One micron is 1/1000 of a millimeter or 39/1,000,000 of an inch. Throughout this page, references to droplet and particle sizes will be in the unit micron. These collisions cause the aerosols to deviate from the fluid flow path around barriers increasing the likelihood of the aerosols striking a fiber surface and being removed³. Called diffusional interception or Brownian Motion, this mechanism occurs when small aerosols collide with gas molecules. Once this occurs, the droplet or particle loses velocity and/or coalesces, and eventually falls to the bottom of the vessel or remains trapped in the fiber medium.Īnd finally, a fourth liquid and solid gas separation process occurs with very small aerosols (less than 0.1 µm). In this case, the gas stream follows a tortuous path around these obstacles while the solid or liquid droplets tend to go in straighter paths, impacting these obstacles. The third solid and liquid gas separation mechanism is called inertial impaction which occurs when a gas passes through a network, such as fibers and impingement barriers. The centrifugal force can be several times greater than gravitational force. the gravitation force) exceeds drag created by the flowing gas.Ī related and more efficient mechanism is centrifugal separation which occurs when the centrifugal force exceeds the drag created by the flowing gas. The first and easiest to understand is gravity settling, which occurs when the weight of the droplets or particles (ie. These can be divided into four different categories². This article will first provide selection criteria for the following gas/liquid separation technologies:Īnd then focus on the separation of fine aerosols from gases using liquid/gas coalescing technology.īefore evaluating specific technologies, it is important to understand the mechanisms used for solid gas and liquid gas separation. Several technologies are available for liquid gas and solid gas separation. A thin film of hydrocarbon deposited on heat exchangers will thicken and coke, decreasing heat transfer efficiency, increasing energy consumption and creating a risk of hot spots and leaks.
In compressors that use oil to lubricate cylinders, the lube oil often gets into the discharge gas causing contamination downstream. In addition, hydrocarbons and solid contaminants can induce foaming in an amine contactor tower and can contribute to premature catalyst changeouts in catalytic processes. Effective removal of these contaminants can prevent costly problems and downtime with downstream equipment like compressors, turbines, and burners. Removing liquids and solids from a gas stream is very important in refining and gas processing applications.
0 kommentar(er)
