Condensate Separator for Hot Vapor Coming From Deodorization Tank of Palm Oil Refinery Plant

Condensate Separator for Hot Vapor Coming From Deodorization Tank of Palm Oil Refinery Plant

The deodorization process is a key step in palm oil refining, aimed at removing volatile odorous compounds (e.g., free fatty acids, aldehydes, and ketones) from crude palm oil. To do this, the tank operates under high temperature (220–260°C) and high vacuum (1–5 mbar). During deodorization:

Hot steam (or inert gas) is injected into the oil to strip off odorous components.

The resulting vapor mixture contains:

Water vapor (from the injected steam),

Volatile odorous compounds,

Trace amounts of palm oil (entrained as mist due to turbulence),

Non-condensable gases (NCGs, e.g., air leaks into the vacuum system).

If this mixed vapor is directly discharged to downstream equipment (e.g., vacuum pumps, condensers) without separation:

Liquid condensate (water + oil) can damage vacuum pumps (causing oil emulsification or corrosion).

Entrained oil droplets can foul heat exchangers, reducing cooling efficiency.

Unseparated moisture may contaminate recovered byproducts (e.g., fatty acid distillates).

The condensate separator solves these issues by pre-separating liquids before the vapor enters downstream systems.

Condensate separators for palm oil deodorization vapors rely on physical separation mechanisms to separate liquids from the vapor stream. The design leverages differences in density (vapor is far less dense than liquid) and inertia. A typical process flow is:

Inlet Distribution: The hot vapor (220–260°C, mixed with liquid droplets) enters the separator through an inlet nozzle. The nozzle is often designed with a diffuser or baffle to slow the vapor velocity (from ~20–30 m/s to ~1–3 m/s) and avoid turbulence, which would re-entrain liquid droplets.

Primary Separation (Inertial Impaction): Vapor flows through a series of baffles, vanes, or mesh pads. Due to their higher inertia, liquid droplets (water + oil) cannot follow the curved path of the vapor and collide with the baffle surfaces. They then coalesce into larger droplets under gravity.

Secondary Separation (Gravity Settling): The slowed vapor and coalesced liquid droplets enter a large-diameter "settling chamber." Here, the low vapor velocity allows the larger liquid droplets to settle to the bottom of the separator under gravity.

Vapor Outlet: The now-dry vapor (mostly odorous compounds and NCGs) exits through the top of the separator and is sent to downstream equipment (e.g., a shell-and-tube condenser for further cooling, then a vacuum pump).

Liquid Drainage: The separated condensate (water + trace oil) collects at the bottom of the separator. It is drained periodically (or continuously) through a valve (e.g., a float valve or level-controlled solenoid valve) to prevent liquid buildup, which would reduce separation efficiency.