The Aker Solutions axial flow cyclone (AFC) offers high gas capacity with minimal pressure drop.
![[Image]](/Global/Drilling%20Technologies/Process%20Systems/Aberdeen/axial%20flow%20cyclone.jpg "[Image]")
Advantages:
- Can accommodate higher load factors than other demisting devices, hence requiring smaller vessels for new installations or enabling existing vessels to handle higher volumes
- High turn down capacity
- Aerodynamic flow paths reduce unwanted turbulence and give enhanced liquid removal characteristics
- Inherent foam breaking characteristics due to the relatively high inertia exerted by the spinning gas
Principle of operation
As wet gas enters the cyclone it flows through the vanes on a spinner element, which induces a swirling flow. The optimum blade angle on this element is derived using CFD modelling. The high tangential velocities produce throw the liquid droplets to the cyclone walls where the form a thin film. This film drains either from slots in the cyclone wall or from annular gaps at either end of the body. Generally these slots are longitudinal, which means they are parallel to the axis of the tube. The dry gas forms a core in the centre of the tube and exits through the vortex finder. The liquid handling per cyclone is typically 0.5m3/hr.
Features
One of the main features of the axial flow cyclone is its recycling action. This helps to remove captured liquid form the main gas stream, preventing the build-up of a think liquid film on the cyclone wall and possible re-entrainment. All critical parts of the AFC are made using high precision manufacturing techniques to ensure consistency in performance.
Application
The axial flow cyclone is ideally suited to applications where entrained mist is to be removed from streams with pressures from 10-180 barg. The device will remove particles greater then 4 µm. For high pressure applications, a mesh coalescer may be installed upstream to coalesce very fine liquid droplets.
The cyclones can be installed in either vertical or horizontal vessels and can be fixed or removable to suit the preferred maintenance regime. The high gas capacity of the cyclone means that it requires less area than a vane or a mesh type demister. This not only results in smaller vessel sizes in new installations but also offers debottlenecking solutions of existing vessels.