The construction of an efficient scrubber requires the careful evaluation of several factors, from the inlet design to the demisting technology, to ensure a consistent flow of gas and liquids.
In a presentation held by the SPE Separations Technology Technical Section, Jimmie Riesenberg, senior process adviser and separations lead at Chevron, discussed the finer points of a scrubber design.
Gas scrubbers remove liquid droplets from gas streams to protect downstream equipment from damage and failure. They are typically used upstream of gas treating equipment or downstream of equipment where liquids have condensed from the gas. Before a design takes place, the scrubber’s expectations must be known. The liquid load should be taken into account, as should other factors such as startup, shutdown, and carryover from an upstream separator.
