Enhanced mechanistic model and field application design of gas/liquid cylindrical cyclone separators

An existing mechanistic model for prediction of the hydrodynamic flow behav ior in a gas-liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) separator has been enhanced. The main enhancement incorporated is a flow pattern dependent nozzle analy sis of the cylindrical cyclone inlet for prediction of the gas and liquid t angential velocities at the GLCC entrance. Four typical held GLCC systems w ere designed for actual industrial applications using the proposed model. T hese include multiphase metering loop with both single-phase and multiphase flow meters, and pre-separation and full separation configurations. The fi eld applications demonstrate the cylindrical cyclone capabilities and its p otential impact on the petroleum industry.