. The amount of superheat is critical for proper ejector
design, since it influences the steam nozzle and throat design. An ejector designed for saturated steam will lose capacity if the
steam is superheated, because the decrease in steam density reduces the mass that can flow through the fixed nozzle for
given pressure conditions. Likewise, if less superheat than designed for is supplied, capacity will increase (5 to 10% maximum)
until the diffuser throat becomes choked, reducing entrained gas flow rate.
Other Motive Fluids - Natural and refinery gases are occasionally used as ejector motive fluids when the mixture of motive
and entrained gas is needed at an intermediate pressure level. For example, natural gas at high pressure can be used to
compress tail gas or manufactured gas to an intermediate pressure level suitable for refinery fuel or public utility system
distribution.
Compressed air is used as the motive fluid in portable utility ejectors, for general evacuation, and for pumping services, but is
seldom applied in process services. Atmospheric air is used as the motive fluid in special single-stage ejectors which
discharge into the inlet of a liquid ring vacuum pump. This allows operation at lower inlet pressures than are attainable with the
liquid ring compressor alone with the available cooling water temperature. Water and other liquids can also be used to power
vapor ejectors but at very low efficiency and for very low vapor flow rates.

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
There is a distinct difference between the performance characteristics of critical flow ejectors and sub-critical flow ejectors.
Ejectors designed for pressure ratios greater than about 2 will have critical flow (sonic velocity) through the diffuser throat (see
Figure 1). For lower pressure ratios, subcritical (subsonic) flow occurs through the diffuser throat, allowing a wider range of
capacity control. Critical flow ejectors are used in the vast majority of vacuum services to minimize the number of stages.
Rated pressure ratios are usually kept between 6 and 10 for best efficiency, but can be as high as 20 for intermittent services
with very low flow. Subcritical flow ejectors are normally applied with inlet pressures above 15 in. Hg abs (380 mm Hg abs),
and are virtually always single stage. Figure 2 illustrates the effect of pressure ratio on efficiency.
Figures 3 and 4 shows the typical performance curves for critical flow and sub-critical flow ejectors, respectively. In both
cases, the capacity increases with increasing suction pressure. The discharge pressure behavior, however, is different for the
two cases. For critical flow ejectors, the discharge pressure line rises progressively from zero flow (shut-off) to maximum flow
and represents the maximum discharge pressure (MDP). Increasing the discharge pressure above the MDP causes a loss of
performance. It may seem that a discharge pressure lower than MDP with a fixed inlet pressure should cause an increase in
performance, but this is not the case for critical flow ejectors.

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BACKGROUND (Cont)
For subcritical flow ejectors, there are several methods of representing the ejector performance. The most common method is
to present a single suction fluid curve for set discharge and motive fluid pressures, which do not vary with capacity. One
variation is to present several suction performance curves at various motive fluid pressures, or at various discharge pressures.
The following table summarizes the effects of varying motive steam flow (via supply pressure change), inlet and discharge
pressures and inlet flow rate for both types of vapor-vapor ejectors.

EFFECTS OF EJECTOR PRESSURE PERFORMANCE FOR CHANGES IN VARIOUS PARAMETERS

EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE
CHANGE
CRITICAL FLOW TYPE SUBCRITICAL FLOW TYPE
Increased Steam Flow Increases maximum discharge Reduces inlet pressure. Increases
(5 to 10% maximum) pressure; practically no other change. compression ratio. Alternatively, can
operate at constant compression ratio
and increased capacity.
Increased Intake Pressure Reduces compression ratio; increases Reduces compression ratio; increases
capacity. capacity.
Increased Discharge Pressure No change (until reaches breaking Entire Family of curves moves with the
pressure). discharge. Compression ratio remains
practically constant.
Increased Capacity Reduces compression ratio; increases Reduces compression ratio; increases
inlet pressure. inlet pressure.

MOLECULAR WEIGHT AND SUCTION TEMPERATURE EFFECTS

Figure 5 shows the effects that changing molecular weight has on the performance of critical flow ejectors. For the same
discharge pressure and capacity, the suction pressure will increase with decreasing mol weight. Or for the same suction and
discharge pressures, the capacity will increase with increasing mol weight. Another effect is the shape of the curve. The
curves become steeper with lower mol weights, limiting the capacity range. For example, if an ejector designed to compress air
is used to compress helium, the maximum capacity with helium may only be one third of the maximum capacity possible with
air. The range of suction pressures in both cases may remain the same.
Figure 6 shows the effects that changing inlet gas temperature has on ejector performance. As the temperature decreases,
the capacity increases. Or for the same discharge pressure and capacity, the suction pressure will increase with increasing
suction temperature. The correlation is not very strong in that large changes in temperature produce small changes in suction
pressure and capacity. For example, a 60% increase in suction temperature may only produce a 1% increase in suction
pressure and a 10% decrease in capacity.
The curves in Figures 5 and 6 are representations of the actual effects, but are not based on any correlations. They are given
to aid in understanding the principles, but should not be used to estimate ejector performance.

OTHER PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

As the motive fluid pressure to an ejector is decreased (or discharge pressure is increased), a pressure level is reached at
which flow becomes unstable. This level is termed the "breaking point." As the motive fluid pressure is increased again toward
rated (or as discharge pressure is reduced), stable flow is restored at a somewhat higher pressure level called the "pickup
point". For example, an ejector designed to operate at 150 psig (10.3 barg) motive steam may become unstable if the steam
pressure falls to 130 psig (barg). The breaking point or break pressure is then 130 psig (barg). If the steam pressure needs to
be raised to 160 psig (11 barg) to regain stability, that pressure is called the recovery or pickup pressure. Once the ejector has
recovered, the motive fluid pressure can be reduced to the normal pressure. The breaking and pickup points are unique
characteristics of each ejector and must be placed outside the specified operating range by the ejector vendor's design. For
this reason, the values specified in the ejector service design for minimum motive stream pressure (and maximum superheat),
and maximum discharge pressure are very significant.

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BACKGROUND (Cont)
To avoid instability in multi-stage ejector systems, the minimum inlet pressure to a stage must be below the maximum
discharge pressure of the previous stage. Since the maximum discharge pressure can be increased by the increasing motive
steam pressure (flow), a somewhat wider stable operating flow range can be obtained by raising the motive steam pressure
above its normal level. However, the beneficial motive steam flow increase for this purpose is limited to 5 to 10%, since further
increases will choke the diffuser throat, reducing the entrained gas flow rate.
➧ Expansion of motive stream through the ejector nozzle is almost isentropic; as a result, temperature of the stream exiting from
the nozzle is usually quite low. Where the suction pressure of an ejector falls below 0.16 to 0.2 in Hg abs (4 to 5 mm Hg abs)
this temperature is sufficient below 32 ºF (0 ºC) to freeze moisture in the suction gas and part of motive stream, thus forming an
irregular cone of ice between the nozzle and diffuser. This obstruction will affect ejector stability between 5 mm pressure and
shutoff (no load). If the nozzle tip and inlet diffuser section are heated to prevent ice from building up satisfactory operation at
all pressures can be obtained. The usual way to do this is to steam jacket nozzle and diffuser.
Ejectors are normally designed for a stable operating range of 0 to 100% of design load for refinery services. However, to
ensure this degree of operating flexibility, this requirement must be included in the Design Specification.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
MULTIPLICITY, SPARING, AND EVACUATION
Vacuum pipestill designs usually include three installed 50% sized ejectors (two-stage condensing), one as 50% spare. In
some instances two 100% ejectors are used to reduce piping and valve costs. The inter- and after-condensers (one each,
unspared) are sized to handle the load of all three ejectors operating simultaneously.
On other services, evacuation time may dictate the sparing selection. To estimate time required for an ejector to evacuate a
system from atmospheric pressure down to the design pressure, assume that the average air-handling capacity during the
evacuation period is twice the design air-handling capacity. Assume also that air leakage into the system during evacuation is
negligible. The approximate evacuation time is given by:
V
Te = k Eq. (1)
Wa

where: Te = The time to evacuate a system from atmospheric pressure to the design suction
= pressure of an ejector, min
k = A conversion constant = 2.3 for Customary units (= 37 for Metric)
V = The system volume vapor space, ft3 (m3)
Wa = The ejector design air capacity, lb/hr (kg/hr)
If this approximate evacuation period is too long for a practical startup operation, it may be shortened by increasing the design
flow rate of the last stage of the ejector, or by adding a non-condensing ejection "hogger" in parallel with the primary ejector.
One non-condensing ejector may be used as an evacuator and emergency spare for serving several adjoining systems. The
desired evacuation performance is specified by indicating the system volume, the desired evacuation time, and the absolute
pressure to which the system must be evacuated.

STAGE CALCULATIONS
General - Stage calculations (see Table 1) are performed to determine the utility requirements of ejectors and condensers.
Because most refinery applications use steam as the motive fluid, the examples that follow will do the same. Methods are
presented for calculating the steam load requirement of ejectors, and the cooling water requirement of condensers. For
simplicity, all hydrocarbons or other vapors are considered non-condensibles. If condensibles are present, these simple
techniques will not apply. In order to perform the calculations, you must know the following:
• Motive Steam - Pressure.
• Suction Fluid - Inlet temperature, inlet and discharge pressures, gas composition and/or molecular weight, mass flow rate.
If suction pressures and temperatures are unknown, consult Table 3. These temperatures are estimates that must be
confirmed in the final design.
• Cooling Water - Temperature and maximum temperature rise.

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS (Cont)

Ejector Calculation - Knowing the characteristics of the motive steam and suction fluid, the steam load requirement can be
calculated by the following three steps:
1. Separate the suction fluid into two major components: (1) Steam, and (2) Air and other Non-Condensibles. If air is present
and it is saturated with water, the amount of water vapor is determined from the following:

Pv,H2O Wa x 18
W wv = x Eq. (2)
P1 − Pv,H2O MWa

where: W wv = The mass flow rate of water vapor in lb/hr (kg/hr)

Pv,H2O = The vapor pressure of water at inlet temperature in in. Hg (mm Hg), Table 4
P1 = The total inlet pressure in in. Hg (mm Hg)
Wa = The mass flow rate of air and other non-condensibles in lb/hr (kg/hr)
MW a = The average molecular weight of air and other non-condensibles
2. Determine the Dry Air Equivalent (DAE) flow rate of the suction fluid. The DAE is determined from the following equation:
W
WDAE = Eq. (3)
R mw R T

where: WDAE = The Dry Air Equivalent mass flow rate in lb/hr (kg/hr)
W = The mass flow rate in lb/hr (kg/hr) of suction fluid
Rmw = The molecular weight entrainment ratio see Figure 7
RT = The temperature entrainment ratio from Figure 8
When calculating the total DAE, the two major components are considered separately. The "Air" curve on Figure 8 is used
to determine the Rmw for gases other than air and water. Therefore, the total DAE is given by:
WDAE, tot = WDAE,st + WDAE,a Eq. (4)

where: WDAE,tot = The total Dry Air Equivalent mass flow rate in lb/hr (kg/hr)
WDAE,st = The steam or water vapor Dry Air Equivalent mass flow rate in lb/hr (kg/hr)
WDAE.a = The air and other non-condensible hydrocarbon Dry Air Equivalent mass flow rate
in lb/hr (kg/hr)
3. Calculate the motive steam load.
Mass flow of steam required is determined from the following equation:
Wm = WDAE, tot x R 3 x R mw x R T Eq. (5)

where: Wm = The mass flow rate of motive steam, lb/hr (kg/hr)

WDAE,tot = The dry air equivalent of suction fluid from Eq. (4), lb/hr (kg/hr)
R3 = The ratio of steam flow to saturated water vapor flow, Figure 9
Rmw = The molecular weight entrainment ratio of Steam = 0.81
RT = The temperature entrainment ratio from Figure 8
Typically, a 10% margin of safety is added to the calculation for motive steam load.
Multi-Stage Ejector Calculations - If the compression ratio of an ejector stage exceeds 10, it is more efficient to use a
multistage ejector with an inter-condenser. Calculations for each stage of a multi-stage ejector are done in the same manner
as single-stage ejectors. In addition, the following will be necessary to complete the analysis:
• Interstage Conditions - To find interstage pressures, take the square root of the overall compression ratio. Use 1.2 times
this number for the compression ratio of Stage 1. Use Table 3 to determine Stage 2 inlet pressure and temperature.
• Interstage Flow - If no inter-condenser is present, use Table 3 to determine the Stage 2 inlet temperature and recalculate
the W DAE,tot using Eq. (4). Remember to include the motive steam load in the equation. If an inter-condenser is present,
use Table 3 to determine the Stage 2 inlet temperature and Eq. (2) to determine water vapor load. Use this water vapor
load in Eq. (4) to recalculate W DAE,tot. Assume that the condenser removes all other water vapor.

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS (Cont)

Condenser Calculations - Once the total motive steam load is known, the cooling water requirement can be calculated from
the following equation:
hlg
Qcw = Wst Eq. (6)
k c ⋅ Cp (T2 − T1)

where: Qcw = The cooling water requirement at condenser inlet temperature, gpm (m3/hr)
Wst = The total steam load, lb/hr (kg/hr)
hlg = The heat (or enthalpy) of vaporization of steam. For approximation use 950 Btu/lb
(2210 kJ/kg)
Kc = The conversion from mass to volume flow = 495 lb/hr/gpm (988 kg/m3)
Cp = The specific heat of the cooling water. For approximation use 1.0 Btu/lb-R
(4.18 kJ/kg-K)
T1 and T2 = Inlet and outlet cooling water temperatures. 30ºF (17ºC) is a typical temperature
rise.
If the steam is superheated, more cooling water will be required.

INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR SPECIFICATION

Table 2 shows a typical ejector data sheet. The information required to specify ejectors is given below.
• Number of units required for normal operation and spares, if any.
• Entrained fluid inlet temperature; give range.
• Capacity: lb/hr (kg/hr) of each constituent identified by name and molecular weight (give average M for hydrocarbon
mixture). Note if component is condensible or not with plant cooling water. Include physical properties and corrosiveness
of uncommon gases. Specify stable operating range required.
• Inlet pressure: in. Hg (mm Hg) absolute to avoid interpretation error.
• Maximum Discharge Pressure psia [bar (a)] and Temperature limit, if any. Specify where these conditions are, e.g., at
after-condenser outlet.
• Maximum cooling water supply temperature and maximum acceptable temperature rise.
• Steam Conditions: minimum expected pressure and temperature at ejector flange, as well as boiler or main line pressure
and temperature (maximum). Specify range of superheat, if any.
• Type and number of condenser required: specify design features desired, including either barometric leg or condensate
pump and their discharge conditions.
• Materials of Construction: Specify if manufacturer's standard materials are acceptable or list acceptable alternatives.
• Secondary or future requirements, if any, i.e., evacuation duty or foreseeable future requirements.
• Installation requirements, if any (mounting location, orientation, etc.).
• Accessories: Y-type strainer in supply line, silencer (specify that noise level must meet International Practices), etc.

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TABLE 4A
VAPOR PRESSURE OF WATER (CUSTOMARY UNITS)

PRESSURE OF SATURATED WATER VAPOR IN in. OF Hg FROM 4ºF TO 212ºF

TEMP ºF 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0

0 – – 0.0580 0.0597 0.0653
10 0.0712 0.0773 0.0846 0.0920 0.1008
20 0.1100 0.1197 0.1303 0.1412 0.1532
30 0.1662 0.1803 0.1955 0.2118 0.2292
40 0.2478 0.2677 0.2891 0.3120 0.3364
50 0.3626 0.3906 0.4203 0.4520 0.4858
60 0.5218 0.5601 0.6009 0.6442 0.6903
70 0.7392 0.7912 0.8462 0.9046 0.9666
80 1.0321 1.1016 1.1750 1.2527 1.3347
90 1.4215 1.5131 1.6097 1.7117 1.8192
100 1.9325 2.0519 2.1775 2.3099 2.4491
110 2.5955 2.7494 2.9111 3.0806 3.2589
120 3.4458 3.6420 3.8475 4.0629 4.2887
130 4.5251 4.7725 5.0314 5.3022 5.5852
140 5.8812 6.1903 6.5132 6.850 7.202
150 7.569 7.952 8.351 8.767 9.200
160 9.652 10.122 10.611 11.120 11.649
170 12.199 12.772 13.366 13.983 14.625
180 15.291 15.982 16.699 17.443 18.214
190 19.014 19.843 20.703 21.593 22.515
200 23.467 24.455 25.475 26.531 27.625
210 28.755 29.922

TABLE 4B
VAPOR PRESSURE OF WATER (METRIC UNITS)

PRESSURE OF SATURATED WATER VAPOR IN mm Hg FROM 0°°C TO 109°°C

TEMP ºC 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0
0.0 4.6 4.9 5.3 5.7 6.1 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.6
10.0 9.2 9.9 10.5 11.2 12.0 12.8 13.6 14.5 15.5 16.5
20.0 17.6 18.7 19.9 21.1 22.4 23.8 25.2 26.8 28.4 30.1
30.0 31.9 33.8 35.7 37.8 40.0 42.2 44.6 47.2 49.8 52.5
40.0 55.4 58.4 61.6 64.9 68.4 72.0 75.8 79.8 83.9 88.2
50.0 92.7 97.4 102.3 107.4 112.7 118.2 124.0 130.0 136.3 142.8
60.0 149.6 156.7 164.0 171.7 179.5 187.8 196.3 205.3 214.5 224.0
70.0 234.0 244.3 254.9 266.0 277.5 289.4 301.7 314.4 327.6 341.3
80.0 355.5 370.1 385.3 400.9 417.1 433.8 451.0 468.9 487.4 506.4
90.0 526.1 546.3 567.3 588.9 611.2 634.1 657.8 682.3 707.4 733.4
100.0 760.0 787.8 816.3 844.8 875.5 906.3 937.8 970.8 1004.6 1039.1

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XI-J 21 of 29
EJECTORS
DESIGN PRACTICES December, 2001

FIGURE 1
PRESSURE AND VELOCITY VARIATIONS WITHIN A STEAM JET
EJECTOR HANDLING GAS (CRITICAL FLOW)

Steam Suction Supersonic Subsonic

Nozzle Chamber Diffuser Throat Diffuser

Steam Steam and Gas

Discharge

Gas to be Compressed

Operating Steam Pressure

Pressure

Steam and Gas Discharge

Entering Gas Pressure

Velocity

MACH 1

Steam Only
Gas Only
DP11JF01
Steam and Gas Mixture

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XI-J 22 of 29
EJECTORS
December, 2001 DESIGN PRACTICES

FIGURE 2
RANGE OF ATTAINABLE EFFICIENCIES FOR STEAM JET AIR EJECTORS

25

20

15
Efficiency, %

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Pressure Ratio DP11JF02

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EJECTORS
DESIGN PRACTICES December, 2001

FIGURE 3
CRITICAL FLOW EJECTOR PERFORMANCE

140 220
Maximum Discharge Pressure

Discharge Pressure (% Design Suction Pressure)

130 210
Suction Pressure (% Design)

120 200

110
190

100
180
90
170
80
Suction Pressure
160
70

60 150
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

% Design Capacity DP11JF03

FIGURE 4
SUB-CRITICAL FLOW EJECTOR PERFORMANCE

Discharge Pressure: 150% Design; Motive Steam Pressure: 130 psig (10 bara)
140

130
Suction Pressure (% Design)

120

110

100

90

80

70

60
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

% Design Capacity DP11JF04

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XI-J 24 of 29
EJECTORS
December, 2001 DESIGN PRACTICES

FIGURE 5
EJECTOR PERFORMANCE
EFFECT OF CHANGING MOLECULAR WEIGHT

Constant Discharge and Motive Fluid Pressures

150
M=4
140 M = 16
M = 29 M = 40 M = 58
130
Suction Pressure (% Design)

120

110

100

90

80

70

60
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

% Design Capacity DP11JF05

FIGURE 6
EJECTOR PERFORMANCE
EFFECT OF CHANGING INLET TEMPERATURE

Constant Discharge and Motive Fluid Pressures

140

130

120
% Design Suction Pressure

110

100

90
0.5 x Design Temp
80
Design Inlet Temp
70
2 x Design Temp
60

50
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

% Design Capacity DP11JF06

Note: These curves are representative of the actual effects, but should not be used to predict ejector performance.

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XI-J 25 of 29
EJECTORS
DESIGN PRACTICES December, 2001

FIGURE 7
MOLECULAR WEIGHT ENTRAINMENT RATIO

2.00 2.00
1.90 1.90
1.80 1.80
1.70 1.70
1.60 1.60
Molecular Weight Entrainment Ratio Curve

1.50 1.50
1.40 1.40
1.30 1.30
1.20 1.20
1.10 1.10
1.00 1.00
.90 .90
.80 .80
.70 .70
.60 .60
.50 .50
.40 .40
Weight of Gas
.30 Entrainment Ratio = .30
Weight of Air
.20 .20
.10 .10
0
0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140

Molecular Weight DP11JF07

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XI-J 26 of 29
EJECTORS
December, 2001 DESIGN PRACTICES

FIGURE 8A
TEMPERATURE ENTRAINMENT RATIO (CUSTOMARY UNITS)

1.0
Inlet Temperature Correction Factor, RT
HEI Entrainment Ratio Curve

0.9

Air

Steam
0.8

0.7
0 200 400 600 800 1000

Inlet Temperature, °F DP11JF08a

FIGURE 8B
TEMPERATURE ENTRAINMENT RATIO (METRIC UNITS)

1.0
Inlet Temperature Correction Factor, RT

.9
HEI Entrainment Ratio Curve

Air

.8 Steam

.7

.6

.5
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Inlet Temperature, °C DP11JF08b

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XI-J 27 of 29
EJECTORS
DESIGN PRACTICES December, 2001

FIGURE 9
NOMOGRAPH TO DETERMINE THE RATIO OF MOTIVE STEAM TO
SATURATED WATER VAPOR, R3

0.5 1.5

0.6
2.0

r
Vapo
0.7

R2 = Discharge Pressure/Suction Pressure (Compression Ratio)

ater
0.8

ed W
0.9 3.0

tu r a t
1.0
R1 = Motive Steam Pressure/Suction Pressure (Expansion Ratio)

2000 w Sa
s Flo

4.0
10000
/Mas

1.5
eam

5.0
w St

400 2.0
ss Flo

2.5
200
6.0
Ma

3.0
R =

4
3

100 5
7.0
8
60
8.0
40

30
9.0

20
DP11JF09

Enter the nomograph with R1 and R2. By drawing a line between the two, read R3, the motive steam requirement to compress
one pound of water vapor. This value must be corrected for molecular weight and temperature.
kg motive steam
R3 = = 1.55
kg saturated water vapor

From the M and temperature correction curves, in Figure 8, Fm = 0.81 and Ft = 1 for water vapor. To correct backwards to
20ºC air equivalent, multiply by Fm and Ft. Therefore,
kg motive steam
Corrected R3 = 1.55 (0.81)
kg 20 o C air equivalent

Total motive steam requirement = 1.55 (0.81) 50 kg/h

= 63 kg/h steam

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EJECTORS
December, 2001 DESIGN PRACTICES

FIGURE 10A
MAXIMUM AIR LEAKAGE VALUES FOR COMMERCIALLY TIGHT SYSTEMS (CUSTOMARY)

102 104

90 mm to 760 mm Hg Absolute
Maximum Air Leakage - Pounds per Hour

21 to 89 mm Hg Absolute

3.1 to 20 mm Hg Absolute
10 90 mm to 760 mm Hg Absolute 103

1 to 3 mm Hg Absolute
21 to 89 mm Hg Absolute

3.1 to 20 mm Hg Absolute
<1 mm Hg Absolute

1 to 3 mm Hg Absolute
1.0 102

<1 mm Hg Absolute

0.1 10
2
10 10 103 104 105 106

System Volume - Cubic Feet DP11JF10a

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EJECTORS
DESIGN PRACTICES December, 2001

FIGURE 10B
MAXIMUM AIR LEAKAGE VALUES FOR COMMERCIALLY TIGHT SYSTEMS (METRIC)

102
8
6
5
4
3 12 - 101.3 kPa abs.
2
2.8 - 11.9 kPa abs.
10 1000
8 12 - 103.1 kPa abs.
0.41 - 11.8 kPa abs.
6
5
Maximum Air Leakage - kg/h

4 2.8 - 11.9 kPa abs.

3
0.14 to 0.40 kPa abs.
2 0.41 - 11.8 kPa abs.
1.0 100
0.8 <0.13 kPa abs.
0.6
0.5 0.13 to 0.40 kPa abs.
0.4
0.3
0.2
<0.13 kPa abs.
0.1 10
8
6
5
4
3
2

1
0.1 1 10 102 103 104 105

System Volume - m 3 DP11JF10b

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