A New Research Infrastructure for Investigating Flow Hydraulics and Process Equipment at Critical Fluid Properties

Abstract

An optimized equipment design for natural gas processing and liquefaction plants becomes increasingly difficult with changing process conditions: Particularly low values of surface tension create rising challenges on the design of phase separators and column internals. The TERESA test rig at HZDR was designed to allow the investigation of multiphase thermohydraulics and phase separator performance under critical fluid properties in industrial dimensions. A versatile pipe test section is available in DN200 and equipment internals may be tested in a sectional DN300/DN500 test separator. The applied test fluid shows a high vapor-liquid density difference between 1470 and 940 kg m -3 , viscosity as low as 0.12 mm 2 s -1 , and surface tension down to 1.3 mN m -1 . Volumetric liquid and vapor flow rates may be varied up to 9 and 530 m 3 h -1 in the test rig, respectively.

Capacity and Sizing of Wire Mesh Mist Eliminators at Critical Fluid Properties

“…A more detailed description of the TERESA test rig and the model fluid used in this study is given by Windmeier et al [22].…”

Droplet Entrainment Analysis in a Flash Evaporator with an Image‐Based Measurement Technique

“…In addition, the glass thickness is reduced to 1 mm in order to reduce the temperature gradient between flash chamber and ambient leading to less condensation on the glass surface. The usage of heatable inspection windows represents a feasible alternative [28] but is not yet implemented in this setup. Fig.…”

Morphology of Flashing Feeds at Critical Fluid Properties in Larger Pipes

“…In this study, we provide unique experimental data for flow morphology and phase fractions of flashing feeds obtained in a 200-mm feed pipe of a recently comissioned test rig with a refrigerant cycle [24]. The applied refrigerant 3MÔ Novec 649Ô (N649) features critical fluid properties for industrial separation tasks, where liquids with low surface tension and viscosity as well as variable density differences between vapor and liquid are present.…”