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Receiver Sizing Calculation

Design Formulas
Notations

The following notations are used in this calculation:

Pstd : The reference pressure for standard conditions at which the standard flow rate is declared.
This is usually 1.01325 bar. This is considered as a user input to allow custom reference conditions.

Tstd : The reference temerature for standard conditions at which the standard flow rate is declared.
This is usually 15°C. This is considered as a user input to allow custom reference conditions.
t : Hold up time period. This is the time duration for which the receiver vessel should be able to
cater to the consumer when no input supply is available.

t : Hold up time period. This is the time duration for which the receiver vessel should be able to
cater to the consumer when no input supply is available.

fs: Maximum permissible frequency (cycles/hour) of load/unload or start/stop for the associated
compressor charging the receiver. More than acceptable cycles may potentially damage the
equipment/driver.

Qin : Incoming flow rate to the vessel, which is usually from a compressor. Hence, the compressor
capacity can be used as the input here. T

Qout : Outgoing flow rate from the vessel to the consumers. When sizing the vessels for maximum
permissible switching frequency, the worst case scenario is realised when this flow rate is half the
incoming flow rate.

Pu : This is the upper pressure set point, which represents the maximum pressure to which the
receiver is charged initially. The chrging compressor must be capable of delivering the specified flow
corresponding to this pressure.

Pl : This is the lower pressure set point, which represents the minimum pressure to which the
receiver is depleted. The pressure requirement of all consumers must be below this minimum
pressure.

ζ : A safety factor to be applied on the final receiver size calculated to absorb any uncertainties or
future demand growth.

Tmax : The maximum temperature at which the gaseous fluid is deemed stored in the vessel.
Where this receiver is fed through a cooler, this can be assumed to be coolant plus the approach
temperature. As most air/nitrogen compressors may adopt an air cooled discharge cooler, this
temperature can be considered as maximum ambient plus approach (~ 10°C).
V : Receiver volume as calculated to satisfy the design criteria.

Vrec : Recommended receiver volume considering worst case load factor. This is applicable for
sizing based on permitted cycles when the air compressor capacity is known with certainity but the
demand flow rate is considered uncertain.
Receiver Size for Hold Up time

Considering that general receiver application is at low to medium pressures, ideal gas equation is
considered sufficiently accurate for our purpose and will lead to conservative estimates for storage
volume. The ideal gas equation is :

(1)¶

P V = nRT

PV
n =
RT

For a demand flow rate of Qout for a duration of time t. The total volume of gas consumed from
the receiver at standard condition is Vc can be given as:

(2)¶

Vc = Qout t

Equating the no of moles consumed from the receiver (n c ) as the difference of no of moles of gas
present initially (n i ) and finally (n f ) in the receiver we have the following mole balance equation:

ni − nf = nc

Making use of the ideal gas equation, we can write the above mole balance equation as:

Pu Vr Pl Vr Pstd Vc
− =
RTmax RTmax RTstd

Or after rearrangement,
 Pstd Tmax
Vr = Vc ( )( )
Pu − Pl Tstd

Upon substituting the value of Vc from equation (2), we get:

the final useful formula for the size of the receiver as

Pstd Tmax
Vr = Qout t ( )( )
Pu − Pl Tstd

Introducing the design margin (ζ ) as known we get the final form as the formula:

 Important

Receiver Sizing Formula for a given hold up time

ζ Pstd Tmax
Vr = (1 + )Qout t ( )( )
100 Pu − Pl Tstd

Receiver Size for Switching Frequency

From the equation as derived above for the reservoir volume based on hold up time, we can also
derive an expression for the time taken to charge or discharge a vessel between Pu and Pl , by a
simple rearrangement of the same equation. The time t can be expressed as:

Vr Pu − Pl Tstd Vr
t = ( )( ) = K
Q Pstd Tmax Q

where,

Pu − Pl Tstd
K = ( )( )
Pstd Tmax
If the maximum permissible frequency of load/unload (fs ) is known. The total time period of the
charge discharge cycle (tcycle ) can be expressed as:

1
tcycle =
fs

the overall cycle can be broken down in two parts i.e. charge and discharge. During charging phase
the net flow is Qin − Qout and during the discharge phase the net flow is Qout .

tcharge + tdischarge = tcycle

Upon substitution we have:

K K 1
Vr + Vr =
Qin − Qout Qout fs

Using the definition of the load factor we have:

Qout
x =
Qin

Qout = xQin

Upon substituion in the above and rearrangement we get:

Vr K 1 1
[ ] =
Qin x(1 − x) fs

rearranging

Qin 1
Vr = x(1 − x) ( )( )
fs K

substituting back the value of K we get the following:

 Qin Pstd Tmax
Vr = x(1 − x) ( )( )( )
fs Pu − Pl Tstd

If the design margin specified is ζ , introducing it in the above equations gives us the formula for the
receiver volume based on permissible switching frequency:

 Important

Recevier Volume based on permissible switching frequency

ζ Qin Pstd Tmax

Vr = x(1 − x)(1 + )( )( )( )
100 fs Pu − Pl Tstd

The function x(1 − x) has a maxima at x = 0.5 , and its value is 0.5(1 − 0.5) = 0.25. So, if the
outflow is uncertain (which is always a right assumption in this context), the recommended receiver
volume is obtained as:

 Important

Recevier Volume based on permissible switching frequency for worst case load factor of 0.5

ζ Qin Pstd Tmax

Vrec = 0.25(1 + )( )( )( )
100 fs Pu − Pl Tstd