Liquid carryover in a fuel gas line can damage compressors, foul burner tips, and trip turbines — which is why fuel gas scrubbers (vertical knockout drums) are sized carefully for gas velocity and droplet separation, not just flow capacity. The Fuel Gas Scrubber Design Excel Sheet from GrowMechanical gives you a structured, formula-driven way to size these vessels using standard gas-liquid separation methodology.
It is built for process and mechanical engineers sizing fuel gas conditioning skids, knockout drums, and inlet separators for oil & gas, power generation, and process plant applications.
What This Sheet Calculates
- Permissible gas velocity using Souders-Brown type vertical vessel sizing
- Required vessel diameter for the design gas flow rate
- Demister pad (mesh pad) selection and sizing for droplet removal
- Liquid holdup volume and vessel height allowance
- Estimated pressure drop across the scrubber internals
Why Use This Design Sheet
- Save Engineering Time: Apply standard vertical separator sizing methodology without building the calculation from scratch.
- Reduce Design Errors: Formula-driven velocity and diameter checks reduce the risk of undersized separators and liquid carryover.
- Standardized Methodology: Consistent sizing approach across scrubber and separator calculation packages for internal review and client submittals.
Key Features
- Vertical scrubber/knockout drum sizing based on permissible gas velocity
- Demister pad selection guidance for droplet separation efficiency
- Liquid holdup and vessel height estimation
- Pressure drop estimate across scrubber internals
- Fully editable formulas — no hidden cells
- Works offline in Microsoft Excel
Technical Specifications
| Parameter |
Details |
| File Format |
Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) |
| Sizing Basis |
Vertical separator design using permissible gas velocity (Souders-Brown type approach) |
| Key Outputs |
Vessel diameter, demister pad size, liquid holdup volume, pressure drop |
| Typical Application |
Fuel gas conditioning, inlet separation, knockout drums |
| Editable |
Yes — all formulas open for review |
| Internet Required |
No — works fully offline |
Typical Applications
- Fuel gas conditioning skids upstream of compressors and turbines
- Inlet gas separators at wellheads and gas gathering stations
- Burner and boiler fuel gas knockout drums
- Process gas liquid carryover protection
Who Should Use This Sheet
- Process engineers sizing gas conditioning and separation equipment
- Mechanical engineers preparing vessel design data sheets
- EPC engineers verifying vendor scrubber/separator proposals
- Plant engineers troubleshooting liquid carryover issues
What You’ll Receive
- Editable Excel sheet for fuel gas scrubber/knockout drum sizing
- Formulas for gas velocity, vessel diameter, demister sizing, and pressure drop
- Lifetime access with a single, one-time purchase
Compatibility
- Microsoft Excel 2010 or later (Windows or Mac)
- No macros or add-ins required
- Works fully offline once downloaded
How to Use This Sheet
- Enter design gas flow rate, operating pressure, and temperature.
- Enter gas and liquid density (or fluid properties to estimate them).
- Review the calculated permissible velocity and required vessel diameter.
- Check the demister pad sizing and estimated pressure drop.
- Confirm liquid holdup volume against your required residence time.
For related separation equipment, see our Scrubber Design and Selection Excel Sheet, Scrubber Design Excel Sheet (Packed Column), and Filter Sizing Calculation Spreadsheet. Explore the Engineering Design & Calculation Master Excel Bundle, browse the complete product catalog, or try our free online engineering calculators.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a fuel gas scrubber different from a packed column scrubber?
A fuel gas scrubber (knockout drum) removes liquid droplets and condensate from a gas stream by gravity/velocity separation and a demister pad. A packed column scrubber, covered in our Packed Column Scrubber sheet, is used for gas absorption/mass transfer with a liquid contacting medium. They serve different separation purposes.
What does the Souders-Brown approach calculate?
It estimates the maximum permissible gas velocity before liquid droplets get re-entrained in the gas stream, which is used to size the vessel diameter for effective separation.
Does this sheet include demister pad selection?
Yes. It provides demister pad sizing guidance to help you specify a mesh pad suited to your droplet separation duty.
Can I use this for both wellhead separators and fuel gas conditioning skids?
Yes, the vertical separator sizing methodology applies broadly to inlet separators, knockout drums, and fuel gas conditioning applications with similar gas-liquid separation needs.
Are the calculations based on recognized separator design practice?
Yes, the sheet applies standard vertical gas-liquid separator sizing methodology commonly referenced in process engineering practice. Always validate final vessel dimensions against your project’s governing code and vendor mechanical design.
Ready to size your fuel gas scrubber correctly the first time? Get the Fuel Gas Scrubber Design Excel Sheet today and protect your downstream equipment from liquid carryover.
