®

A division of Koch-Glitsch, Inc.

TM
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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

Why Entrainment Occurs Benefits of Using a Mist Eliminator

In any process where gas and liquid come into contact, the
gas will entrain some liquid. This entrainment is generated
by three basic mechanisms: mechanical action, condensation
To reduce loss of valuable chemicals
and chemical reaction. mist eliminators can markedly cut glycol, amine or solvent
consumption in absorber and distillation towers.
Mechanical
sprays
trays
evaporation surface
To increase throughput capacity
column packing anywhere gases and liquids come into contact in process
two phase flow equipment, significant velocity increases will be made possible
Condensation by installing a mist eliminator.
on surface
from saturated vapor

Chemical Reaction
0.1 1.0 10 100 1000
To improve product purity
Drop Size, microns mist eliminators can prevent contamination of side draws and
Table 1. Typical partical size distribution ranges from entrainment caused by overheads in refinery atmospheric and vacuum towers, and
various mechanisms.
other distillation columns.

The droplet sizes can often be estimated with good accuracy.

For initial evaluation, experience shows that droplets
generated by mechanical means are mainly over 5-10µ in To eliminate contamination
diameter. Entrainment from a boiling or bubbling liquid mist eliminators can prevent poisoning expensive downstream
surface will form droplets down to just a few microns in catalysts. They provide boiler feed water quality condensate
diameter, so careful consideration to performance from evaporator overheads.
requirements must be given to equipment such as
evaporators, tray columns and steam boilers.

Entrainment swept off the surface of packing or the surface To provide equipment protection
of heat exchanger tubes consists mostly of relatively large, of molecular sieve dryers, prevent corrosion of ductwork and
easily removed droplets. But extremely fine entrainment is heat exchangers, turbine and compressor blades, eliminating
often generated when a liquid condenses from a saturated serious maintenance problems.
vapor, as in a compressor where lubricating oil is locally
heated and vaporized, and then quickly condenses causing
very fine "blue smoke" entrainment.
To prevent air pollution
When two gases such as SO3 and water react to form a liquid
mist eliminators help reduce droplet emissions to environ-
product, sulfuric acid, this requires high efficiency separation
equipment. mentally acceptable levels.

FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator style VIII in FRP. SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminator assembly for a vertical vessel
with mounting deck and liquid drain piping.

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

Types of Mist Eliminators

Almost all mist elimination equipment falls into four classes:
vane assemblies of chevron-shaped blades, cyclones, knitted Knitted Mesh Van Cyclone Fiber Bed
mesh types, and fiberbeds. Cost 1
e
2-3 3-5 10

Gas Capacity 5 6-15 15-20 1

Efficiency 3-10µ 10-40µ 7-10µ <0.1µ

When the vessel size is not set by the mist eliminator,
Pressure Drop, <25mm <10-90mm 200-350mm 50-500mm
such as packed or tray towers, heat exchangers or WC (1") (0.4" - 3.5) (8" - 14") (2" - 20")
evaporators, the practical starting point is often the mesh
pad type. DEMISTER® knitted mesh mist eliminators Liquid Capacity 5 10 10 1
provide high separation efficiency at the lowest installed Solid
cost. Handling 3 10 10 1

Table 2. Selection guide for choosing from the various common

If the mist contains solid particulates, viscous, sticky liquids,
or if large slugs of liquid occur, the fouling resistant
FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator, or, in extreme cases,
tangential inlet multi-cyclones, may offer a better solution.
These concerns have made this equipment the standard
starting point in industries like oil & gas production.
mist elimination equipment. The relative scale used in several
categories is based on 1 as the lowest, and the others are
scaled.
For applications involving sub-micron particles, FLEXIFIBER®
mist eliminators provide excellent solutions.

While these comments help clarify selection, your final

Where the vessel size is set by the mist eliminator, then the
benefits of high capacity FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators
or SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminators could be the most
cost effective overall solution.
selection should be made only after reviewing your
application with an equipment designer of proven expertise.
KOCH-OTTO YORK®, provides an enormous resource to
help you make the best choice for your particular application.

FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator

DEMISTER® mist eliminator style 709, in stainless steel. type IC-SRF.

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

Common Mist Elimination

Applications
Knockout Drums
Capital equipment costs will be reduced, and efficiency
improved, by designing knockout drums to include mist
eliminators. Vessel weights can easily be reduced to half,
with improved handling of liquid slugs. Knockout drums
relying solely on gravity settling remove only drops larger
than 100 microns, while the use of an efficient mist
eliminator will prevent entrainment of all drops larger
than 5 to 10 microns, reducing product loss, downstream
corrosion, contamination and damage to equipment such as
compressors, molecular sieve driers, and blowers.
Distillation and Fractionation Towers
Liquid entrainment causes performance problems and
limits capacity in packed and trayed distillation towers
in two ways (as shown in Figure 1). At intermediate
draw-off trays, entrainment from below reduces product
purity, and can allow non-volatile contaminates into the
draw-off liquid. The overhead gas product can also be
contaminated with liquid entrainment. In both cases, the
problem is often misinterpreted as a problem with the
trays or packing.
High purity overhead gas

Evaporators Mist Eliminator

Customized mist eliminators reduce carryover of dissolved

and undissolved solids to obtain customer specified steam
condensate purity levels from below 1 to 50 ppm. Not only
does this prevent product loss, it also protects compressor
internals in vapor recompression systems, provides boiler
feed water quality condensate and prevents potential
High purity side
pollution problems. Industrial use varies from chemical Mist Eliminator draw-off liquid
plants (caustic and inorganic chemical concentrators), to pulp
and paper (black liquor and pulping chemical recovery) to the
food industry (sugar, salt and corn syrup).

Steam Drums Figure 1. Distillation tower mist eliminators provide high purity
overhead gas and liquid draw-off as well as higher tower capacity.

Mist eliminators are engineered to meet customer specified

steam condensate purities, from 5 ppb to 1 ppm, without
external separator vessels. Operating pressures can range
from 2-140 bar (20-2000 psig).
Scrubbers
From clean gas scrubbers to fouling services like flue gas
desulfurization (FGD) systems, pulp & paper evaporators and
vent units, or steel mill blast furnace exhausts, mist eliminators
improve efficiency and capacity.

In fouling services, high performance wash systems and

procedures specially engineered to meet the needs of
KOCH-OTTO YORK® mist eliminators considerably extend
service life, with minimum wash liquid usage.

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group
Process Applications
The process industries use KOCH-OTTO YORK® mist elimina-
tors wherever gas and liquid come in contact. Some of the major
process applications are listed below.
Refineries
Mist eliminators in fractionators increase throughput capacity,
and allow deeper cuts for greater yields. They prolong catalyst
life in downstream crackers and reformers by reducing carbon
and metals in side draws, even with lower grade crudes.
In atmospheric and vacuum pipestills, reduced entrainment from
the wash oil zones will reduce metals and carbon in side draws,
allowing deeper cuts and greater throughputs.
Fractionation tower in a major USA refinery.
Flue Gas Desulfurization
High capacity, low pressure drop FLEXICHEVRON® mist elimi-
nators provide excellent resistance to fouling. Utility and indus-
trial scrubbers throughout the world trust the reliable process and
mechanical designs offered by KOCH-OTTO YORK®.
4
Gas Absorption Systems
Designers and operators of systems using glycols, amines and
other proprietary solvents to remove water vapor, H2S, CO2
or other contaminants often follow equipment specifications
which have not been optimized to minimize losses of these
expensive chemicals. Losses result from several causes
including:
• Foaming resulting from liquid hydrocarbon entrainment
into the absorber.
• Carryover losses of absorption chemicals with the
treated gas.
• Entrainment losses in the overhead gas from the
regeneration towers.
Payback in most systems will be less than one month, when
upgrading to DEMISTER® mist eliminator styles 822 or 82
from traditional mesh styles.
Sulfuric Acid Plants
Well engineered mist eliminators are critical to the cost
effective operation of every sulfuric acid plant. In the gas
drying tower, as well as the intermediate and final absorption
towers, poorly performing mist eliminators contribute to
corrosion of ducting, blowers, heat exchangers and vessels,
and also to acid plant stack emissions which result in
environmental non-compliance, fines and potential closure.
Engineers at KOCH-OTTO YORK® are very familiar with the
special design considerations required for sulfur burning,
ore roasting and sludge burning plants, and offer the latest
technology in efficiency, safety, service life and capacity.
A sulfuric acid plant using KOCH-OTTO YORK®
mist elimination technology.
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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

DEMISTER® Mist Eliminators

Design Parameters
The DEMISTER mist eliminator is an assembly of
®

YORKMESH™ knitted mesh supported on, and held down For general design, Equation 1 has been used as a velocity
by high open area grids. It is made to any size and shape. guideline for many years:
Stainless steels and exotic alloys are fully annealed to
provide maximum corrosion resistance.
V=K [(ρL - ρV)/ρV ] / 1
2

Equation 1
High capacity
DEMISTER® Metric English
mist eliminator V = design velocity m/sec ft/sec
ρL = liquid density Kg/m3 lb/ft3
ρv = vapor density Kg/m3 lb/ft3
K = capacity factor m/sec ft/sec

The recommended value of “K” varies depending on several

YORK-EVENFLOW™
gas distribution device
system factors, including liquid viscosity, surface tension,
entrainment loading, content of dissolved and suspended
solids, and the operating pressure. Recommended “K” values
are also highly dependent on the mesh structure.
For over 40 years, the industry has used K= 0.107 m/sec
(0.35 ft/sec) as a standard guideline for calculations based on
traditional KOCH-OTTO YORK® styles (see Table 3) which
have become the worldwide standard in the chemical process
industries. Excellent performance is obtained from
30-110% of the calculated value. Operating pressure drop is
usually negligible, <25 mm water (1” WC). For high vacuum
applications, high performance is routinely achieved with ∆P
on the order of 2-3 mm water (0.1” WC).

When a vapor stream carrying entrained liquid droplets

passes through a DEMISTER® pad, the vapor moves freely
through the YORKMESH™ knitted mesh, but the inertia
of the droplets causes them to contact the wire surfaces,
coalesce, and ultimately drain as large droplets.

DEMISTER® mist eliminators are available in all 300 and

400 series SS, Alloys 200, 400, 600, 800, etc., Alloy 20,
titanium, tantalum, aluminum, copper, polypropylene,
Teflon*, Halar* and Kynar* and more than 80 other metals
and 30 non-metals. For example, Alloy 66 is a specially
designed material to extend service life in sulfuric acid plants.

* Teflon® is a registered trademark of EI DuPont de Nemours.

* Halar® is a registered trademark of Ausimont.
* Kynar® is a registered trademark of Elf Atochem.
.

Typical DEMISTER® mist eliminators constructed in stainless steel and

plastic.

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The State-of-the-Art DEMISTER® Mist Eliminator

Over the past several years, KOCH-OTTO YORK® has 100
developed and refined a new family of styles, replacing the
traditional styles KOCH-OTTO YORK® originally introduced 70
shortly after founding the company in 1947. These new styles

Pressure Drop, mm Water (÷ 25.4 = inches H 2O)

take advantage of improved knowledge about how the internal
wire geometry affects capacity and performance in the same 40
way that structured packing surpassed dumped packing 30
performance. Compared to the older styles, the new Style 421
KOCH-OTTO YORK® styles provide: 20

• 20% higher design velocity, or more. Style 709

• 10 to 15% lower pressure.
10.0
• Higher efficiency at design velocity.
• Equal or better corrosion and fouling resistance. 8.0

6.0
Table 3
4.0
Style 708
Typical DEMISTER® Mist Eliminator Style Improvements
Traditional New Capacity Efficiency Description
Style Style Gain Gain
2.0
Glass fiber & metal for
371 215 >35% Same Style 931
maximum efficiency

326 194 >25% Same Ultra-efficiency design 1.0

for fine particles
Heavy duty, 0.7
421 709 >20% Same
high efficiency design .01 .02 .04 .07 0.1 0.2
K-Factor, V/[(ρL – ρV ) / ρV ] /2 m/sec (x 3.28 = ft/sec)
1
431 172 >20% Same General purpose style

High open area for • = Design Point

931 708 >22% Same viscous or dirty liquid Liquid loading = 0.04 m3/min/m2.

Figure 3. Pressure drop vs. Capacity factor.

100
For particular equipment and processes, KOCH-OTTO
YORK® engineers also utilize special families of mesh
90 styles based on years of actual, in-plant performance
Capture Efficiency (%)

experience to meet customer efficiency requirements.

80

70 371 & 215

326 & 194
60 421 & 709
931 & 708
Benefits of DEMISTER®
50 Mist Eliminators
40
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • Easy to install in all process equipment.
• Most cost effective solution when equipment
Droplet Size (microns) sizes are set by other requirements.
• High efficiency with low pressure drop.
Figure 2. Capture efficiency vs. particle size for four traditional
DEMISTER® mist eliminators and their high capacity equivalents in • Emergency delivery available.
an air/water system at atmospheric conditions.

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FLEXIFIBER® Mist Eliminators Typical FLEXIFIBER® Installations

FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminators consist of a packed fiber bed
between either two concentric screens or two flat parallel
screens. Depending upon design parameters, these mist elimi-
nators collect up to 99.95% or greater of all submicron liquid
particles.
Benefits of FLEXIFIBER®
Mist Eliminators
• Reduce or eliminate visible stack gas plumes.
• Provide unlimited turndown from design capacity.
• Achieve guaranteed pressure drop less than 40 mm (1.5") W.G.
• Are interchangeable with existing fiber bed equipment.
• Capture submicron mist particles 0.1 microns or smaller.
Figure 5 shows a typical FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator
installation. Basic components of this system are the
FLEXIFIBER® element and vessel. The element consists of
two concentric cylindrical screens containing packed fibers
in the annular space. The screens are connected to a flange
at the top of the element and an end plate on the bottom of
the element. The flange, in turn, is bolted to the vessel tube
sheet. Mist-laden gases pass horizontally through the fiber
bed. Separated liquids drain downward on the inside
surface of the element, through the drain leg, and are
collected at the bottom of the vessel. Clean gases exit at the
top of the vessel.
Clean Gas Out

VAPOR OUT
PDI

Tube Sheet
∆P
PDI
FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator
Type BD - SFF

Drain Leg With Collected

Mist Laden Liquid
Gas In
Overflow

TUBE SHEET W/
DRAIN PIPE
Figure 5. Typical FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator assembly (forward flow
installation).

SUMP FILL
∆P
CONSTANT OVERFLOW
CLEANOUT DRAIN
SUMP
SKIRT VAPOR IN
Collection Element
BASE RING Efficiency Pressure Bed
Primary Drop Velocity
Collection Particle Size Efficiency* mm W.G. m/sec
Type Mechanism (Microns) (%) (inches W.G.) (ft./min.)
Figure 4. FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator for lube oil tank vents on gas or
steam turbines.
BD Brownian >3 Essentially 100 50 - 500 0.03 - 0.2
FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminators are custom-designed and fab- Diffusion <3 Up to 99.95+ (2-20) (5 - 40)

ricated with cages made from a wide variety of metal alloys, IC Impaction
>3 Essentially 100 100 - 250 1.3 - 1.8
thermal-set plastics or FRP. The packed fiber beds are made of Cylinder 1-3 95 - 99+
(4 - 10) (250 - 350)
special glass, ceramic, polypropylene, PTFE or polyester fiber. IP Impaction 1-3 125 - 180 2.03 - 2.54
85 - 97
This style of mist eliminator has proven ideal for use in sulfuric, Panel (5 - 7) (400 - 500)
nitric and thermal phosphoric acid plants; chlorine and other 0.5 - 1 50 - 85

chemical plants; pulp mills; textile mills; asphalt saturators; food * In H2SO4 Service
processing operations; chrome plating processes; turbine lube
Table 4. Comparison of FLEXIFIBER® Element Types.
oil tank vents; and plastic forming operations. Special
carbon fiber media is available for those applications
which contain fluorides, high pH or steam.

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FLEXIFIBER® Type BD FLEXIFIBER® Type IP (Impaction

(Brownian Diffusion) Mist Eliminator Panel) Mist Eliminator
Utilizing the Brownian Diffusion mechanism, the Type BD ele- Type IP fiber beds are also most commonly used in sulfuric
ment is able to achieve collection efficiencies of up to 99.95% acid plants. Utilizing primarily the impaction mechanism,
or higher on all submicron liquid particles down to 0.1 collection efficiencies on 98% sulfuric acid mist are
microns. Type BD elements are normally cylindrical in shape, essentially 100% on all particles greater than 3 microns, 85
and are available in a wide variety of materials. Operating to 97% on all particles 1 to 3 microns and 50 to 85% on 0.5
pressure drops are normally designed in the range of 50 to 1.0 microns. Operating pressure drops are normally 125 to
to 500 mm (2-20 in.) W.G. An interesting feature of the 180 mm (5 to 7 in.) W.G. Elements are normally rectangular in
FLEXIFIBER® Type BD mist eliminator is that, with shape and are available in various metals.
submicron particles, the collection efficiencies are actually
increased slightly as the gas flow rate through the bed is 100 100
reduced. At reduced gas flow rates, the mist particles have a
1
longer residence time in the fiber bed. This provides the 95
3
95 6

liquid particles with an increased chance to contact individual 2 5

Fractional Efficiency (%)

Fractional Efficiency (%)

90 90 4
fibers and be collected.
85 % Design Flow 85 % Design Flow
1 25% 4 75%
80 2 100% 80 5 100%
3 110% 6 110%
75 75
Inertial
Impaction FIBER 70 70

65 65
0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Microns Microns
TYPE BD TYPE IC
Figure 7. Typical performance curves for FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminators.
Brownian
Diffusion FIBER
Type
BD-FRF MK II

Direct Type
FIBER BD-FRF MK I
Interception

Figure 6. Mechanisms for mist collection on fibers.

FLEXIFIBER® Type IC Type

IC-SRF
(Impaction Cylinder) Mist Eliminator
Utilizing primarily the impaction mechanism, Type IC fiber
beds are designed to capture and collect particles in the 1 to 3
microns range economically. Collection efficiencies on 1
micron particles will vary from 90% on liquid mists with a Type
specific gravity of 1.0 to 97% on liquid mists with a specific BD-SRF MK I

gravity of 1.8. Operating pressure drops are usually in the

range of 100-250 mm (4-10 in.) W.G. Type IC-M and IC-K Type IP
fiberbeds, a combination of knitted wire mesh and glass
fibers, are also available. These elements are primarily used in
sulfuric acid plants.
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FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators
FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators are baffle or zigzag blade
modules tailored for either vertical or horizontal flow
installations. These mist eliminators collect essentially 100%
of all particles greater than 8 to 40 microns in diameter,
depending on design parameters.
Manufactured in virtually any size from a wide range of metal
alloys, thermal-set plastics and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP),
over 20 different styles can be designed and fabricated.
Applications for which FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators
are ideal include scrubbers in utility flue gas desulfurization
(FGD) systems; phosphoric and sulfuric acid plants; crude oil
refinery vacuum towers; and pulp mill, sugar refinery, and
chemical plant evaporators.
Benefits of FLEXICHEVRON®
Mist Eliminators
• Ideal for applications where solids or viscous, sticky liquids
rapidly plug a wire mesh type mist eliminator.
• Useable in either vertical (upward) or horizontal flow designs.
• Provide the lowest pressure drop of any type mist eliminator.
• Handle high liquid loads.
• Good turndown characteristics.
Design Parameters
The reentrainment point is a function of gas velocity, as well as
other physical properties, e.g., vapor density and liquid surface
tension. The reentrainment point is also highly sensitive, based
on design of the chevron.
Style VIII
FRP
Style II
Polypropylene
Style II
Metal
9
A chevron with superior liquid draining capability and
optimum chevron blade spacing can be operated at a higher
reentrainment point, yielding a higher capacity. The difference
between droplet penetration and reentrainment is often
misunderstood. Droplets that penetrate the chevron are too
small to be effectively removed by impaction. On the other
hand, reentrained droplets are generally quite large and originate
from droplets that have coalesced on the chevron blades. At
high gas velocities, a chevron can have a removal efficiency of
100% and, simultaneously, reentrain extensively. Conversely, at
low gas velocities, the chevron may not reentrain but has poor
removal. Optimal chevron performance is achieved at a gas
velocity that is as high as possible but not so high that it yields
reentrainment.
KOCH-OTTO YORK® has established proprietary know-how
through application of extensive air-water testing, computa-
tional fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation and commercial data
confirmations. Let us apply our proprietary knowledge to
provide solutions to your specific mist elimination problems.
FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators can be manufactured in:
• Stainless steel • Polypropylene
• Carbon steel • FRP
• Titanium • PVDF
Other special materials are available on request.
Style I
Metal Style XXVII
Polypropylene
Style VIII
Polypropylene
Style VIII
Metal
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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

What Type of FLEXICHEVRON® Where are FLEXICHEVRON®

Mist Eliminator? Mist Eliminators Used?
In arriving at an optimum design, it is often necessary to make a This type of mist eliminator should be used any time high
compromise between removal efficiency on the one hand and droplet/gas separation is required where plugging of traditional
pressure drop and plugging tendency on the other. mist eliminators is a risk. These applications include:
To do so, it is necessary to have some knowledge of the droplet- • All types of air pollution
size distribution entering the FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator. control scrubbers.
Without some knowledge of the inlet droplet-size distribution, it is
impossible to accurately design or specify a chevron to meet an • Applications where
overall liquid removal criterion. Unfortunately, accurate inlet droplets will be
droplet-size distributions are seldom known. sticky or viscous
and will plug classic
The table below gives some droplet-size distributions for various wire mesh eliminators.
types of processes and equipment as reported in the literature. This would especially
These data should be considered only as a rough indication of be true in many
what the size distribution might be. It is, for example, apparent petrochemical
from this table that a FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator would applications.
not be applicable to the removal of sulfuric acid plant mists.
Table 4. Typical Mist-Size Distributions • Applications where wide
flow rate ranges are
1% by wt. 10% by wt. 50% by wt. 90% by wt. 99% by wt.
smaller smaller smaller smaller smaller possible and cyclonic
Mist than (µm) than (µm) than (µm) than (µm) than (µm) type mist eliminators
will not be suitable.
H2SO4 Mist/Acid Plants:
Drying Tower Exhaust – 0.1 0.8 10 –

Primary Absorbing Tower

• 98% Acid Production 0.4 0.8 1.7 10 – Patented FLEXICHEVRON® Style XII/XIV mist eliminators designed for
high capacity FGD applications.
• Oleum Production 0.2 0.5 0.8 2.5 –

Secondary Absorbing
Tower 0.5 1.6 2.5 5 –

Ammonia Scrubber 0.3 0.4 0.7 2 25

Sulfuric Acid Plants 100

(General) 0.3 – – – 26

Phosphoric Acid Mist/ 90

Collection Efficiency (%)

Acid Plant 0.5 – – – 5 Style II (plastic)

Up-Flow Cooling Tower 200 300 400 500 600 Style II (metal) 80
Style I (metal)
Packed Cross-Flow Tower 150 200 500 800 1100 Style VIII (FRP)
Style VIII (metal) 70
Venturi Scrubber 40 100 175 300 500

Reverse-Jet Scrubber 100 250 500 1250 2000 60

Evaporator
(25 in. disengaging space) 20 50 130 240 300 50

Sieve-Tray Tower (5.25 in.

disengaging space) 250 600 1100 1800 2500 40
0 10 20 30
Droplet Diameter (microns)
Cooler-Condenser 0.1 5 10 20 35

2-Fluid Nozzle (Atomizing

Air Pressure less than
80 psig) 1 15 35 90 120
Figure 8. FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator typical collection
Single-Fluid Nozzle efficiency vs. droplet size.
(P = 100 psig) 60 200 500 1500 2000

Reference
Duros, D.R., and E.D. Kennedy, Chem. Eng. Prog., p.70 (Sept., 1978).
Perry, R.H. "Chemical Engineers' Handbook", 5th Ed., McGraw-Hill, pp. 18-60, (1978).
Stern, A.C., "Air Pollution," 3rd Ed., Vols. I and IV, Academic Press, pp. 80, 295 (1976, 1977).
Atkinson, D.S.F., and W. Strauss, J.A.P.C.A., 28 (11), p. 1114 (Nov., 1978).
Chen, G.K., and T.L. Holmes, U.S. Patent # 4,374,813, "Reverse Jet Scrubber Apparatus
and Method" (Feb. 22, 1983)

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High Capacity FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators

High Capacity Designs for Higher
Pressure Systems
Significantly different vane geometries are used in cleaner
services (Figure 9) to maximize the throughput capacity.
Double pocket hooks channel the collected liquid (as shown
by the red arrows) away from the gas. Gas velocities can be
more than doubled in both horizontal and vertical gas flow
configurations.
High capacity FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators rely
primarily on the inertia of the droplets for mist removal.
The higher allowable velocities of the style 250 and 350
designs, along with their blade geometry, result in more
efficient mist removal, especially at higher pressures where
the allowable velocity decreases with the increasing gas
density. Compared to the unshielded single pocket designs,
they also provide higher turndown before noticeable
efficiency losses are experienced.

It should be noted however that high pressure testing has

indicated that the separation efficiency of any vane type
mist eliminator reduces at operating pressures exceeding
800 psig. At these types of operating pressures, it is
recommended to use cyclonic type mist eliminators.
(see following pages of this brochure for further details).

Design Parameters
As with other types of mist eliminators, selection of the proper
FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator is affected by gas and liquid
properties, pressure, quantity of entrainment and solids, and
desired performance. For purposes of preliminary selection,
determine actual velocity by using Equation 1 (page 5) and
choose K values based on Table 5. This Table also indicates
turndown ratios achievable with reasonable efficiency.

Operating K value (through vane)

Vane Type
Minimum Maximum
Style 250.
Horizontal flow 0.04 (0.12) 0.35 (1.15)
High capacity
Style 350.
Horizontal Gas Flow Vertical up flow 0.04 (0.12) 0.35 (1.15)
Style 250. High capacity

Table 5. Capacity and turndown for various high capacity

designs. K-value in m/s (ft/s).

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High Capacity FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators

100
Using double pocket - FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators,
it is possible to efficiently remove droplets smaller than 10 70
microns in diameter in clean service, even at higher pressures.

PRESSURE DROP, mm H2 O ( –: 25.4 = inches H 2 O)

Figures 9 and 10 show the performance of typical designs in 40
Style 250/350
an air/water system. Actual droplet size separation efficiency 30
in other systems will be affected by gas velocity and liquid
and gas densities. 20

100
90 10
Style 250
Style 350 8.0
80
70
6.0
% Efficiency

60 4.0
50
40 2.0
30
20
1.0
10
0.7
0
0 4 8 12 16 20 0.5
Particle size, microns
0.3
Figure 9. FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator at atmospheric conditions 0.01 0.02 0.06 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5
with air and water.
K-Factor, m/sec (x 3.28 = ft/sec)

Carbon steel, all 300 and 400 series SS, Alloy 400 and Figure 10. FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator Pressure Drop.
Alloy 200, Alloy 20 and titanium are common construction
materials, but many other materials are available.

Benefits of
FLEXICHEVRON®
High Capacity
Mist Eliminators
• Custom-engineered to fit any
vessel shape.

• Allows reduced vessel sizes and

weights.
• Sturdy, durable construction.
• Efficiency maintained at higher
pressures.
Vertical Gas Flow
Style 350.

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SpiraFlow™ Cyclone Mist Eliminators

SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminators consist of multiple cyclone
tube elements, mounted into a tubesheet. The flow through
these elements can be either horizontal or vertically upward.
The element diameter is 50 or 80 mm (2” or 3”), selected
based on geometric considerations. The units are provided in
easily handled subassemblies, which are installed through
normal vessel manways.
Extremely High Gas Capacity
The most important benefit of this design is its very high
gas handling capacity combined with excellent droplet
removal efficiencies even at elevated pressures. It is applied
to vessels where the size is set primarily based on the
requirements of the mist eliminator.

In new construction of high pressure separators, the

SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminators provide the lowest
overall cost solution because of the very small diameter
and height requirements of the vessel. It is most
commonly applied to high pressure applications, where
its use can lead to very significant vessel size reductions.
The design maintains efficiency even at very high pressures,
where the lower allowable velocity of other mist eliminators
results in significant drop off in their performance.

In retrofits, where significant additional capacity is demanded,

the SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminators extend the gas
capacity well beyond any other mist elimination technology.

In Figure 11, the gas and mist enter the cyclone inlet Extensive testing in high pressure test rigs has proven that
(red arrow) and flow through a swirl element which imparts the droplet removal efficiency of traditional vane pack mist
a very high centrifugal force. The droplets are flung outward eliminators drastically drops off at pressures above 35 bar
and are coalesced into a liquid film on the cyclone inner wall. (500psi). Due to the much higher centrifugal forces generated
This liquid film is purged out of the cyclone through slits in in the SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminators or compared to
the wall (blue arrow), along traditional vane packs, the droplet removal efficiency is
with a small portion of the gas maintained, even at elevated pressures.
flow, into an outer chamber
where most of the gas and liq-
uid
separate. The gas, along
with some remaining mist,
is educted back into a low
pressure zone of the cyclone
(yellow arrow) and the
remaining entrainment is
removed before the gas is
discharged (orange arrow).

Figure 11.
SpiraFlow™ Cyclone
mist eliminators are
designed for maximum
capacity. The recycled gas
purge stream prevents
reentrainment.

Figure 12. Typical horizontal and vertical gas flow configurations.

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SpiraFlow™ Cyclone Mist Eliminators

Design Parameters

The design and selection of SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminators can be supplied in a
eliminators are based on gas and liquid properties, liquid and wide variety of metallic construction materials.
solids loadings, and the desired efficiency and pressure drop.
Compared to other cyclone designs, the capacity per
Efficiency of SpiraFlow™ Models 50 and 80 mist elimina- element is much higher with SpiraFlow™ Cyclone
tors are shown in the following Figure 13, based on removal mist eliminators.
of glycol from methane at pressurized conditions. Computer
simulations provide reliable models at other process
conditions.
Vane Packs vs. Cyclones

7 25 250 150
v max

Throughput/cyclone Am3/hr
6 v max
20 200 v min (12 micr) 120
v min (20 microns)
5 v min (15 micr)
v min (35 microns)
v min (20 micr) 90

(ACFM)
V 15 V 150
4 v min (70 microns)
(m/s) (f/s)
3 10 100 60

2
5 50 30
1

0 0 0 0
1 (0.0624) 10 (0.624) 100 (6.24) 1 (0.0624) 10 (0.624) 100 (6.24)

gas density kg/m3 (lbs/ft3) gas density kg/m3 (lb/ft 3 )

Figure 13. Effect of gas density on the removal efficiency of a traditional Figure 14. Graph showing that gas density has no significant effect on the
Vane Pack. Minimum required velocity to separate a given droplet size. removal efficiency of a SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminator.
This velocity is limited by the red ρv2 line.

Benefits of
SpiraFlow™ Cyclone
Mist Eliminators
• Minimize new knockout vessel diameter and weight,
particularly in high pressure applications.
• Ideal for existing separator capacity upgrades.
• High efficiency separation of <10 micron
droplets, even at high pressures.
• High gas turndown.
SpiraFlow™ Cyclone mist eliminator assembly, model 80, for retro-
fitting a horizontal vessel, including housing and liquid collection pip- • Easily installed through vessel manways.
ing. Design is segmented for manway installation.

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

Advanced Engineering Solutions

DEMISTER-PLUS™ Mist Eliminator Even greater increases can be achieved using the DEMIS-
Design for More Capacity TER-PLUS™ mist eliminator design. This well proven
design features a two stage mist eliminator, combining the
efficiency of the DEMISTER® with the high throughput
In most process installations, vessel size is determined
capacity of the FLEXICHEVRON® and SpiraFlow™ Cyclone
by needs other than mist eliminator capacity, for example,
mist eliminator.
capacity of trays or packing, evaporator volume requirements or
steam drum geometry. In these cases, traditional mist eliminator
designs will readily meet the capacity needs. But in some
In revamp situations, more than 300% capacity gain has been
equipment, particularly knockout drums, the vessel size is set by
achieved, but this depends on the existing vessel geometry.
the requirements of the mist eliminator itself.
When necessary, revamp modifications can be accomplished
without welding.
When plants are revamped for additional capacity, it is almost
always more economical to reuse existing vessels, rather than
replace them with larger equipment. When up to 20% more
In new plant construction, these designs reduce knockout
capacity is required, the most cost effective
drum investment substantially while maintaining separation
choice is to select the high
efficiency. Vessel diameter can usually
capacity DEMISTER®
be reduced by 25 to 40% and, because
mist eliminator
the shell thickness is a function
designs shown
of the diameter, vessel weight
on page 6, which
can be reduced by 50 to 75%.
avoids the need
for vessel
modifications.
Larger capacity
increases require
more complex
solutions.

Figure 17. Vertical flow DEMISTER-PLUS™

Type MC-V mist eliminator uses SpiraFlow™
collectors for maximum capacity increases
Figure 15. Horizontal flow DEMISTER-PLUS™ Type MV-H mist particularly in high pressure applications.
eliminator designs allows substantial increase in throughput
capacity in any knockout or flash drum.

Figure 16. Vertical flow DEMISTER-PLUS™ Type

MV-V mist eliminator uses high capacity
FLEXICHEVRON® collectors for higher efficiency
at increased capacity.

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling

A Tool for Design Optimization
Troubleshooting and Product Development
Flow distribution is critical in all gas-liquid and liquid-liquid
separation vessels. As vessel sizes are reduced, or more
capacity is expected from existing equipment, traditional
design rules for vessel geometry and flow distribution must
be reviewed. Flow velocities through inlet and outlet nozzles,
spacing between nozzles and internals and liquid levels all
can affect the separation performance. One reliable tool used
at KOCH-OTTO YORK® is Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) modeling. When the flow conditions and vessel geom-
etry are simulated by our experienced engineers using CFD
modeling, it provides a close approximation of the fluid flow
profile inside the vessel.
When needed, KOCH-OTTO YORK® offers three-dimensional
modeling. Dynamic modeling, for simu lating wave motion
on board floating platforms, is also a useful tool for special
situations.
For existing installations such as the evaporator modeled
below, poor flow distribution can be identified as the cause
of the unexpected high liquid carryover. In retrofit situations
where the process conditions may be increasing, design
modifications can be made, evaluated and optimized with
high assurance that desired performance will be achieved.
For new equipment, size and weight reductions often provide
savings far beyond the lower separator cost alone. Smaller
two-and three-phase separators and knockout drums allow
substantial reductions in overall structure size and cost.

m/sec ft/sec Base case Modified case

7.62 25.0

6.98 22.9
DEMISTER®
mist eliminator
6.34 20.8

5.70 18.7

5.06 16.6 Flow Baffle

4.45 14.6

3.81 12.5

3.17 10.4

2.54 8.32

1.90 6.24

1.27 4.16

0.63 2.08

0.00 0.00

Figure 18. The “W” shaped mist eliminator and disc/donut baffle (shown on the left)
created high velocity zones which resulted in premature reentrainment. The modified
design, (shown on the right) modeled in this CFD, met process expectations.

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

YORK-EVENFLOW™ Inlet Gas Distribution Device

In retrofitting situations, a common problem area is inlet

nozzles. Here, higher gas flow volumes create poor gas
distribution in crowded drums or distillation towers. This
frequently results from under designed inlet distributors that
allow localized high velocities and create unnecessary severe
liquid reentrainment. The YORK-EVENFLOW™ inlet device is
used to decrease the momentum of the inlet feed stream in a
controlled fashion.
This allows for the removal of bulk liquid and solids and evenly
distributes the gas flow over the downstream mist elimination
devices. Furthermore, the YORK-EVENFLOW™ vane type inlet
device reduces gas velocities flowing over the liquid surface,
preventing reentrainment of previously collected liquid off of the
liquid surface.

View looking through the inlet nozzle of a vertical scrubber equipped Bottom view of the YORK-EVENFLOW™ inlet device mounted in a
with a YORK-EVENFLOW™ inlet device. The design and operating vertical separator. The non-uniform vane blade spacing insures more
performance is superior to traditional baffles or dished splash uniform gas flows.
plates.

Benefits of YORK-EVENFLOW™
Inlet Gas Distribution Device
• Maximizes gas distribution to reduce channeling
• Reduces high inlet gas momentum
• Diverts high liquid loads away from the mist eliminator
• Prevents reentrainment of liquid droplets from the liquid sump
• Modular construction allows installation through vessel manways
• Custom engineered for vertical or horizontal vessels

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A Koch-Glitsch, LP business group

Inlet Cyclone
Gas
Where foaming or very severe inlet flow conditions
exist, the inlet cyclone offers significant benefits:

• Foams are broken by the controlled cyclonic

forces applied to the bubble surfaces, the most Gas+Liquid
effective mechanical method of eliminating
foam.
• This results in significant reduction in liquid
carry-over in the gas.
• Improved oil-water separation at the inlet device
means better liquid-liquid separation.
• When the inlet nozzle momentum exceeds even Gas Phase
the limits of the YORK-EVENFLOWTM inlet
device, the inlet cyclone disperses the energy,
resulting in extended separator capacity.

Liquid Liquid

Liquid Phase

While the KOCH-OTTO YORK® separations technology is sig-

®
KOCH-OTTO YORK Dedicated to nificantly ahead of that available five or ten years ago, we
know there is much yet to be learned. For this reason, we and
State-of-the-Art Mist Elimination our affiliated companies have invested heavily in product
development facilities.

State-of-the-art particle size

measuring equipment, using
computer linked laser sys-
tems, allow rapid and accurate
data on new concepts. We
have access to state-of-the-
art high pressure testing
equipment using natural gas
and liquid hydrocarbons as
test fluids. Coupled with
the KOCH-OTTO YORK®
engineering staff, we are
moving quickly forward to
answer the challenges of the
next century.

A technician analyzes data using Phase Doppler Particle Analysis

(PDPA) technology.

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A division of Koch-Glitsch, Inc.

KOCH-OTTO YORK®
TM

Technology & Service

Leader in the Mist Elimination Industry.
Members of the
Koch-Glitsch, LP Business Group
42 Intervale Road Koch-Glitsch Italia S.r.l.
P.O. Box 3100 Via Tonale 50
Parsippany, NJ 07054-3100 P.O. Box 13
TEL: 973-299-9200 24061 Albano S. Alessandro
800-524-1543 (Bergamo) Italy
FAX: 973-299-9401 TEL: 39-035-328611
FAX: 39-035-328601
6611 Killough Road
Houston, TX 77086 Koch-Otto York BVBA
TEL: 281-445-7026 Bijkhoevelaan 12
800-736-7036 B - 2110 Wijnegem, Belgium
FAX: 281-445-7032 TEL: 32-3-647-2847
FAX: 32-3-647-2879
4111 E. 37th St. North
Wichita, KS 67220 Otto York Asia Pacific
TEL: 316-828-7181 260 Orchard Road, #11-01/09
FAX: 316-828-8018 The Heeren
Singapore 238855.
TEL: 65-831-6410
FAX: 65-835-2025

Visit us on the internet: www.koch-ottoyork.com

© 2002 KOCH-OTTO YORK®, A Koch-Glitsch Business Group

DEMISTER®, FLEXICHEVRON® and FLEXIFIBER® are
registered trademarks and YORKMESH™, YORK-EVENFLOW™ and
DEMISTER-PLUS™ are trademarks for our mist eliminators. SpiraFlow™
are trademarks of CDS Engineering.

All data in this brochure are for general information only and are based
on tests carried out under conditions which may or may not apply to your
requirements. No warranties or guarantees are expressed or implied. No
information contained in this brochure constitutes an invitation to infringe
any patent, whether now issued or issued hereafter. All descriptions and
specifications are subject to change without notice.

Printed in the USA.Bulletin ME5601-5

M0502E Printed in U.S.A.
©Copyright 2003 Koch-Otto York