Feature Report Engineering Practice

Get the Most out of API Separators

The keys to maximizing performance include a realistic, educated awareness of the separators capabilities, an understanding of how the device functions, and an appreciation of what it should have in the way of support equipment
Thomas E. Schultz USFilter
FIGURE 1. API separators have long been workhorse devices for refiners and petrochemicals manufacturers

any chemical process plants, particularly petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants, employ API separators as their first, and arguably the most important, wastewater treatment step for primary oil/solids separation (Figure 1). Employing gravity-driven settling, the separators remove gross quantities of oil and suspended solids from plant wastewater prior to subsequent downstream wastewater-treatment processes, the latter normally consisting of a second oil/water-separator polishing step plus some form of advanced (usually biological) treatment for removing dissolved organic compounds. An understanding of the design, the operating principles and the available options for these devices can maximize the value derived from them by process plants Jointly developed more than 70 years ago by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Rex Chain Belt Co. (now USFilter Envirex Products), the first API separator was installed in 1933, at Atlantic Refinings Philadelphia refinery. Since then, hundreds of refineries around the world have installed these separators in their wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

The API separator works on the principle of Stokes Law. The technology, which allows oil to rise to the surface of the device, is based on the difference between the specific gravity of the oil to be separated and that of the wastewater. This difference is typically much less than the difference between the total suspended solids (TSS) and wastewater, so the majority of TSS will settle in the unit. Thus, the oil and TSS phases alike are removed in the API separator.

Design standards and features

The typical API separator is basically a long, narrow and shallow tank. A further description can be deduced from its design standards, the most current version being set out in API Publication 421, Management of Water Discharges: Design and Operation of Oil Water Separator. Among the most important design criteria are the following: The minimum length-to-width ratio is 5:1, to ensure that the operating conditions are as close to plug flow as possible, and to minimize the potential for short-circuiting in the unit The minimum depth-to-width ratio is 0.3:0.5, to ensure that the separation units are not excessively

deep. This provision minimizes the amount of time needed for oil particles to rise to the surface The maximum channel width is 20 ft; the maximum depth, 8 ft The horizontal velocity is no more than 3 ft/sec, to minimize turbulence and consequent interference with oil/wastewater separation Reaction jet baffles are recommended, to diffuse influent flows across the width and depth of the API separator. The baffles help minimize the effect of high wastewater inlet velocities, as well as the possible short-circuiting and decreased oil-removal efficiency associated with such velocities API separators can remove oil particles of 150-micron size or larger. Unless sizing adjustments are made to compensate for removal of smaller oil droplets, particles smaller than 150 microns will normally exit the separator with the wastewater, and will need to be removed by downstream treatment. Employment of numerous design features can ensure efficient treatment, environmental compliance and minimal need for operator attention: There should be single scraper/skimmer system in the tank to remove

FIGURE 2. For wastewaters containing substances that are toxic or otherwise hazardous, it is prudent to specify steel tanks that are aboveground. This approach also facilitates maintenance and inspection

the settled solids and floating oil. This provision prevents solids and oil from accumulating in the vessel and thus reducing separator capacity. A four-shaft system employing a chain and a flight collector can convey settled solids to a sludge hopper at the inlet end and floating oil to a skimmer (see next phrase) at the effluent end A rotating oil-skimmer pipe, or oil roll skimmer, should be provided to remove accumulated oil from the surface of the fluid in the separator. The design may also include an electronic or manual means of monitoring the tanks oil level A sludge pumping system and related equipment should be included, to intermittently or continuously remove accumulated sludge from the separator Abovegrade separators should be equipped with a pumping mechanism to deliver the wastewater to the units The separator requires a system to distribute and disperse the wastewater at the inlet Airtight covers can be provided to contain VOCs and other vapors, usually with some type of inert-gas blanketing system for safety Aboveground steel tanks should

be provided to contain potentially hazardous wastes and wastewaters, as shown in Figure 2.

Myth vs fact

An engineer who has FIGURES 3 (top) and 4. Although the influent streams to API separators can vary significantly picked up some informa- with respect to their content of oil, grease and total tion about API separators suspended solids, as well as pH, the quality of the and is considering the effluent from a well-designed separator should use of one should become prove to be not only acceptable but also consistent aware that there are at least two basic fallacies about their regardless of influent oil and TSS conperformance. centrations. In fact, site-specific issues One fallacy is that separators in- can have a significant impact on effluvariably remove a certain percentage ent quality. On the other hand, it is of oil plus TSS from wastewater. In accurate to state that a well-designed truth, because every application is dif- API separator should achieve effluent ferent, the amount, size distribution oil and TSS concentrations of down and specific gravity of the oil particles to 50 to 200 mg/L in the water phase and TSS particles in the wastewater leaving the device, independent of incan differ significantly. The removal fluent concentration. In this context, efficiency of these constituents will Figures 3 and 4 show how a properly also vary accordingly. Operational designed separator can be expected to variables, such as ones concerning operate in a petroleum refinery. Note the pumping the wastewater to the that the separator performance deseparators, can shear oil particles into picted in the graph does lead to fairly smaller ones and therefore hinder consistent effluent quality, despite the separation. In short, the removal ef- influent quality being highly variable. ficiency of oil and TSS must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The support equipment Another fallacy is that API separa- The specifying and designing of an tors should always be able to achieve API separator to operate properly rethe effluent quality desired by its user, quires more than just running a siz-

Engineering Practice
ing calculation; the supporting equipment must also be properly designed. This includes the subsystems for: raw wastewater pumping (if used); sludge pumping and removal; sludge collection; VOC and vapor containment; and oil collection and removal Raw wastewater pumping: Many new API separators are housed in above-grade steel tanks, making them easier to maintain and inspect. With this type of tank, raw wastewater cannot flow by gravity to the separator, but rather must be pumped to the tank. The pumping action, however, can shear and emulsify oil droplets, which not only hinders oil removal in the separator but also lowers the performance of downstream wastewater treatment processes. So, it is wise to specify a pump that induces low shear and low turbulence. An Archimedes screw pump is ideal for this application (Figure 5). Lowshear centrifugal pumps have also been used, although they are not as effective at reducing pumping shear forces. Sludge pumping and removal: Ineffective sludge removal is the most common cause of API separators not operating properly. For this reason, sludge pumping and removal systems are perhaps the most important support equipment in the API separator design. These systems remove accumulated oily sludge from the separator, and prevent overloading the components of internal chain and flight collectors with excessive sludge. When one is specifying or designing a separator sludge-removal system, the following points should be kept in mind: The sludge that develops in API separators is heavy, viscous and sticky. In sludge hoppers, it can quickly bridge, plugging sludge withdrawal points. To ensure continued removal from the separator, it is essential to fluidize and break up this compacted sludge. Water or steam fluidization nozzles within the sludge hoppers can alleviate this situation Oily sludge also tends to adhere to sludge-withdrawal piping. As a result, cleanout and flushing connections must be provided, to prevent the material from accumulating and eventually plugging the piping Sludge pump selection is critical. Conventional centrifugal pumps often have difficulty moving the thick solids in API bottoms. Positive-displacement diaphragm pumps and, to a degree, centrifugal trash pumps are acceptable in such applications Whenever possible, sludge pumps should be located close to and at the same elevation as the sludge hoppers, to provide flooded suction to the pumps and to minimize plugging the sludge suction piping. Due to the sludges viscous nature, it is not advisable to locate the sludge pumps above the separators water surface Sludge collector systems: FIGURE 5. Archimedes screw pumps are good An API separators chain- choices for delivering raw wastewater to API sepaand-flight-collector system rators aboveground tanks skims the floating oil to a common collection point and scrapes result, they may require periodic resettled oil solids (the sludge) to a com- placement. While not as susceptible to mon withdrawal point. If floating oil corrosion, stainless steel components and settled solids are allowed to ac- are significantly more expensive than cumulate, the separators effective their cast iron or steel counterparts. volume will eventually decrease. This Nonmetallic components are a more accumulation will also affect oil- and recent introduction in collector chain solids-removal efficiency, lead to in- technology. Many types and styles creased oil and TSS concentrations in have been used in API separators, the exiting effluent, and adversely af- their success depending mainly on fect downstream treatment processes. their material composition. Certain A well-designed sludge collector sys- nonmetallic chains are prone to attack tem will prevent this from occurring. from organic compounds in the wasteIn particular, the chain and flight water. Other types can expand unduly collector components must be speci- in the presence of high wastewater fied to accommodate heavy-duty ser- temperatures; this elongation may vice. Although numerous styles are cause the chains to disengage from the available, they are not all ideal for use sprockets and may also result in the in API separators. collector system failing prematurely. Metallic chains have traditionally Aside from the material-composition been used in API separators, with issue, abrasive grit in the wastewater varying degrees of success. Consist- can also cause excessive wear and preing of cast iron, cast steel or stainless mature failure on improperly designed steel, metallic chain is much heavier chain connector pins. On the other than non-metallic chain. Metallic hand, with proper selection of chain chains weight can be a major disad- materials and design, the nonmetallic vantage during installation. Cast iron chains can offer suitable resistance to and steel components may deteriorate chemicals and abrasion, mechanical over time due to API separators some- strength matching that of their mewhat corrosive wastewater and, as a tallic counterparts, and significantly

FIGURE 6. In many cases, the components for modern chain and flight collectors employ fiberglass as a material of construction

FIGURE 7. To prevent emissions of volatile organic compounds, many API separators are outfitted with covers

lower material costs and installation labor charges. Metallic and nonmetallic collector sprockets alike are available. They have the same advantages and disadvantages as nonmetallic chains, with one exception: Motor-driven sprockets, and ones for collector head shafts, operate under a lot of torque, and some nonmetallic sprockets acceptable for use on idler shafts may not be suitable for these high-torque applications because of material strength. Collector flights were formerly made of expensive redwood, whereas fiberglass material has become popular for this role today (Figure 6). However, fiberglass flights suitability depends on the type of resin used to make them. The organic compounds found in refinery and petrochemical-plant wastewater cause many resins to deteriorate, and the flights to rapidly delaminate. The strength and stiffness of the flight also depend on the modulus of elasticity of the material, as well as the moment of inertia of the flight itself. Weak flights may bend or break due to heavy sludge loads. A typical chain-and-flight collector system has wear shoes: usually of steel for metallic collectors, or of polyethylene for nonmetallic ones. The wear shoes ride on wear strips that are attached to floor rails in the bottom of the API separator as well as to carrying tracks at the top of the unit. Mostly, stainless steel is employed for wear strips, because nonmetallic wear strips could expand under heated conditions and carbon steel wear strips could corrode.

VOC and vapor control systems: In many refinery or petrochemical-plant installations, API separators require either floating or fixed covers for containment and control of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as shown in Figure 7. Floating covers float directly on the liquid surface in the separator, whereas fixed covers are set above the surface. Fixed covers are more commonly used on new API-separator installations, and floating covers on existing ones that must become covered for VOC control. In evaluating the best cover selection for a given situation, consider the following: Oil skimming efficiency (will interference be a problem?) Ease-of-access to, and maintenance of, collector components Safe operation Capital and operating costs Regulatory compliance Maintenance requirements Floating covers can sometimes interfere with oil skimming devices that extend above the water surface at the effluent end of the separator. In such instances, a fixed cover must be used over that portion of the separator, even if a floating cover is used for the rest of it. It is difficult if not impossible to see into a covered separator to determine the oil levels and the skimming needs. This drawback results in oil either not being removed often enough (causing oil carryover to downstream treatment processes) or being skimmed too often (resulting in significant amounts of water being skimmed with the oil).

Windows installed in the covers have been tried to alleviate this problem. But they usually become fouled with oil and with water condensation, rendering them useless. More-successful solutions include installing electronic probes in the separator covers to monitor oil concentrations at various depths in the units, or installing sample taps on the side of an abovegrade separator to manually monitor oil depth. Oil collection and removal systems: Efficiency in removing oil from the separator ensures that the oil (which has economic value) will be collected, recovered and reprocessed, instead of either accumulating at the separator unit or entering downstream treatment processes. As already mentioned, the chain and flight collector skims oil from the influent end to the effluent end of the separator. There, a skimmer pipe typically serves to remove the oil. This slotted pipe extends partially into the surface of the API separator, and is rotated so that the slotted section is on the oil surface. When the skimmer pipes slots are fully up, the skimming temporarily ceases. To help ensure that the skimmed oil does not contain excessive water, many API separators also include an oil roll skimmer. This device is an externally rotated drum, normally made of metal (in many cases, stainless steel), that extends across the width of the separator and is partially submerged in the wastewater surface. As the drum rotates, free oil adheres to the drums specially prepared surface.

Engineering Practice

Accumulated oil is removed by a doctor blade, then flows into a collection trough and out of the unit. The oil collected by an oil roll skimmer is usually 95% pure and is easily reprocessed. The skimmer pipe will not remove floating debris or paraffins that may be present. It also has a limited capacity and can become quickly overloaded by refinery or petrochemical upsets. For this reason, an oil skimmer pipe is almost always used as a backup oil removal device. Oil may be skimmed using solely an oil roll skimmer, but such operation is difficult due to the large skimming area, the water elevation changes in the separator, and inaccuracies associated with rotating the skimmer pipe.

caustic should be added to the wastewater downstream of oil/ water separation equipment, or should be disposed of by some other means, such as separate on-site treatment or off-site disposal.

The API separator represents one of the most important wastewater treatment steps for refineries and petrochemical plants. Proper design and selection of support equipment are crucial to proper operation. Plant operational activities, such as changes in crude oil slates or introduction of spent caustic into the separators may also affect the separators operation. By considering the tips presented in this article, operators can imFIGURE 8. Oil removal is vital for APi separators prove the operation of existing Operational issues API separators and ensure that Many API separators in use today at erational issues that can affect the size new API separators meet performance petroleum refineries were designed of oil particles and cause oil emulsions. expectations. and installed several decades ago, The increased processing of heavier Edited by Nicholas P. Chopey when much lighter crude oils were crude oils all too often results in poorer being processed. As crude slates have oil/water separation in the crude-oil Author Thomas E. (Tom) Schultz become heavier, so too has the oil con- desalter, and consequent emulsion is vice president of sales and marketing for the petroleum tained in the wastewater that enters formation. Significant amounts of oil and chemical industries for separators. This oil is closer to the and oil emulsions that can quickly USFilter; his office is at 1901 South Prairie Ave., P.O. Box specific gravity of water, and therefore overwhelm API separators, as well as 1604, Waukesha, WI 53187takes longer to separate by gravity. As other oil/water-separation equipment 1604; Phone: 262 547 0141; email: [email protected]. a result, the separators efficiency may in downstream wastewater-treatment During the past 18 of his 23 years with the company, he decrease significantly. To offset this units. To deal with such situations, has dealt exclusively complication, some refineries have a dedicated oil-water-separation step water and wastewater treatment issues inwith the petroleum industry. He holds a B.S. in civil/engreatly reduced wastewater genera- may be used for just the desalter brine vironmental Engineering from the University of tion at their facilities through water water, to break any oil emulsions and Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and is an active memconservation measures. In either case, remove the majority of free oil before ber of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Assn. and of the American Petroleum Institute. because of changing operating condi- sending the brine water to the sewer. tions over the years, separators in- This can prevent overloading the stalled 20 to 40 years ago should be re- WWTP separators with oil and conseviewed to ensure adequate protection quently affecting downstream treatof downstream treatment equipment. ment processes. Oil emulsions in wastewater pose a Spent caustic is less likely to cause major problem to existing API separa- problems in most refineries and pettors. As gravity separation devices, API rochemical plants. If sent to sewer separators are typically designed to re- systems upstream of oil/water separamove free oil particles larger than 150 tors, however, spent caustic can raise microns. Anything that increases the the wastewaters pH and cause oil percentage of sub-150-micron oil par- emulsification, especially when turbuticles can significantly impact the sepa- lence (such as that due to wastewater rators efficiency. Desalter brine water pumping) occurs. and spent caustic are two common opTo avoid these situations, spent
Reprinted from the July 2005 Chemical Engineering magazine. 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. www.che.com <file://www.che.com>

In summary