Flash Drum

A vapor–liquid separator is a device used in several industrial applications to separate a vapor–

liquid mixture.
A vapor–liquid separator may also be referred to as a flash drum, break pot, knock-out drum or
knock-out pot, compressor suction drum or compressor inlet drum. When used to remove
suspended water droplets from streams of air, it is often called a thermistor.
Flash evaporation is one of the simplest separation processes. A liquid stream containing several
components is partially vaporized in a ”flash drum” at a certain pressure and temperature. This
results in two phases: a vapor phase, enriched in the more volatile components, and a liquid phase,
enriched in the less volatile components.
The fluid is pressurized and heated and is then passed through a throttling valve or nozzle into the
flash drum. Because of the large drop in pressure, part of the fluid vaporizes. The vapor is taken
off overhead, while the liquid drains to the bottom of the drum, where it is withdrawn. The system
is called ”flash” distillation because the vaporization is extremely rapid after the feed enters the
drum. Because of the intimate contact between liquid and vapor, the system in the flash chamber
is very close to an equilibrium stage. Figure 1 shows a schematic drawing of a flash unit.

Figure 1

Method of operation
For the common variety, gravity is utilized in a vertical vessel to cause the liquid to settle to the
bottom of the vessel, where it is withdrawn.
In low gravity environments such as a space station, a common liquid separator will not function
because gravity is not usable as a separation mechanism. In this case, centrifugal force needs to be
utilized in a spinning centrifugal separator to drive liquid towards the outer edge of the chamber
for removal. Gaseous components migrate towards the center.
For both varieties of separator, the gas outlet may itself be surrounded by a spinning mesh screen
or grating, so that any liquid that does approach the outlet strikes the grating, is accelerated, and
thrown away from the outlet.
The vapor travels through the gas outlet at a design velocity which minimizes the entrainment of
any liquid droplets in the vapor as it exits the vessel.
The feed to a vapor–liquid separator may also be a liquid that is being partially or totally flashed
into a vapor and liquid as it enters the separator.

Where vapor–liquid separators are used

Vapor–liquid separators are very widely used in a great many industries and applications, such as:
 Oil refineries
 Natural-gas processing plants (NGL)
 Petrochemical and chemical plants
 Refrigeration systems
 Air conditioning
 Compressor systems
 Gas pipelines
 Steam condensate flash drums
 Geothermal power plants
 Combined cycle power plants
 Flare stacks
 Soil vapor extraction
 Paper mills

Calculation of bubble and dew points

The dew point of a mixture is the point (temperature and pressure) at which a vapor will start
condensing. Similarly, the bubble point is the point at which a liquid starts boiling. In other words,
the vapor fraction at the dew point is 1, while it is 0 at the bubble point. To calculate the dew and
bubble point, we again look at the material balances and equilibrium conditions
 Figure 2: Bubble point Tbubble and dew point Tdew at pressure P,
for a mixture of composition z
Bubble point.
At the dew point, V = 0. The material balance then gives us that F = L and z = x. If we sum up
equations 1 and 2, we obtain
K1(P, T)x + (1 − x)K2(P, T) = 1 1
and with z = x
K1(P, T)z + (1 − z)K2(P, T) = 1 2
To find the bubble point, we need to find the temperature and pressure (one of which is given) at
which equation 2 is fulfilled. Normally, this can only be done numerically.
Dew point
At the dew point, L = 0. From the material balance we obtain F = V and z = y. In this case, we
write the equilibrium conditions (equations 1 and 2) in terms of x:
x = y / K1
1 − x = 1 − y K2