Mist Elimination and

Phase Separations

YOU CAN RELY ON US.

Mist Elimination
Solutions for gas-liquid separations and flow conditioning.
In any process where gas and liquid come into contact, the gas will entrain some amount of the liquid droplets. This entrainment
can cause process inefficiencies, product loss, and equipment damage.

MIST ELIMINATORS
Reduce loss of valuable chemicals: Mist eliminators markedly cut glycol, amine, or solvent consumption in absorption and
regeneration towers.

Increase throughput capacity: Mist eliminators allow a significant increase in throughput anywhere gases and liquids come into
contact in process equipment.

Improve product purity: Mist eliminators prevent contamination of side draws and overheads in refinery atmospheric and
vacuum towers and other distillation columns.

Minimize contamination: Mist eliminators can prevent the poisoning of expensive downstream catalysts or provide boiler feed
water quality condensate from evaporator overheads.

Provide equipment protection: Mist eliminators protect turbine, blower, and compressor blades, which can eliminate serious
maintenance problems.

Reduce air pollution: Mist eliminators help diminish droplet emissions to environmentally acceptable levels.
I COMMON APPLICATIONS

Knockout Drums
Designing knockout drums to include mist eliminators will reduce capital equipment costs and improve efficiency. Knockout
drums relying solely on gravity settling typically remove drops larger than 100 microns. Using an efficient mist eliminator will
remove entrainment of all drops larger than 5 to 10 microns. This higher efficiency reduces product loss; downstream corrosion;
contamination; and damage to equipment such as compressors, molecular sieve driers, and blowers. Vessel weights can easily
be reduced to half, and handling of liquid slugs is improved.

Evaporators
Customized mist eliminators reduce carryover of dissolved and undissolved solids to obtain specified steam condensate purity
levels below 1 to 50 ppm. This not only prevents product loss, but it also protects compressor internals in vapor recompression
systems, provides boiler feed water quality condensate, and prevents potential pollution problems.

Industrial installations vary from chemical 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 production).

Steam Drums
In a typical steam
Customized mist eliminators reduce carryover of dissolved solids to
drum, mist eliminators
obtain specified steam condensate purity levels from 1 ppm down properly located below
to 5 ppb without the need for external separator vessels. Operating the outlet nozzles
assure high steam
pressures can range from 20 to 2500 psig [1 to 170 bar].
purity.

DEMISTER®
mist eliminator Distillation Towers
Model 119
feed pipe Liquid entrainment can cause performance problems and limit capacity in packed and
Model 186
trough distributor trayed distillation towers in two ways.
FLEXIPAC® HC® • At intermediate draw-off trays, entrainment from below reduces product purity
structured packing
and can allow non-volatile contaminants into the draw-off liquid.
Model 802
structured packing
support grid • The overhead gas product can also be contaminated with liquid entrainment.
Model 117
orifice deck In both cases, the problem is often misinterpreted as a problem with the trays or
distributor
packing. In reality, it is a problem of entrainment, which can be solved by a properly
INTALOX® ULTRA
random packing designed mist eliminator.

Model 804
random packing
gas injection
support plate Scrubbers
From clean gas scrubbers and process vents to fouling services, such as flue gas
FLEXITRAY ® desulfurization (FGD) systems or steel mill blast furnace exhausts, mist eliminators
valve tray
help improve efficiency and capacity. In severe services, high performance wash
systems from Koch-Glitsch are specially engineered to meet the process requirements
and considerably extend service life with minimum wash liquid usage.

Distillation tower mist eliminators provide high purity overhead

gas and liquid draw-off as well as higher tower capacity.
I MAJOR MARKET PROCESS APPLICATIONS

Refineries
Mist eliminators in fractionators increase throughput capacity and allow deeper cuts for
greater yields.

• In atmospheric and vacuum pipestills, reduced entrainment from the wash oil zones
allows deeper cuts and greater throughput.
• In downstream crackers and reformers, mist eliminators prolong catalyst life by
reducing carbon and metals in side draws.

Petrochemical Plants
Mist eliminators are used in the interstage knock-out drums of the compressor trains to
extend compressor run length and service life. They are also used in quench towers to
prevent contamination and protect downstream equipment.

Fractionation tower in major USA refinery.

Flue Gas Desulfurization
High capacity, low pressure drop FLEXICHEVRON® and FLEXIPEAK mist eliminators provide excellent resistance to fouling.
Utility and industrial scrubbers throughout the world trust the process and mechanical designs offered by Koch-Glitsch.

Gas Absorption Systems

Designers and operators of gas absorption systems use glycols, amines, and other proprietary solvents to remove water vapor,
H2S, CO2, or other contaminants from gas streams. However, they often follow equipment specifications that have not been
optimized to minimize losses of these expensive chemicals. Losses can result from several causes, including the following:

• Carryover losses of absorption chemicals with the treated gas.

• Entrainment losses in the overhead gas from the regeneration towers.
• Foaming resulting from liquid hydrocarbon entrainment into the absorber.

Payback in most systems will be less than one month when upgrading from traditional mesh styles to higher efficiency
DEMISTER® mist eliminator styles 822, 822H, or 82.

Sulfuric Acid Plants

Well-engineered mist eliminators are critical to the cost-
effective operation of every sulfuric acid plant. In the
drying, intermediate, and final absorption towers, poorly
performing mist eliminators contribute to corrosion of
ducting, blowers, heat exchangers, and vessels. Stack
emissions can result in environmental non-compliance,
fines, and potential closure.

Engineers at Koch-Glitsch are very familiar with the

special design considerations required for sulfur burning,
ore roasting, and sludge burning plants. Koch-Glitsch Sulfuric acid plant.

offers the latest technology in efficiency, safety, service

life, and capacity.
DROPLET FORMATION
The way that droplets are formed determines the size of droplets to be removed. Knowledge of the mechanisms that cause
droplet formation and the resulting droplet size is essential to proper mist eliminator selection and design.

Entrainment can be generated by the following mechanisms:

• Mechanical action
• Chemical reaction
• Condensation

The figure below illustrates the typical particle size distribution caused by various mechanisms. Combining this knowledge with
experience, the droplet sizes produced can often be estimated with reasonable accuracy.

Mechanical
sprays

trays

evaporation surface

column packing

two phase flow

Condensation
on surface

from saturated vapor

Chemical Reaction

0.1 1.0 10 100 1000

Drop Size, microns

Mechanical: Experience shows that droplets generated by mechanical means are commonly 5-10μ and larger in diameter. But a
boiling or bubbling liquid surface will form droplets down to just a few microns in diameter.

Condensation: Entrainment swept off the surface of heat exchanger tubes consists mostly of large (50+ microns) droplets.
However, extremely fine submicron entrainment is often generated when a liquid condenses directly in the vapor phase due to
cooling of a saturated vapor. This type of very fine entrainment can be seen when lubricating oil in a compressor is locally heated
and vaporized and then quickly condensed causing a “blue smoke.”

Chemical Reaction: When two gases react to form a liquid product, large quantities of submicron droplets are formed, which, in
turn, requires high efficiency separation equipment.
SOLUTIONS SELECTION GUIDE
Products are available in a variety of metals, plastics, thermoplastics, and fiber-reinforced plastics for applications, such as
absorber towers, scrubbers, knockout drums, evaporators, pollution control, and general mist elimination.

While the suggestions on this page provide a starting point for the selection of a mist eliminator, your final choice should be
made only after reviewing your application with an equipment designer of proven expertise. Koch-Glitsch provides expert
resources to help you make the best choice for your particular application.

Basic Mechanism of Mist Separation

The three basic mechanisms for mist separation can best be described by considering the following. A gas stream containing
mist particles moves towards a fiber which is perpendicular to the direction of flow. As depicted in the mechanisms for mist
collection on fibers illustrations below, the gas streamlines around the fiber. The momentum of larger particles, greater than
1 micron, makes them deviate from the gas streamline and head for the fiber. The larger particles are thus separated through
the principle of inertial impaction.

Particles may also be collected by direct interception. The particle may follow a gas streamline and be collected without inertial
impaction or Brownian diffusion if the streamline is relatively close to the fiber. Consider a particle with a diameter of 1 micron.
If it follows a gas streamline which passes within 0.5 microns of the fiber, the particle will touch the fiber and be collected.

Smaller particles, generally smaller than one micron in diameter, tend to follow the gas streamline around obstacles. However,
the illustrations below show considerable Brownian movement and thus diffuse from the gas to the surface of the fiber. A
particle having a 0.1 micron diameter will have approximately five times the Brownian displacement of a 1.0 micron particle and
about 15 times the Brownian displacement of a 5.0 micron particle. Through proper fiber bed design, submicron particles can
thus be effectively collected. With Brownian diffusion, the collection efficiency increases as the particle size decreases because
the Brownian displacement actually increases with smaller particle size.

Mechanisms for mist collection on fibers.

DEMISTER® Mist Eliminators
When the vessel size is not set by the mist eliminator, such as is normally the case for distillation towers, steam drums, or
evaporators, the practical starting point is often the knitted wire mesh pad type. DEMISTER® mist eliminators provide high
separation efficiency at the lowest installed cost.

FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators

When the vessel size is set by the mist eliminator, then the benefits of high capacity FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators could be
the most cost-effective overall solution.

The fouling resistant FLEXICHEVRON mist eliminator often offers the best solution if the mist contains solid particulates;
viscous, sticky liquids; or if large slugs of liquid occur.

DEMISTER-PLUS Mist Eliminators

In extreme debottlenecking situations or in new designs at very high operating pressures where it is necessary to minimize
vessel size and weight, the high capacity characteristics of DEMISTER-PLUS mist eliminators often prove beneficial.
DEMISTER-PLUS mist eliminators may incorporate FLEXICHEVRON mist eliminators or VORSOMAX cyclone mist eliminators
to achieve high capacity.

FLEXIFIBER® Mist Eliminators

FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminators are the only type that can remove submicron size particles with high efficiency.

VORSOMAX® Cyclone Mist Eliminator

Vorsomax® cyclone mist eliminators are the premium capacity design to achieve the smallest vessel design.

® ® ® ®
DEMISTER FLEXICHEVRON DEMISTER-PLUS FLEXIFIBER VORSOMAX
mist mist mist mist cyclone mist
eliminator eliminator eliminator eliminator eliminator

100% Efficiency 3-10 μ 10-40 μ 7-10 μ <0.1 μ 7-20 μ

Pressure Drop <1 in 0.4-3.5 in 1-20 in 2-20 in 8-14 in

wc [25 mm] [10-89 mm] [25-508 mm] [51-508 mm] [200-355 mm]
Gas Capacity 5 6-15 10-20 1 15-20
Liquid Capacity 5 10 5-10 1 10
Solids Handling 3 10 3-10 1 10
Cost 1 2-3 3-6 10 3-5
Cost with Vessel 6 3-4 1-3 10 1
Relative scale based on 1 as the lowest. Others are scaled.

DEMISTER® style 709 mist FLEXICHEVRON® style VIII mist

eliminator in stainless steel. eliminator.

DEMISTER-PLUS two-stage FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator. VORSOMAX® Model F5

mist eliminator. cyclone mist eliminator.
DEMISTER® Mist Eliminators
High collection efficiency and low pressure drop.

The DEMISTER® mist eliminator is an assembly of YORKMESH

knitted mesh that is supported with high open area grids.

DEMISTER mist eliminators are made to any size and shape from
a wide range of materials, both metal and non-metal. Stainless
steels and exotic alloys are fully annealed to provide maximum
corrosion resistance.

Based on years of actual in-plant performance, Koch-Glitsch

engineers use special families of mesh styles for particular
equipment and processes to meet customer efficiency
requirements.

How a DEMISTER® mist eliminator works

1. A vapor stream carrying entrained liquid droplets passes through a DEMISTER pad.
The vapor moves freely through the knitted mesh.

2. The inertia of the droplets causes them to contact the wire surfaces and coalesce.
2
3. The large, coalesced droplets formed in the mesh ultimately drain and drop to the
vessel bottom.

1 3
I CHARACTERISTICS OF DEMISTER® MIST ELIMINATORS
• Easy to install in all process equipment
• Most cost-effective solution when equipment sizes are set by other requirements
• High efficiency with low pressure drop
• Emergency delivery available

I MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
• Stainless steel
• Nickel-based alloys
• Titanium
• Aluminum
• Copper
• Polypropylene
• Fluoroplastics
• Other special materials available on request. For example, Alloy 66 and SX® are
specially designed materials used to extend service life in sulfuric acid plants.
DESIGN PARAMETERS Units for Equation 1
For general design, Equation 1 has been used as a guideline for many years. English Metric
EQUATION 1 V - design velocity ft/sec m/sec
(ρL – ρv) ½ ρL - liquid density lb/ft3 Kg/m3
V=K
ρv
ρv - vapor density lb/ft3 Kg/m3

The recommended design value of “K” varies depending on several system K - capacity factor ft/sec m/sec

factors, which include liquid viscosity, surface tension, entrainment loading,

and the content of dissolved and suspended solids. Recommended “K” values are also highly dependent on the mesh structure
and vessel geometry.

Otto H. York developed the DEMISTER® mist eliminator and introduced it in 1947. Some of the first styles were traditional mist
eliminator styles that became the worldwide standards in the chemical process industries. The industry adopted a standard guideline
for K-factor of 0.35 ft/sec (0.107 m/sec) for calculations based on these traditional styles. Improved high capacity mesh styles were
introduced shortly after the Otto H. York Company became part of Koch-Glitsch. Today, Koch-Glitsch continues the research and
development of knitted mesh technology.

Excellent performance is often obtained from 30-110% of the calculated design value. Operating pressure drop is usually
negligible, < 1 in. [25 mm] wc. For high vacuum applications, high performance is routinely achieved with ∆P on the order of 0.1
in. [2-3 mm] wc.

High Capacity DEMISTER® Mist Eliminators

Koch-Glitsch has developed and refined a new family of DEMISTER mist eliminators that replace traditional knitted mesh styles.

The new high capacity styles take advantage of improved knowledge about the way internal wire geometry affects capacity and
performance in the same way that structured packing surpassed random packing performance in distillation columns.

Traditional High Capacity Efficiency Compared to the traditional styles, the high capacity
Style Capacity Gain Gain Description
Glass fiber & metal for DEMISTER styles from Koch-Glitsch can provide:
371 215 >35% Same maximum efficiency
Ultra-efficiency design • 20% or more design capacity
326 194 >25% Same for fine particles
• Lower pressure drop
Heavy duty, high
421 709 >20% Same efficiency design • Higher efficiency at design velocity
General purpose
431 172 >20% Same style • Equal or better corrosion and
931 708 >22% Same
High open area for fouling resistance
viscous or dirty liquid

Comparative efficiencies of various DEMISTER®

mist eliminator styles in air-water system at
atmospheric conditions.
FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators
Lowest pressure drop and high liquid capacity.

FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminators are baffle or zigzag blade modules tailored for either vertical or horizontal flow installations.

Depending on design parameters, operating conditions, and blade characteristics, these mist eliminators collect essentially
100% of all particles greater than 8 microns in diameter.

Manufactured in virtually any size from a wide range of metal alloys, thermal-set plastics, and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP),
many styles are available for custom-designed solutions.

I APPLICATIONS FOR WHICH FLEXICHEVRON MIST ELIMINATORS ARE IDEAL

• Scrubbers in utility flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems
• Phosphoric and sulfuric acid plants
• Crude oil refinery vacuum towers
• Pulp mill, sugar refinery, and chemical plant evaporators
• Upstream gas processing
• LNG plants

I CHARACTERISTICS OF FLEXICHEVRON® MIST ELIMINATORS

• Ideal for applications where solids or viscous, sticky liquids negatively affect the longevity of a wire mesh type mist
eliminator much faster than desired
• Vertical (upward) or horizontal flow designs
• Lowest pressure drop of any type mist eliminator
• Able to handle high liquid loads
• Good turndown
DESIGN PARAMETERS
The reentrainment point is a function of gas velocity, as well as other physical
properties, e.g., vapor density, liquid density, and liquid surface tension.

The reentrainment point is also highly sensitive to the geometry of the blade
profile. The superior liquid draining capability and optimum blade spacing can
be operated at a higher reentrainment point, yielding a higher capacity.

The difference between droplet penetration and reentrainment is often

confused. 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 blades.
At high gas velocities, a FLEXICHEVRON mist eliminator can have a removal
efficiency of 100% and, simultaneously, reentrain extensively. Conversely, at
low gas velocities, the chevron may not reentrain but has insufficient removal
of smaller droplets. Optimal FLEXICHEVRON performance is achieved at a gas
velocity that is as high as possible but not so high that it yields reentrainment.

FLEXICHEVRON® style XII/XIV mist eliminators are

designed for high capacity FGD applications.

Optimal Design for Conventional FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators

To reach an optimal design, it is often necessary to make a compromise between removal efficiency pressure drop, and plugging
tendency.

To do so, it is necessary to have some knowledge of the

droplet-size distribution entering the mist eliminator.
While exact inlet droplet-size distributions are seldom
known, experienced Koch-Glitsch designers are familiar
with most mist elimination applications and can help with
understanding the solutions available. Koch-Glitsch has
established proprietary know-how through application of
extensive air-water testing, computational fluid dynamic
(CFD) simulation, and commercial data confirmations.

Typical collection efficiency vs. droplet size of a FLEXICHEVRON®

mist eliminator in air-water system at atmospheric conditions.

I APPLICATIONS
FLEXICHEVRON mist eliminators should be used any time that plugging of wire mesh mist eliminators is a risk. These
applications include:

• Air pollution control scrubbers where dissolved or undissolved solids can be present.
• Applications where droplets will be sticky or viscous and will plug conventional knitted wire mesh mist eliminators.
• High vacuum applications, such as evaporators and vacuum crude units, where minimum pressure drop is critical.
High Capacity FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators
Special designs for higher pressure systems.

The FLEXICHEVRON® style 250 and 350 mist eliminators rely primarily on separate liquid drainage channels to achieve higher
capacity. This results in more efficient mist removal, especially at higher pressures where the allowable velocity decreases with
the increasing gas density.

The unique characteristic of the style 250 or 350 designs is their “double pocket” construction. Strategically located slots allow
coalesced liquid on the blade surfaces to be collected and directed into internal channels shielded from the gas flow. Once inside
these channels, the collected liquid is then directed to drains that lead to a liquid sump in the bottom of the vessel or a seal
system (cup).

Compared to the unshielded single pocket designs, they also provide higher turndown before noticeable efficiency losses are
experienced.

FLEXICHEVRON® style 250 high capacity mist eliminator FLEXICHEVRON® style 350 high capacity mist eliminator
for horizontal gas flow. for vertical gas flow.

I CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH CAPACITY I MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION

FLEXICHEVRON MIST ELIMINATORS
®
• Stainless steel
• Custom engineered to fit any vessel shape • Nickel-based alloys
• Allow reduced vessel sizes and weights • Titanium
• Sturdy, durable construction • Other special materials available on request
• Maintain efficiency at higher pressures
How a High Capacity FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminator Works
1. Double pocket hooks direct the collected liquid (green arrow) away from the main gas stream (yellow arrow).

2. The collected liquid (green arrow) flows into separate channels (purple).

3. The separate channels move the liquid away from the gas (red arrow).

Because the liquid is now isolated from the gas stream and less subject to reentrainment, gas velocities can be increased in both
horizontal and vertical gas flow configurations.

Horizontal gas flow. Vertical gas flow.

Performance of High Capacity FLEXICHEVRON® Mist Eliminators in Air/Water System

Using double pocket FLEXICHEVRON mist eliminators, it is possible to efficiently remove droplets smaller than 10 microns in
diameter in clean service even at higher pressures. Droplet size separation efficiency will be affected by physical properties of
the gas and liquid phases, gas velocity, liquid and gas densities, and liquid surface tension.
VORSOMAX® Cyclone Mist Eliminator
Reduce new vessel size or increase capacity in high-pressure applications.

VORSOMAX® cyclone mist eliminators consist of single or multiple elements mounted onto a deck plate. Each element contains
an activator which generates centrifugal force to provide the separation of vapor and liquid(s). The units are provided in easily-
handled subassemblies, which are installed through vessel manways. If the vessel is equipped with a body flange, the elements
may be consolidated into a single piece for installation via the body flange.

EXTREMELY HIGH GAS CAPACITY

VORSOMAX cyclone mist eliminators deliver very high gas-handling capacity combined with excellent droplet removal efficiency
even at elevated pressures.

NEW CONSTRUCTION
For grassroots projects involving high pressure separators, cyclone mist eliminators can provide the lowest overall cost solution
by minimizing the diameter and height requirements of the vessel. This reduction in footprint can result in several benefits to the
end user such as: faster vessel delivery, lower transportation costs, simplified installation and lower overall vessel costs.

RETROFITS
For existing high-pressure separators, where significant additional capacity is required, cyclone mist eliminators can extend the
gas capacity well beyond any other mist elimination technology available from Koch-Glitsch.

I BENEFITS
• Minimizes grassroots vessel diameter and weight, which is particularly
important in high-pressure applications
• Ideal for debottlenecking existing separators/scrubbers for
capacity upgrades
• High gas turndown
• Easily installed through vessel manways

I MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION
• All common metal alloys

I DESIGN PARAMETERS
The design and selection of cyclone mist eliminators are based on:
• Gas and liquid physical properties
• Liquid loading
• Desired efficiency and pressure drop
DEMISTER-PLUS Mist Eliminators
Reduce new vessel size or increase capacity in existing vessel.

The DEMISTER-PLUS mist eliminator is an advanced engineering design that is often used to minimize the size of new vessels or
increase capacity in existing vessels.

DESIGNING FOR MORE CAPACITY

In most process installations, vessel size is determined by needs other than mist eliminator capacity, such as:

• Capacity of trays or packing • Evaporator volume requirements • Liquid holdup requirements

In these cases, traditional mist eliminator designs will readily meet the capacity. In some equipment, particularly in knockout
drums, the vessel size is typically set by the requirements of the mist eliminator itself. When plants are revamped for additional
capacity, it is almost always more economical to reuse existing vessels rather than replace them with larger equipment.

HIGH CAPACITY, TWO-STAGE MIST ELIMINATOR

The advanced design DEMISTER-PLUS mist eliminator can achieve even greater increases in capacity over the high capacity
DEMISTER mist eliminator. The well-proven DEMISTER-PLUS design features a two-stage mist eliminator, combining the
efficiency of the DEMISTER mist eliminator with the high throughput capacity of the FLEXICHEVRON mist eliminator or
VORSOMAX cyclone mist eliminator.

• In new plant construction, these designs reduce knockout drum investment substantially while maintaining separation
efficiency. Vessel diameter can usually be reduced by 25 to 40% and, because the shell thickness is a function of diameter,
vessel weight can be reduced by 50 to 75%.
• In revamp situations, more than 300% capacity gain can be achieved, depending on the existing vessel geometry.
• When needed, revamp modifications can be accomplished without welding.

TYPE VM-V TYPE MV-H TYPE MV-V TYPE MC-V

Vertical flow DEMISTER-PLUS Horizontal flow DEMISTER- Vertical flow DEMISTER-PLUS Vertical-flow DEMISTER-PLUS
type VM-V mist eliminator PLUS type MV-H mist eliminator type MV-V mist eliminators use type MC-V separators use
combines the high liquid handling designs allow substantial high capacity FLEXICHEVRON® VORSOMAX mist eliminators
capacity of a conventional increases in throughput capacity mist eliminators for higher for higher capacity. Solutions
FLEXICHEVRON® mist eliminator in any knockout or flash drum. efficiency at increased capacity. also available for horizontal
with the high efficiency of a separators.
DEMISTER® mist eliminator.
Inlet Devices
Equipment for improving flow distribution in multiphase separation vessels.

UNIFORM FEED DISTRIBUTION

Inlet nozzles are a common problem area in retrofitting situations because
under-designed inlet distributors allow localized high velocities, which create
severe liquid entrainment. The high gas flow volumes at the inlet nozzle create
poor gas distribution in crowded drums or distillation towers.

Localized velocity patterns with a plain nozzle inlet.

YORK-EVENFLOW Vane Inlet Device

The YORK-EVENFLOW vane inlet device decreases the momentum of the
inlet feed stream in a controlled manner, which allows:

• Removal of bulk liquid and solids.

• Even distribution of the gas flow over the downstream mist
elimination devices.
• Minimization of droplet shatter, which prevents creation of additional
fine entrainment.
• Reduction of gas velocities flowing over the liquid surface below
the feed point, which prevents reentrainment of previously collected
liquid caused by shear on the liquid surface.

I CHARACTERISTICS OF YORK-EVENFLOW VANE INLET DEVICE

• Evenly distributes the vapor to reduce channeling
• Gradually reduces high inlet momentum
• Diverts high liquid loads away from the mist eliminator
• Prevents reentrainment of liquid droplets from the surface below the
feed point
• Modular construction allows installation through vessel manways Localized velocity patterns with the YORK-EVENFLOW
vane inlet device.
• Custom engineered for vertical or horizontal vessels
VORSOMAX® Cyclonic Inlet Device
The VORSOMAX cyclonic inlet device is a patent-pending inlet device that delivers efficient separation of vapor and liquid
phases. It consists of a manifold and a series of separation cans, in which centrifugal force is generated to provide the vapor-
liquid separation.

VORSOMAX cyclonic inlet device decreases the

momentum of the feed stream entering an inlet
nozzle. This is performed in a controlled manner
which allows:

• Removal of bulk liquid and some solids

• Good distribution of vapor over downstream
internals
• Minimization of droplet shatter, which
prevents creation of additional fine
entrainment
• Reduction of forces acting on liquid surface
below the feed
VORSOMAX® 10-can cyclonic inlet device for horizontal drum.

I BENEFITS

• Due to high efficiency separation of liquid from vapor, reduces liquid load to mist elimination equipment
• Foam breaking or suppression
• Compact design compared to conventional inlet cyclones
• Prevents shear forces acting on liquid levels which can lead to re-entrainment of previously collected liquid
• Modular construction allows for easy installation through vessel manways
• Custom engineered for vertical or horizontal vessels
Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling
A reliable tool for design optimization, troubleshooting, and product development.

Flow distribution is critical in multiphase 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 for all elements that can
affect separation performance, such as:

• Flow velocities through inlet and outlet nozzles

• Spacing between nozzles
• Internals
• Liquid levels
• Wave motion

CFD modeling is used by engineers at Koch-Glitsch

to simulate flow conditions and vessel geometry. The
modeling provides a close approximation of the fluid
flow profile inside the vessel.

• For existing installations, poor flow distribution

can be identified as the cause of unexpected high
liquid carryover.

• In retrofit situations where the process conditions

may be increasing, design modifications can be
evaluated and optimized with high assurance that
the desired performance will be achieved.

• For new equipment, optimized CFD designs

result in size and weight reductions that provide
savings beyond the lower cost of the separator. In
addition to reduced vessel cost, there are usually
associated savings in foundations and support
structures.
The case illustrated below was a study of the velocity patterns inside a critical separator vessel operating under vacuum. For
optimal performance, it was important that the velocity profile through the mist eliminator be uniform. The CFD study confirmed
this to be the case, based on the vessel geometry.

3
FLEXIFIBER® Mist Eliminators
Reduce visible stack gas plumes and provide unlimited turndown.

The custom designed and fabricated FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminators consist of a special
media contained between either two concentric screens or two flat parallel screens.

Depending upon design parameters, FLEXIFIBER mist eliminators can achieve high
separation efficiency of all submicron liquid particles.

This mist eliminator is ideal for use in the following applications

• Sulfuric, nitric, and thermal phosphoric acid plants

• Chlorine and other chemical plants
• Pulp Mills

How a FLEXIFIBER® Mist Eliminator Works

1. Mist-laden gases enter the vessel and pass horizontally through the fiberbed.

2. Separated liquids drain downward on the inside surface of the element.

3. Liquids pass through the drain leg and are collected at the bottom of the vessel.

1 4. Clean gases exit at the top of the vessel.

2 Characteristics of FLEXIFIBER® Mist Eliminators

• Reduce or eliminate visible stack gas plumes
• Provide unlimited turndown from design capacity for type BD elements
3
1 • Can be designed for very low pressure drop

I MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION - CAGES I MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION – FIBERBED MEDIA

• Wide variety of metal alloys • Special glass
• Thermal-set plastics and plastics • PTFE
• FRP • Polyester fiber
• Special carbon fiber media is available for those
applications that contain fluorides, high pH, or steam.
FLEXIFIBER® Type BD (Brownian Diffusion) and Type BD-LdP
(Low Pressure Drop) Mist Eliminators
Type BD elements are normally cylindrical in shape and are available in a wide
variety of materials.

Using the Brownian Diffusion mechanism, the type BD element is able to achieve
collection efficiencies of up to 100% on all submicron liquid particles even below
0.1 microns. Operating pressure drops are normally designed in the range of
2-20 in. [50-500 mm] wc.

An interesting feature of the FLEXIFIBER type BD mist eliminator is that, with

submicron particles, the collection efficiency slightly increases as the gas flow
rate through the bed is reduced. This is due to the liquid droplets having a longer
residence time in the fiberbed, which provides an increased chance for the liquid
particles to contact individual fibers and be collected.

FLEXIFIBER type BD-LdP fiberbed increases the collection efficiency of submicron

particles while reducing pressure drop (when compared to conventional fiberbed
technology). Where fiberbeds are large consumers of energy, such as the
case in chlorine and sulfuric acid production trains, this results in significant
reductions in operating costs. In addition to the specific processes cited above,
this technology can bring benefits to any process in the form of decreased
Typical performance curves for FLEXIFIBER®
investment and operating costs, as well as improved plant performance.
mist eliminator type BD in air-DOP system at
atmospheric conditions.

FLEXIFIBER® Type IC (Impaction Cylinder) Mist Eliminators

Primarily by using the impaction mechanism, type IC fiberbeds are designed to
capture liquid particles 1 micron and larger. Collection efficiencies on 1 micron
particles will vary from 90% on liquid mists with a specific gravity of 1.0 to 97%
on liquid mists with a specific gravity of 1.8. Operating pressure drops are usually
in the range of 4-10 in. [100-250 mm] wc.

FLEXIFIBER® Type IC-M, IC-K, and IC-KLF Mist Eliminators

FLEXIFIBER type IC-M and IC-K fiberbeds are specially designed to meet the
needs of today’s sulfuric acid plants. FLEXIFIBER type IC-M is an alternative to
type BD in both the drying and absorption towers, offering a combination of both
high capacity and efficiency. FLEXIFIBER type IC-K and our newly introduced
type IC-KLF combine our knitted wire mesh and fiberbed technologies to produce
extended life mist eliminators that are less inclined to foul with solids. This
results in both energy savings as well as longer run lengths in critical services
such as sulfuric acid drying towers.

Typical performance curves for FLEXIFIBER®

mist eliminator type IC in air-DOP system at
atmospheric conditions.
Phase Separation
Reduce size of new vessels, increase capacity of existing drums, and improve product purity.

When gravity forces alone do not produce an efficient separation of immiscible fluids, implementing a Koch-Glitsch liquid-liquid
coalescer solution can improve performance to provide minimal dispersion in the liquid effluent stream.

Why Liquid-liquid Dispersions Occur

Mixtures of two immiscible liquids occur throughout the process industries. Often this is an unavoidable result of the process.
In other cases, the mixing of two liquids is necessary to obtain mass transfer between the phases or to promote a chemical
reaction. Usually, a full separation of the liquids will be important for efficient and cost effective performance of the downstream
process.

The size of the resulting droplets (dispersed phase) and the ease of their separation from the continuous phase are partially
dependent on how the dispersion is created, as shown in the chart below.

Mechanical
static mixers

mechanical agitator

centrifugal pump

two phase flow

Condensation
heat exchanger from vapor

from saturated liquid

Chemical Reaction

0.1 1.0 10 100 1000

Drop Size, microns

Equally important are the physical properties of the two liquids, including interfacial tension, density difference and viscosity.
The presence of solids and trace impurities, as well as pH and temperature changes can completely alter the characteristics and
ease of separation. For example, it is quite possible for even a small presence of impurities to change an easy separation into a
difficult emulsion.

Because of this complexity, a theoretical calculation describing the separation of two liquids can only be done based on
assumptions of pure liquids, which never occurs in the real world. Therefore, the selection and design of liquid separation
equipment is based on a combination of basic principles, experience, and trial testing.
Design of Coalescer Vessels
Many separators consist merely of a horizontal vessel, as shown in the diagram below, where the separation occurs by
allowing the droplets to settle by gravity.

Droplets rise (when they are the lighter phase liquid) or fall (when they are the heavier phase) based on the following
equation, which is derived from Stoke’s Law.
g (ρH − ρL ) D2
Vs=
18μ

where:
V = Settling velocity (cm/sec)
g = Gravitational constant (98/cm/sec2)
μ = Viscosity of continuous phase (poise)
ρH = Density of heavy liquid (g/cm3)
ρL = Density of liquid liquid (g/cm3)
D = Droplet diameter (cm)

For a water droplet falling in an oil with a density of

50 lb/cu ft [800 Kg/m3], the settling rates are shown in
the graph below.

Droplet Settling Velocity

These traditional separators are not economical because they require long residence times to achieve separation of even 150-
200 micron droplets. They are rarely justified in new designs unless large surge capacity is required for process reasons, or
because of very heavy solids loadings or high viscosity liquids in the process.

3
Settling Velocity, cm/sec

0
O 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Drop Size, microns

Settling and Coalescing Options
Improving the process.

Droplet settling is strongly affected by both the droplet size and the distance the droplet must settle before it reaches the
interface between the two liquid phases. Both of these factors can be influenced through the selection of internals to accelerate
the separation.

Parallel Plate Settling Media

While droplets larger than 200-300 microns diameter will settle
quickly, smaller droplet dispersions require excessive settling
times when they must travel long distances to the interface.
With the use of parallel plates, the designer can create many
interfaces within the same vessel, which allows significant
reductions in separate vessel sizes.

For dispersions down to 40-100 microns, it is possible to

achieve efficient separation with this technique, and it is the
preferred equipment design where the potential for solids or
tarry liquids exists.

KY-FLEX® Liquid-liquid Settling Media

These corrugated plate separators are an improvement over the
parallel plate separators except where severe solids loadings
require the extra large spaces that the parallel plates allow. Properly
structured, the corrugations provide superior collection and drainage
channels for liquids and solids. A variety of corrugation geometries
and spacings are available to optimize the fouling resistance and
efficiency to the needs of each process.
KY-MESH Liquid-liquid Coalescing Media
Another approach focuses on increasing the size of droplets by coalescing them
into easily separated drops larger than 200 microns so they will quickly separate by
gravitational force. Generally, this technique is aimed at the smaller droplets, from
100 microns down to a few microns diameter, which settle very slowly or not at all.
Often referred to as secondary dispersions, haze, or emulsions, these applications
present the biggest challenge and are solved with high performance coalescing
media engineered for the properties of the specific chemicals involved. This media
consists of mixtures of metal and non-metallic wires and fibers. The internal
geometry promotes droplet size growth and maximizes liquid throughput velocities
for minimum vessel sizes.

KY-FIBER Liquid-Liquid Coalescing Media

KY-FIBER media is a high efficiency product specially designed for separation of fine
dispersions of one liquid phase from another. Depending on chemical compatibility
and wettability, these elements incorporate glass fiber, carbon or plastic fiber which is
positioned between concentric screens in a metal or plastic cage.

Similar to the FLEXIFIBER® mist eliminator, these elements are installed via mounting
flange onto a tube sheet contained in the separator. The liquid phases are forced to flow
radially through the media, which coalesces the small droplets in the dispersed phase for
separation from the continuous liquid phase.

The performance characteristics of KY-FIBER media make it a good fit for dispersions
that create a hazy appearance. Typically, these dispersions are tough to separate with
long settling times or conventional media. KY-FIBER media is not recommended for
fouling services.
I PHASE SEPARATION SOLUTIONS FOR COMMON APPLICATIONS
Created using inlets, turbulence isolation plates, and combinations of KY-MESH and KY-FLEX® liquid-liquid coalescing media
and parallel plate settling media, the exact combination of products in each solution varies depending on the application. With
over 50 years of experience providing phase separation solutions, Koch-Glitsch engineers have the knowledge and experience
to select an effective solution to meet specific application requirements. The solutions pictured below are representative of the
designs provided by Koch-Glitsch for common applications. Each solution will vary based on specific process requirements.

Hazy Distillates
As product cools in storage tanks, dissolved water comes out of solution to form water
droplets. These water droplets, which make up a small percentage of the feed, create a
haze that results in off-specification product. Without proper coalescing media,
use of the product is delayed until the water settles out by gravitational
forces alone.

Isometric view of two-phase

horizontal coalescer/settler.

Refinery Fractionator Overhead Reflux Drum

These drums frequently become a bottleneck when the towers they service are fitted
with higher capacity internals. The higher throughput rates in the modified tower increase
separation demands on the overhead drum. Poor liquid-liquid separation in the drum creates
high water level in the reflux stream that can lead to corrosion on the trays and increased
energy consumption in the tower.

Alkylation Units
In refineries, there are several steps where sulfuric acid, caustic, or water mix with
hydrocarbon streams and then are separated. It is critical that these separations are as
sharp and clean as practical to minimize acid and caustic consumption as well as to
minimize the potential for fouling/corrosion in downstream equipment

Isometric view of three-phase

vertical coalescer/settler.
Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Upsets in the main production plant can often burden the water effluent treatment facilities with increased hydrocarbon removal
requirements before water discharge.

Three-phase Horizontal Coalescer/Settler

In the Hydrocarbon Process Industries, the three-phase horizontal coalescer/
settler is a common separator type applied in the overhead systems of
distillation columns or as an upstream separator associated with
oil and gas production. As the name implies, this vessel
separates three phases: gas, light-phase liquid and
heavy-phase liquid (usually water).

Isometric view of three-phase horizontal coalescer/settler.

Koch-Glitsch Corporate Offices
WORLDWIDE HEADQUARTERS EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Koch-Glitsch, LP UNITED STATES/LATIN AMERICA:
4111 East 37th Street North | Wichita, KS 67220 | United States 888-KOCH-911 (mass transfer), 316-207-7935 (mist elimination),
316-828-5110 Tel or your local Koch-Glitsch office.

EUROPE CANADA:
Koch-Glitsch Italia S.r.l. 905-852-3381 (Uxbridge, Ontario)
Via Torri Bianche, 3A | 20871 Vimercate MB | Italy EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA:
+39-039-638-6010 Tel
+39-06-928-911 (Italy), +44 (0) 1782-744-561 (United Kingdom),
Koch-Glitsch BV or your local Koch-Glitsch office.
Belcrownlaan 13 i | 2100 Deurne | Belgium ASIA:
+32 (0) 3-647-2847 Tel
+65-6831-6500 (Singapore) or your local Koch-Glitsch office.
ASIA
Koch Engineered Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd.
260 Orchard Road, #11-01/09 | The Heeren | Singapore 238855
+65-6831-6500 Tel

Koch-Glitsch (a division of Koch Engineered Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.)

Seawoods Grand Central | F Wing 9th Level (11th Floor)
Unit No: F901 to F904, Tower-2 Plot No. R-1, Sector-40 | Nerul Road, NR. Seawoods Railway Station
Navi, Mumbai – 400 706 Maharashtra | India
+91 (0) 22-6771-7171 Tel

For a complete list of our offices and facilities, visit www.koch-glitsch.com.

Legal Notice
The information contained in this bulletin is believed to be accurate and reliable,
but is not to be construed as implying any warranty or guarantee of performance.

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© 2012-2021 Koch-Glitsch, LP. All rights reserved.

Bulletin MEPS-01. Ref. KG-20-189202. Rev. 5-2021. Printed in U.S.A.

YOU CAN RELY ON US.