Separation Principle

Gas and liquid enter together. Inlet momentum breaks allowing gravity separation - gas rises while heavier liquid falls. Mist eliminators capture remaining droplets. Gas exits overhead clean and dry. Liquid drains from bottom for storage or processing.

Vessel Types

Vertical separators work well for low liquid volumes and foaming service. Gas flows upward giving natural separation. Horizontal designs handle high liquid rates with longer retention time. Selection depends on gas-to-liquid ratio and available plot space.

Operating Pressure

Design pressure ranges from atmospheric to 3000 psig matching process requirements. High-pressure vessels use heavy-wall construction. Low-pressure units have lighter materials reducing cost. Relief valves protect against overpressure from blocked outlets.

Internal Design

Inlet diverter spreads flow preventing liquid re-entrainment. Wire mesh or vane packs capture droplets down to 10 microns. Baffles prevent gas channeling through liquid. Outlet design avoids vortexing that could carry liquid into gas line.

Material Selection

Carbon steel suits hydrocarbon service. Stainless steel handles corrosive fluids or water. Sour service with H₂S requires NACE materials. Internal components resist erosion from high velocities and abrasive particles.

Applications

Wellhead production separation, compressor suction scrubbing, distillation reflux drums, glycol contactor inlet cleanup, storage tank vapor recovery, and countless process applications. Found throughout oil, gas, chemical, and refining facilities.

Level Control

Level instruments trigger dump valves removing liquid maintaining inventory. High-level alarms prevent overflow into gas outlet. Controllers integrate with pumps or downstream equipment coordinating liquid handling.

Performance Factors

Retention time allows complete separation - typically 30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on conditions. Proper sizing prevents gas velocity from re-entraining liquid droplets. Temperature affects density difference and viscosity influencing separation efficiency.

Construction Standards

Design per ASME Section VIII for pressure vessels or API 650 for atmospheric service. Materials match operating conditions and fluid properties. Relief sizing per API 521. Complete documentation with capacity calculations.

ERGIL two-phase separators provide reliable gas-liquid separation across diverse industrial applications from wellheads to process plants.