Engineering Procedure

Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page 1 of 9

Document No.: Rev.: 0
Rev. Revised Page Nos.
A
0 Generally Revised
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page 2 of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
Table of Contents
1. Purpose .......................................................................................................................... 3
2. Applicale Docu!ents ................................................................................................... 3
3. De"initions ...................................................................................................................... 3
#. $vervie% ........................................................................................................................ 3
&. General Re'uire!ents ................................................................................................... #
(. Procedure ...................................................................................................................... #
(.1. Slug )olu!e and Slug Catcher Capacity ........................................................................... #
(.2. *inger Dia!eter ................................................................................................................. &
(.3. *inger Nu!er and +ength ................................................................................................ &
(.#. Separation Part +ength ..................................................................................................... &
(.&. ,igh ,igh +i'uid +evel -,,++. .......................................................................................... (
(.(. ,igh +i'uid +evel -,++. ..................................................................................................... (
(./. Nor!al +i'uid +evel -N++. ................................................................................................. (
(.0. +o% +o% +i'uid +evel ........................................................................................................ /
(.1. *inger Spacing ................................................................................................................. /
(.10. Slug Catcher 2oot Si3ing ................................................................................................. /
(.11. Slug Catcher Risers and +i'uid $utlets ........................................................................... 0
/. Attach!ents ................................................................................................................... 0

Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page 3 of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
1. Purose
4he purpose o" this docu!ent is the process design o" Slug Catchers.
2. !licable Documents
Re"erence docu!ents "or this procedure are as "ollo%s5
Slug volu!e6 reported y si!ulation depart!ent
P*D
,eat and 7aterial 2alance
Design 2asis
GPSA
P89D
Plot Plan
3. Definitions
:g 5 Gas density6 ls;"t
3
< -=g;!
3
.
:" 5 +i'uid density6 ls;"t
3
< -=g;!
3
.
Dc 5 7ain header pipe inside dia!eter6 "t< -!!.
D+ 5 Dia!eter o" spherical li'uid particles6 "t< -!!.
P 5 $perating pressure6 Psia< ->Pa-as..
? 5 Standard Gas "lo% rate6 sc";d< -s!
3
;d.
?v 5 Gas "lo% rate6 "t
3
;s< -!
3
;s.
4 5 Gas te!perature6 @R< -=.
A 5 Gas viscosity6 l;"tBsec< -A PaBs.
)h 5 Gas velocity in pipe6 "t;sec< -!;s.
)t 5 4er!inal settling velocity o" particle due to gravity6 "t;sec< -!;s.
C 5 Co!pressiility "actor
g 5 Acceleration due to gravity -Assu!ed to e 32.2 "t;s
2
< 1.01& !;s
2
.
t 5 particle settling ti!e6 sec
A 5 Pipe cross sectional area6 "t
2
<-!
2
.
". #vervie$
4run> lines transporting natural gas o"ten operate in the t%oBphase "lo% !ode due to
li'uid inDection and;or additional li'uid "or!ation y retrograde condensation. Slip in
velocity et%een the gas and the li'uid in the pipeline -li'uid holdBup.. 4he largest slug
that can ever occur is that caused y sphering.
4he holding capacity o" the Slug Catcher !ust there"ore e essentially as great as the
volu!e o" the largest slug. Although li'uid carryover !ust e li!ited6 a Slug Catcher is not
!eant to replace the highBe""iciency separator.
4here are t%o types o" Slug Catchers in operation throughout the %orld5 vessel type and
!ultipleBpipe type -"inger type.. A !aDor advantage o" the "inger type Slug Catcher is the
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page " of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
ease o" its operation. Apart "ro! level control6 no other instru!entation is re'uired. 4his
procedure "ollo%s the "ingerBtype Slug Catcher si3ing rather than the vessel type.
A vesselBtype Slug Catcher is designed li>e a hori3ontal t%oBphase separator. 7oreover6
an additional capacity shall e considered "or holding the slug during the separation
process.
A "ingerBtype Slug Catcher is a device nor!ally !ade "ro! pipe and "ittings that is
designed and uilt to retain large6 rapidly accu!ulated volu!es o" pipeline li'uids -slugs..
4he Slug Catcher "unctions as a reservoir as these li'uids are treated and pu!ped to
storage or sales. 4he !ain co!ponents o" a Slug Catcher are sho%n in *igure 1.
9t consists essentially o" t%o parts5 1. A separation part6 separating the li'uid "ro! the
!iEed strea! arriving under nor!al "lo% conditions -steady.6 2. A storage part6 receiving
and storing the inco!ing li'uid slug created y upset conditions -%hich also include
running a sphere through the pipeline..
An inco!ing li'uid slug "lo%s via the splitter into the inlet !ani"old and then via the
hori3ontal separation part into the sloping "ingers. 4he do%n%ard "lo%ing slug displaces
the gas present in the "ingers up through the risers !ounted on the "ingers< "ro! the
risers6 the gas "lo%s through the outlet header6 carrying s!all li'uid droplets -usually
s!aller than 1&0 !icrons. and then into the gasB treating plant. 4he li'uid;gas eEchange
that ta>es place in the "ingers ensures that the gas supply to the do%nstrea! "acilities
re!ains uninterrupted during li'uid slug arrival provided eEcessive li'uid carryover can e
avoided. Gas that oils o"" the li'uid in the "ingers is captured y the oilBo"" headers
-risers. and "ed ac> into the !ain gas "lo% do%nstrea! o" the Slug Catcher.
4%o i!portant "actors that !ust e considered in the design o" a Slug Catcher are "lo%
tee and the si3ing o" the !ain header. 4he !ain header should e si3ed so that the
upper!ost li'uid particle in the upstrea! end o" the !ain header "alls to the otto! o" the
!ain header %ell in advance o" the do%n co!er o" the last -!ost do%nstrea!. "inger.
Although a properly designed Slug Catcher %ill re!ove !ore than 1& percent o" the li'uid
"ro! the gas strea!6 a li'uid separator -pre"eraly centri"ugal rather than vane or !esh.
should al%ays e installed do%nstrea! o" any Slug Catcher.
%. &eneral Re'uirements
None.
(. Procedure
(.1. )lug *olume and )lug Catc+er Caacit,
4he Slug Catcher capacity is ased on an esti!ated !aEi!u! slug volu!e "ro! holdup
predictions. FEperience %ith Slug Catchers has sho%n that li'uid carryout during slug
arrival can occur %henever the slug volu!e eEceeds aout 00G o" the Slug Catcher
volu!e. 4hus6 the e""ective Slug Catcher capacity is assu!ed to e 00G o" the Slug
Catcher volu!e.
4he li'uid holdup is calculated y several !ethods as 2276 227F6 DF6 etc. 4hese data
shall e reported y Si!ulation Depart!ent.
d
g
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page % of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
9t is reco!!ended to consider the average a!ount o" these !ethods as slug volu!e "or
si3ing the Slug Catcher.
,,++
,++
N++
+++
++++
2oot
Separation Part
Gas $utlet
-Riser.
+i'uid $utlet
Hater $utlet
-igure 1
(.2. -inger Diameter
9t !ust e considered that the "ingersI dia!eter should e at least one and one hal"
ti!es the dia!eter o" the inlet line.
(.3. -inger Number and .engt+
4he nu!er and length o" the "ingers are nor!ally ased on econo!ics6 although in all
instances the "ingers !ust have su""icient volu!e to contain the !aEi!u! anticipated
slug si3e.
4he Slug Catcher area on the Plot Plan shall e chec>ed in order to "inali3e the
availale length o" "ingers.
9t !ust e noted that i" !ore than t%o "ingers are re'uired to contain the !aEi!u!
anticipated slug si3e6 then those in eEcess o" t%o should e e'ually spaced et%een the
"irst and last "inger.
4he "ingers !ust slop to%ard the li'uid header.
(.". )earation Part .engt+
4his hori3ontal part o" the Slug Catcher shall e si3ed as a t%o phase separator as
"ollo%s5
d
g
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page ( of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
1. )t J
( )
43 . 0 29 . 0
71 . 0 14 . 1 71 . 0
54 . 3

g
g f L
D g
-"or Particle dia!eter o" 1000 !icrons.
)t J
( )

18
2
g f L
D g
-"or Particle dia!eter o" less than 100 !icrons.
2. 4he gas occupies its proportionate share o" the tue crossBsection -aout 20G..
*or Calculating dg6 %e can use the tales in Attach!ent 2.
t J
t
g
V
d

3. Calculate the !ini!u! length "or separation part5
+sep.J
t V
h


)h is the gas velocity in pipe5
A
Q
V
v
h
=
(.%. /ig+ /ig+ .i'uid .evel 0//..1
*or calculating the ,,++ o" the Slug Catcher6 the Slug Catcher !ust e considered to
e totally "illed %ith slug -eEcept the separation part..
(.(. /ig+ .i'uid .evel 0/..1
*or calculating the ,++ o" the Slug Catcher6 %e should calculate the total slug volu!e
per "inger6 "irst. 4hen6 y assu!ing that the calculated slug volu!e eEists in Slug
Catcher6 the ,igh +i'uid +evel can e deter!ined -9t should e et%een ,,++ and
N++..
(.2. Normal .i'uid .evel 0N..1
*or calculating the N++ o" the Slug Catcher6 the li'uid volu!e stored in each "inger o"
the Slug Catcher should e calculated using the nor!al li'uid "lo% rate and the assu!ed
retention ti!e. 4hen6 the Nor!al +evel o" the li'uid !ust e calculated considering that
the calculated volu!e o" the li'uid eEists in the Slug Catcher.+o% +i'uid +evel -+++.
*irst6 %e assu!e that the lo% li'uid volu!e is 20B30G o" the nor!al li'uid volu!e. 4hen
y assu!ing that this calculated volu!e eEists in the Slug Catcher6 the +o% +i'uid +evel
can e deter!ined.
D
c
d
g
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page 2 of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
(.3. .o$ .o$ .i'uid .evel
4his level is usually assu!ed to e et%een 1&0 !!B200 !! aove the Slug Catcher
lo%est part -its end point..
(.9. -inger )acing
1. Calculate the ter!inal li'uid particle velocity5
)t J
( )
43 . 0 29 . 0
71 . 0 14 . 1 71 . 0
54 . 3

g
g f L
D g
-"or Particle dia!eter o" 1000 !icrons.
)t J
( )

18
2
g f L
D g
-"or Particle dia!eter o" less than 100 !icrons.
2. Deter!ine the particle settling ti!e5
t J
t
c
V
D

3. Deter!ine the gas velocity inside the header5
)h J
( ) day D
Z
R
T
P
in lbf
Q
c
sec/ 86400
4
520
/ 7 . 14
2
2

#. Calculate the !ini!u! spacing et%een the inlet and last Slug Catcher "inger5
7in Spacing -"t. J
t V
h

(.14. )lug Catc+er 5oot )i6ing
He usually consider a oot to separate the inlet %ater6 %hich is !iEed %ith the li'uid
hydrocaron and !ay eco!e separated during the li'uid retention ti!e in the Slug
Catcher.
*or oot si3ing6 %e should consider the %ater "lo% rate into the Slug Catcher and
assu!e a retention ti!e "or the %ater in the oot. 2y considering the !aEi!u! %ater
volu!e6 %e can choose the appropriate dia!eter and height "or the oot.
2oots shall e si3ed "or a !ini!u! residence ti!e et%een ,++ and +++
o" & !inutes as a guideline5 their dia!eters shall e the sa!e as the
co!!ercial pipe si3es as "ar as possile. 4he height dia!eter ratio shall
e 251 K &516 it shall e deter!ined %ith consideration given to operaility
and the !ini!u! si3e o" level instru!ents and e'uip!ent.
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page 3 of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
2oot dia!eters shall e 12 inches !ini!u! ecause good operaility
cannot e provided i" the oots are s!aller than 12 inches.
(.11. )lug Catc+er Risers and .i'uid #utlets
He should consider the !aEi!u! allo%ale li'uid and gas velocities in pipes6 %hich are
de"ined in the proDect Design 2asis to si3e the risers and li'uid outletsI pipes.
2. !ttac+ments
Attach!ent A5 A sa!ple Slug Catcher vie% in P89DIs
Attach!ent 25 4ales used "or calculation o" dg
Engineering Procedure
Title: Slug Catcher Process Design Page 9 of 9
Document No.: Rev.: 0
!ttac+ment !
01 )+eet1
!ttac+ment 5
0" )+eets1