Analysis of Factors Influencing the Performance of Horizontal Inline Dynamic Cyclone under Dry Operating Condition

The application of compact separator for gas-liquid separation has gained importance in recent years due to its small size and foot print area, minimal maintenance and superior separation efficiency compared to its conventional counterparts. It is also an environmentally friendly technology as its operation requires minimal, or no chemical consumption. This paper reports the parametric analysis that affects the gas mass flow rate and rotational speed of the rotating element inside a horizontal inline dynamic cyclone under dry condition. This is the first step in understanding the factors that influence the extent of centrifugal force inside the horizontal inline dynamic cyclone that affects the separation efficiency. The study was performed at elevated pressure condition of up to 70 bar at a flow rate of up to 5 MMSCFD. Results shows that for mass flow rate of gas through the dynamic cyclone, both operating pressure and compressor speed as well as the interaction between the two factors are important. However, in terms of rotational speed, only the individual factors, i.e. operating pressure and compressor speed is important.