NH3 Water Separator Design

[mr.ice]

Hi All. I am presently looking at building a water separator for an ammonia engine room. The one I used last time was on the -30 deg Celsius pumped liquid line, across to the suction via a Back Pressure Valve.

I would welcome opinions on an alternative design idea I am considering. I would like to hook into the warm liquid from the receiver, and freeze it out on a coil, then apply hot gas.

Has anyone built anything like this before, or would there be somewhere I could check out someone else's design they have made?
Thanks.

[brian_chapin]

Is there a reason you wouldn't use a Hansen APP?

http://hantech.com/products/pages/ap.htm

[sterl]

Water will be at higher concentration on system low side than on high side so the normal "heat based" units won't apply as much heat to low side liquid as they would to that from HPR. So the whole thing works faster.

And yes: You can fill a finned coil with refrigerant, control the boil off rate to draft off the ammonia, and simply let it warm up, then isolate and drain what's left..My own experience is that its easier and more managable to use an evap condenser because of the big volume and availabiltiy of a Mild Heat source but even then I filled it from the low side....
Actually the major obstruction in our experience has been the disposal of the water, which is Hazardous Waste and can't be diluted or neutralized or even used as fertilizer according to all those who know more about everything than we do...Otherwise known as the legislators.

[brian_chapin]

I'm suprised you couldn't just neutralize it with citric acid to make it totally non-hazardous. I've often heard of this being done for aqua ammonia remediation.

[sevilou]

We supply WDO (Water, Dirt and Oil) see on Google "WDO refrigeration purifier"
Best regards

[sterl]

Brian:
You can neutralize it with all sorts of things including the same stuff of a normal protein plant water treatment station...not to ignore: vinegar; floor cleaners of a variety of forms; and so on.

Problem starts on first contact with the municipality: if you even ask what ppm they will accept down the sanitary, you have raised the hazardous waste flag. In this sense, they become their own worst enemy: Most fo their water treatment stations use ammonia at the back end; they do not want any of it on the front end.
In the midwest US: : We have applied slow titration to get rid of any residual oil and applied it with 10-10-10 to the landscaping....

[Magoo]

Mr ICE.
get an autopurger from Realcold. Talk to David Philips. It will save you a lot of grief.

[RANGER1]

Magoo I have heard REALCOLD have a lot of water in there plants , so I guess they would be the experts .

[Nh34life]

Yeah realcold installs include water/grinding dust and the worst commissioning for free, but i would never use the term experts and RE in the same sentence, I would either use what you got as in a IP PHE or where applicable install a water chiller and theres your WDO just cycle it off twice a day, at least you can utilise chilled water as aposed to a poxy vessel with only one purpose.
Whats the water content in the system anyway that warrents spending big money

[rattis]

lowpressure liquid-destillation si the best way to go why invent the wheel if it's already around?
But then again why not, who dares will/ can win.