Identified as an important issue for marginal fields, the removal of sand from hydrocarbon fluids has been investigated. A review of existing sand separation equipment has recognized a need for a new separator which will satisfy the design and performance requirements necessary for protecting offshore processing equipment. This thesis details the work and analysis undertaken which has contributed towards the design and development of a new offshore gas/solid separator. A critique of different separation techniques has identified axial flow cyclone (AFC) separators as a suitable separator design for offshore desanding applications. After reviewing existing models which simulate the performance of AFC separators a simple classification table has been developed. Using the conclusions of this review as a starting platform, a methodology for developing a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) performance model for the new separator was proposed. Experimental work undertaken at the CALtec laboratories and the BG plc (formerly British Gas Research and Technology) Low Thornley test facilities are presented. The results obtained have been used to analysis the performance of difference separator internal designs. In addition, the results have been used to evaluate the robustness of existing AFC performance models and validate the new CFD model. For the investigated operational duties, the new CFD model has been shown to consistently under-predict the collection efficiency, whereas the other AFC models over-predict. From a design point of view, a model which under-predicts the overall collection efficiency will result in the over-design of the separator for a particular operating duty. Therefore, the use of such a model will ensure the design of a separator which will offer greater than expected levels of protection of downstream equipment from erosion wear.

This thesis is focused on separation water drops from jet of steam. Liested are some of basic principles of separation of moisture and particles, as well as equipment, which are using these principles. Furthemore, this thesis include the part devoted to water drop formation during condesation of vapor. Last part is focused on the design of cyclone separator.

In power generation from solid fuel such as coal-fired power plants, combustion efficiency can be monitored by the loss on ignition (LOI) of the pulverised fuel. It is the role of the pulveriser-classifier combination to ensure pulverised fuel delivered to the burners is within the specified limits of fineness and mass flow deviation required to keep the LOI at an acceptable level. However, government imposed limits on emissions have spurred the conversion of many coal fired power plants to convert to the use of Low NOx Burners. To maintain good LOI or combustion efficiency, the limits of fineness and mass flow deviation or inter-outlet fuel distribution have become narrower. A lot of existing pulveriser units cannot operate efficiently within these limits hence retrofits of short term solutions such as orifice balancing and classifier maintenance has been applied. The work performed in this thesis relates to an investigation into coal classifier devices that function to control fineness and inter pipe balancing upstream of the burner and downstream of the pulverisers. A cold flow model of a static classifier was developed to investigate the flow characteristics so that design optimisations can be made. Dynamic similarity was achieved by designing a 1/3 scale model with air as the continuous phase and glass cenospheres of a similar size distribution as pulverised fuel, to simulate the coal dust. The rig was operated in positive pressure with air at room temperature and discharge to atmosphere. The Stokes number similarity (0.11-prototype vs. 0.08-model) was the most important dimensionless parameter to conserve as Reynolds number becomes independent of separation efficiency and pressure drop at high industrial values such as 2 x 10 4 Hoffman, 2008). Air-fuel ratio was also compromised and an assumption of dilute flow was made to qualify this. However, the effect of air fuel ratio was ascertained by its inclusion as an experimental variable. Experiments were conducted at air flow rates of 1.41-1.71kg/s and air fuel ratios of 4.8-10 with classifier vane angle adjustment (30°- 60°) and inlet swirl umbers (S) of 0.49 – 1. Radial profiles of tangential, axial and radial velocity were obtained at several cross sections to determine the airflow pattern and establish links with the separation performance and outlet flow balance. Results show a proportional relationship between cone vane angle and cut size or particle fineness. Models can be derived from the data so that reliable predictions of fineness and outlet fuel balance can be used in power stations and replace simplistic and process simulator models that fail to correctly predict performance. It was found that swirl intensity is more significant a parameter in obtaining balanced flow at the classifier outlets than uniform air flow distribution in the mill. However the latter is important in obtaining high grade efficiencies and cut size. The study concludes that the static classifier can be further improved and retrofit-able solutions can be applied to problems of outlet flow imbalance and poor fineness at the mill outlets.

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