Gas Liquid Vane Separators in High Pressure Applications

Vane separators are inertial devices used to remove entrained liquids from gas. They are utilized in pressure vessels operating at a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and sizing calculations are used to evaluate the loading to a vane separator and determine the maximum overall gas and liquid handling capacity of the pressure vessel. Test results, performed at operating pressures up to 133 bar (1931 psia) using live natural gas illustrate that, when sized correctly based on the vane’s capacity curves and CFD modeling, vane separators continue to have high separation efficiency at very high operating pressures.