DOC.

REF: FS-HC02-R0
Date: April 21, 2017

SIMULATION OF
2” HYDROCYCLONE
Fluid Flow Simulation Report

Table of Contents
1 General Information .......................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Analysis Environment ................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Model Information ..................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Project Comments: .................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Size of Computational Domain ...................................................................................... 2
1.5 Simulation Parameters ................................................................................................ 2
1.5.1 Mesh Settings ........................................................................................................ 2
1.5.2 Material Settings .................................................................................................... 3
1.5.3 Initial Conditions .................................................................................................... 3
1.5.4 Boundary Conditions ............................................................................................... 3
1.5.5 Volumetric Heat Sources .......................................................................................... 3
1.5.6 Engineering Goals ................................................................................................... 4
1.6 Analysis Time ........................................................................................................... 4
2 Results ......................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Analysis Goals ........................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Global Min-Max-Table .................................................................................................. 5
2.3 Results.................................................................................................................... 5
2.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 9
3 Appendix ..................................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Material Data.......................................................................................................... 10

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Fluid Flow Simulation Report

1 General Information
Objective of the simulation:

This simulation was conducted to analyze the characteristic/efficiency of a 2in cyclone as per drawing attached below:

NOTE: Solidworks Flow Simulation does not support mixing an incompressible fluid with a compressible gas in the
same volume, also known as two phase flow. For instance, oil and gas flowing into a nozzle of a vessel at the same
time. However we can analyze solid particles in single phase flow such as solids in liquid and solids in gas.
So as a result, we are analyzing solid particles suspended in a gas dominating well stream. This approach is not ideal,
however will provide value in the evaluation of an effective, cyclonic separation vessel.

Assumptions:
Single
Flow Rate: up to 30 MMSCFD
Solids: 3600 kg/hr
Temperature: 35˚C

Boundary Conditions:
Vessel Operating Pressure: 1600 psig
Vessel Operating Temperature: 35˚C
Gas used for simulation: Ethylene
Solids: Iron
Wall Roughness: 5 micron
Gravity: 9.8 m/s2 –Y directions.

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1.1 Analysis Environment

Software Product: Flow Simulation 2016 SP1.0. Build: 3296
CPU Type: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
CPU Speed: 2701 MHz
RAM: 16323 MB / 8388607 MB
Operating System: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (Build 7601)

1.2 Model Information

Model Name: PS-C02.SLDPRT
Project Name: 2in boundary2

1.3 Project Comments:

Unit System: SI (m-kg-s)
Analysis Type: Internal

1.4 Size of Computational Domain

Size
X min -0.045 m
X max 0.228 m
Y min 0.005 m
Y max 1.095 m
Z min -0.045 m
Z max 0.147 m

1.5 Simulation Parameters

1.5.1 Mesh Settings
1.5.1.1 Basic Mesh

Basic Mesh Dimensions

Number of cells in X 10
Number of cells in Y 36
Number of cells in Z 6

1.5.1.2 Analysis Mesh

Total Cell count: 22184
Fluid Cells: 9483
Solid Cells: 12701
Partial Cells: 6096
Trimmed Cells: 0

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1.5.1.3 Additional Physical Calculation Options
Heat Transfer Analysis: Heat conduction in solids: Off
Flow Type: Turbulent only
Time-Dependent Analysis: Off
Gravity: On
Radiation:
Humidity: Off
Default Wall Roughness: 5.0 micrometer

1.5.2 Material Settings

Material Settings
Fluids
Ethylene (See Appendix 3)

1.5.3 Initial Conditions

Initial Conditions
Thermodynamic parameters Static Pressure: 1900.00 psig
Temperature: 35.00 °C
Velocity parameters Velocity vector
Velocity in X direction: 0 m/s
Velocity in Y direction: 0 m/s
Velocity in Z direction: 0 m/s

1.5.4 Boundary Conditions

Boundary Conditions
Static Pressure 1
Type Static Pressure
Faces Face<1>@LID3
Coordinate system Face Coordinate System
Reference axis X
Thermodynamic parameters Static pressure: 1900.00 psig
Temperature: 35.00 °C

Static Pressure 2
Type Static Pressure
Faces Face<2>@LID1
Coordinate system Face Coordinate System
Reference axis X
Thermodynamic parameters Static pressure: 1825.00 psig
Temperature: 35.00 °C

1.5.5 Volumetric Heat Sources

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1.5.6 Engineering Goals

Goals
Surface Goals
SG Av Static Pressure 1
Type Surface Goal
Goal type Static Pressure
Calculate Average value
Faces Face<1>
Coordinate system Global coordinate system
Use in convergence On

SG Mass Flow Rate 1

Type Surface Goal
Goal type Mass Flow Rate
Faces Face<1>
Coordinate system Global coordinate system
Use in convergence On

SG Av Velocity 1
Type Surface Goal
Goal type Velocity
Calculate Average value
Faces Face<1>
Coordinate system Global coordinate system
Use in convergence On

1.6 Analysis Time

Calculation Time: 23 s
Number of Iterations: 71
Warnings:

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2 Results
2.1 Analysis Goals

Goals
Name Unit Value Progress Criteria Delta Use in
convergence
SG Av Static lbf/in^2 1874.78 100 1.8747767e-005 2.63170335e-007 On
Pressure 1
SG Mass kg/s -4.1541 100 0.125916848 0.11306836 On
Flow Rate 1
SG Av m/s 32.205 100 0.958374378 0.848266298 On
Velocity 1

2.2 Global Min-Max-Table

Min/Max Table
Name Minimum Maximum
Density (Fluid) [kg/m^3] 141.09 143.61
Pressure [lbf/in^2] 1868.96 1902.17
Temperature [°C] 34.59 35.24
Temperature (Fluid) [°C] 34.59 35.24
Velocity [m/s] 0 45.356
Velocity (X) [m/s] -30.096 26.264
Velocity (Y) [m/s] -13.082 45.123
Velocity (Z) [m/s] -26.820 27.882
Mach Number [ ] 0 0.14
Velocity RRF [m/s] 0 45.356
Velocity RRF (X) [m/s] -30.096 26.264
Velocity RRF (Y) [m/s] -13.082 45.123
Velocity RRF (Z) [m/s] -26.820 27.882
Vorticity [1/s] 1.36e-005 3753.18
Relative Pressure [lbf/in^2] -31.04 2.17
Shear Stress [lbf/in^2] 0 0.08
Bottleneck Number [ ] 8.0190660e-022 1.0000000
Heat Transfer Coefficient 0 0
[W/m^2/K]
ShortCut Number [ ] 1.5483549e-022 1.0000000
Surface Heat Flux [W/m^2] 0 0

2.3 Results

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Graph 1. Gas Flow

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Graph 2. Solids Flow ( 9 mcrometer)

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Graph 3. Solids Flow ( 8 micrometer)

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Graph 4. Solids Flow ( 8 micrometer)

2.4 Conclusion

Based on the flow simulation results, we would conclude that the design of the 2” hydro cyclone effectively removes
85% of solids, ranging from 8 microns above, out of the process solution consisting of Gas and Solids. It is noted that
the larger the size of the particles, the more efficient the hydro cyclone is at removing said particles from the incoming
process solution. Since we are limited by the capabilities of SolidWorks Flow Simulation, we can only analyze linear
single phase flow with solids, which in turn does not fully represent real-world conditions which are dynamic. Such
dynamics like solids suspended in a liquid and gas solution where the suspension can influence the pattern and
parameters of flow.

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3 Appendix
3.1 Material Data

Engineering Database
Gases
Ethylene
Path: Gases Pre-Defined
Specific heat ratio (Cp/Cv): 1.240
Molecular mass: 0.0281 kg/mol
Dynamic viscosity
Dynamic viscosity[Pa*s]

Temperature[°C]

Specific heat (Cp)

Specific heat (Cp)[J/(kg*K)]

Temperature[°C]

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Thermal conductivity
Thermal conductivity[W/(m*K)]

Temperature[°C]

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