PROCEDURE NO.

PAGE OF
PTD-DGS-123 1 2

PREPARED BY DATE
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY PROCEDURES Edited from existing April 30, 2000
doc by J.R. Barnhart
APPROVED BY
DEPARTMENT: PROCESS ENGINEERING JRB
SUBJECT: VESSEL SIZING – KNOCKOUT DRUMS DESIGN GUIDE REVISION DATE REV.
11/01/02 1

1.0 SCOPE

This design guide1, which supersedes DSG-MP-14A, covers the sizing of knockout
vessels.

2.0 RESPONSIBILITIES

The process engineer is responsible for determining the size of various knockout drums
and surge vessels required by the process but not sized elsewhere (e.g., fuel-gas
knockout drums, and boiler-blowdown drums).

3.0 BASIS

Knockout drums are sized on a maximum allowable superficial velocity for gas flow.

The formula for this velocity is:

PL  PV
V K (Eq. 3-1)
pV

where:

V = maximum allowable superficial velocity, feet/second

pL = liquid density, pound/cubic foot
pV = gas density, pound/cubic foot
K = sizing factor, where

K = 0.500 for a horizontal vessel

K = 0.100 for minimum entrainment
K = 0.175 for normal entrainment Vertical vessel without demister pad
K = 0.200 for moderate entrainment
K = 0.250 for appreciable entrainment

K = 0.350 for normal entrainment Vertical vessel with demister pad

K = 0.400 for moderate entrainment

1
Rev. 0 of the Design Guide was adapted with minimal changes from a Pasadena document, DSG-MP14A, 9/92
4.0 VESSEL DIMENSIONS

Based on the allowable superficial velocities determined above, the vessel area required
is calculated using this equation:

vapor volume ft 3 / sec 

Vessel area  (Eq. 4-1)
V

For a horizontal vessel, the area determined by the above equation is the area at the high
liquid level, generally the centerline of the vessel.

The ratio of vessel length to diameter should range between 2:1 and 8:1; the best range is
from 4:1 to 6:1.