Plate-Pak™ Coalescers

Plate-Pak™ units are made of corrugated plates placed on top of each other and separated by spacers of usually ½ “ or ¾ “ in length.

The volume calculation for size of the unit is the same as for Stokes-Pak™

Vc = (C1) Q h µ   (2)
        (ΔS.G.) d2

Where:

  • VC = Coalescer volume, cubic feet
  • C1 = 164 for Plate-Pak™ units with horizontal sheets
    219 for Stokes-Pak™ units with horizontal sheets
    312 for Stokes-Pak™ units with vertical sheets
  • Q = Liquid/liquid emulsion flow, US GPM     
  • h = Corrugated plate spacing or structured packing crimp height, inches
  • d = Minimum droplet diameter, microns       
  • µ = Continuous phase viscosity, centipoise
Plate-Pak Coalescers

In applications where there are solids present the Plate-Pak™ units are tilted either 45° of 60° from the horizontal.  In these cases the distance between plates are increased by 1.4 (for 45° angle) or 1.73 (for 60° angle).

Plate-Pak™ units have been used for over forty years.  They operate trouble free for many applications including two and three phase knockout drums, separation of glycol and amines from natural gas liquids and kerosene absorbers.

Plate-Pak™ units are often used as a first stage separator followed by second and third stages of Interceptor-Pak™ units.  Our ACS patented system for oil water separation on spill clean up vessels operated by the Marine Spill Response Corporation is a good example of this.  See the ACS Coalescer Design manual for details of this application.