Design and Analysis approach of Horizontal Emulsion Treater Vessels using ANSYS Finite Element Software

Abstract

Several million wells around the world, ranging in size from small private wells producing 100 barrels per day to huge bore wells producing 4000 barrels per day, are used to extract oil and gas. Most typically, the oil and gas that is produced is a mixture of water, impurities, and oil that needs to be processed and separated. The gravity separator, the most common type of production separator, is available in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Its design is quite complex as it consists of vessel, firetubes, obround shape nozzle & flange which are mainly subjected to high temperature, pressure application. Finite element analysis will be used to accurately accessing the stresses encountered in such obround nozzle shape treater vessel.

This paper explains how to determine the thermal coupled structural analysis of an emulsion treater vessel using the design by analysis technique. It highlights the working, design consideration, design summary, FEA process flow for treater vessel and stress linearization approach for pressure vessels. It also explains the importance of fixing location for thermal loading and its effect on overall stress patterns. The FEA approach shown in this paper will give assurance to the designers for safe design within economic framework.