Light rotational flow vertical skid-mounted separator with liquid level display function and separation method of light rotational flow vertical skid-mounted separator

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of oil exploitation, and discloses a light rotational flow vertical skid-mounted separator with a liquid level display function and a separation method thereof.The rotational flow structure is fixedly connected to a barrel through a support, a rotational flow opening is formed in the side of the barrel, the liquid level display structure is fixedly connected to the outer side of the barrel, and the oil-water liquid level adjusting structure is located above a water feeding pipe; the liquid level adjusting structure is fixedly connected with the barrel, an adjusting box is arranged in the liquid level adjusting structure, the hoisting structures are installed on the upper portion and the lower portion of the barrel, and the skid-mounted structure is installed at the bottom of the separator structure. Small volume is combined with a skid-mounted structure, so that the device can be conveniently transported to dispersed low-yield oil fields and well sites; the oil well produced liquid is quickly separated by utilizing a rotational flow structure, so that the separation time is shortened; the oil-water interface of the separator can be dynamically adjusted by utilizing the oil-water interface adjusting structure, so that the transportation of crude oil is most economical, and the treated water is ensured to reach the reinjection standard; the crude oil layer is heated through the heating structure, crude oil solidification is prevented, and the fluidity of crude oil is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of petroleum extraction technology and relates to a separator for separating different phases of produced media at oilfield wellheads. Specifically, it relates to a lightweight cyclone vertical skid-mounted separator with liquid level display and its separation method. Background Technology

[0002] As most oilfields in my country enter the mid-to-late stages of extraction, the water content of crude oil continues to rise. To maintain production, continuous exploration and development are necessary, leading to the emergence of remote wells located far from existing pipeline networks. To reduce investment, produced fluid is transported to existing stations. However, the produced fluid from remote wells also contains a significant amount of water. To reduce the need for wastewater transportation, the produced fluid is treated on-site for wastewater separation and purification before reinjection, with only the separated oil being transported. This significantly reduces investment and operating costs. Currently, the commonly used oil-gas-water separation equipment in existing oilfield systems is mostly horizontal, large in size, requiring extensive land area, demanding high-quality road conditions, and incurring high investment costs, making it incompatible with the operating conditions of remote wells.

[0003] Upon review, the closest existing technology is a vertical separator for three-phase oil, gas, and water processing by Ms. Qin Liying. The product components are as follows: 1. Cylinder; 2. End cap; 3. Gas outlet; 4. Water outlet; 5. Inlet baffle; 6. Feed inlet; 7. Guide plate; 8. Oil chamber weir plate; 9. Oil outlet; 10. Wire mesh mist eliminator; 11. Vent cap; 12. Interface meter interface; 13. Liquid level gauge interface; 14. Skirt.

[0004] Product advantages: Compared with traditional separators, this vertical separator for oil, gas and water three-phase processing has a simple structure and good separation effect; the vertical structure can save investment costs and space; users can also add other internal components to enhance separation according to their own needs, which is highly flexible.

[0005] Product disadvantages: This separator adopts a baffle-type separation structure, and the separation effect depends on the impact force between the incoming liquid and the baffle. When the incoming liquid pressure is insufficient, the separation effect will decrease significantly. At the same time, there is no liquid level adjustment device designed in its oil chamber. When the oil level inside the separator is lower than the oil outlet, it does not have the ability to adjust the liquid level. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention designs a "lightweight cyclone vertical skid-mounted separator with liquid level display and its separation method" for separating oil, gas and water extracted from remote wells. After separation, tank trucks only transport the crude oil, while the separated wastewater can be treated on-site and the gas can be used locally, effectively reducing transportation costs and achieving efficient energy utilization.

[0007] This invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A lightweight vertical skid-mounted cyclone separator with a liquid level display is disclosed. The cyclone structure is fixedly connected to the cylinder via a bracket. A cyclone inlet is opened on the side of the cyclone tube. The liquid level display structure is fixedly connected to the outside of the cylinder. The oil-water interface adjustment structure is located above the water inlet pipe and fixedly connected to the cylinder. An adjustment box is installed inside the liquid level adjustment structure. A hoisting structure is installed on the upper and lower parts of the cylinder, enabling the vertical separator to be placed horizontally or placed vertically from a horizontally separated structure. The skid-mounted structure at the bottom allows for easy hoisting and transport to another well site based on the simple structure.

[0009] Furthermore, the regulating box is an open-top box with a replaceable regulating pipe inside, a water inlet pipe and a water outlet pipe at the bottom, and an regulating manhole on the side. The regulating pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the liquid level display structure includes a pulley fixedly connected to the top of the cylinder and a scale plate fixedly connected to the side of the cylinder. A steel wire rope connects a float and a pointer via the pulley. The float and pointer move up and down by using steel wire ropes connected to steel wire rope buckles inside and outside the cylinder as guide rails.

[0011] Furthermore, the hoisting structure consists of four parts: outriggers, reinforcing rings, shaft-type lifting lugs, and tail lifting lugs, all of which are fixedly connected to the cylinder body.

[0012] Furthermore, the bottom is flat, the sides are cylindrical, and the top is a channel.

[0013] Furthermore, a gas guide hole is provided above the swirl structure to prevent the airflow from scouring the cylinder wall.

[0014] Furthermore, a heating element is installed inside the cylinder.

[0015] Furthermore, heating pipe openings are provided on the side of the cylinder to transfer heat to the heating pipes.

[0016] Furthermore, the height of the regulating pipe is set according to the height from the oil-water interface to the bottom.

[0017] A produced fluid separation method involves the produced fluid from an oil well entering a cyclone structure through a cyclone inlet. Gas-liquid separation occurs within the cyclone tubes. The gas phase, located at the center of the cyclone tubes, passes through a gas guide hole under upward force and exits the separator through the gas outlet. The liquid phase flows into the bottom liquid phase zone of the separator through the bottom of the cyclone tubes. After a period of time, oil and water separate at the bottom of the separator, with oil at the top and water at the bottom. A heating pipe is installed in the oil layer to continuously heat the crude oil, ensuring its fluidity. Oil is collected from the receiving port. The separated water exits the separator through an inlet pipe, a regulating pipe, a regulating tank, and an outlet pipe. The water content at the outlet can be controlled by adding regulating pipes to the regulating tank via a manhole, adjusting the oil-water interface height.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are:

[0019] This invention addresses the issue of in-situ separation in remote wells, reducing the need for wastewater transportation. It presents a lightweight, vertically skid-mounted cyclone separator with a liquid level display. This vertical separator is designed for the actual conditions of remote wells, with a compact size and skid-mounted structure for easy transport to dispersed, low-yield oilfield well sites. Compared to traditional horizontal separators, this vertical separator utilizes a cyclone structure for rapid separation of produced fluids, shortening the separation time. Utilizing the principle of communicating vessels, the liquid level adjustment structure allows for dynamic adjustment of the oil-water interface, ensuring the export of crude oil. A heating structure heats the crude oil layer to prevent solidification and maintain its fluidity.

[0020] The specific innovations are as follows:

[0021] 1. The injected liquid is pre-separated using a swirling structure, and a gas guide hole is set above the swirling tube to prevent the gas from eroding and corroding the tank wall;

[0022] 2. The oil-water interface adjustment structure is used to dynamically adjust the oil-water level in the separator;

[0023] 3. The combination of lifting lugs and outriggers facilitates the hoisting of the separator;

[0024] 4. The skid-mounted structure allows the equipment to be placed on a simple foundation. The combination of the skid and the hoisting structure enables the separator to be moved and reused repeatedly.

[0025] 5. Use heating pipes to heat the crude oil layer to improve the fluidity of the crude oil, while reducing the heat energy consumed by heating the sewage.

[0026] 6. The liquid level in the separator is dynamically displayed using a mechanical pointer. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vertical separator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a left-side view of the structure of the vertical separator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of the structure of the vertical separator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a partially enlarged view of the swirl structure according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a top view schematic diagram of the swirl structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid level adjustment structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid level display structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a partially enlarged view of the liquid level display structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] The names of each part of the structure are as follows:

[0037] 100 Cylinder, 110 Air outlet, 120 Light transmission hole, 130 Oil inlet, 140 Sewage outlet, 150 Manhole, 200 Swirl structure, 210 Support, 220 Swirl inlet, 230 Swirl cylinder, 240 Gas guide hole, 300 Liquid level display structure, 310 Wire rope buckle, 320 Pulley, 330 Wire rope, 340 Scale plate, 350 Buoy, 360 Pointer, 400 Lifting structure, 410 Outrigger, 420 Reinforcing ring, 430 Shaft-type lifting lug, 440 Tail lifting lug, 500 Heating tube, 510 Heating tube inlet, 600 Oil-water interface adjustment structure, 610 Adjusting pipe, 620 Adjusting box, 630 Water inlet pipe, 640 Water outlet pipe, 650 Adjusting manhole, 700 Skid structure. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] The swirling device 200 is welded to the cylinder 100 via a bracket 200. The cylinder 100 is a conical channel with a swirling port 220 on its side. After the fluid enters through the swirling port 220, it swirls in the swirling cylinder 230. A gas guide hole 240 is opened above it to facilitate gas discharge.

[0040] The liquid level display structure 300 is welded to the outside of the cylinder 100. It includes a pulley 320 welded to the top of the cylinder 100 and a scale plate 340 welded to the side of the cylinder 100. The wire rope 330 is fixed between the wire rope buckle 310 and the pulley 320 by winding. The float 350 and the pointer 360 are fixed to the wire rope 330.

[0041] The skid-mounted structure 400 consists of four parts: outriggers 410, reinforcing rings 420, shaft-type lifting lugs 430, and tail lifting lugs 430. All four parts are fixed to the cylinder 100 by welding.

[0042] A heating pipe port 510 is opened on the side of the cylinder 100 to transfer heat to the heating coil 510.

[0043] The regulating box 620 is a sealed cavity with special functions inside the cylinder. Inside it are replaceable regulating pipes 610, water inlet pipes 630, water outlet pipes 630, and regulating manholes 650 opened on the side.

[0044] This invention mainly relates to a vertical separation device for three-phase separation of oil well produced fluid at the well site. A swirl structure 200 is used for initial separation of the injected fluid phases; an oil-water interface adjustment structure 600 dynamically adjusts the position of the oil-water interface; a heating pipe 500 heats only the oil layer, reducing heating energy consumption; a combination of a shaft-type lifting lug 430, a tail lifting lug 440, and outriggers 410 facilitates hoisting and transportation of the equipment; the skid at the bottom of the equipment allows it to be placed on a simple foundation; the separator has a compact structure, small footprint, no kinetic energy components, and is easy to maintain; it can cope with complex and variable inlet fluid changes, offering high operational flexibility; the process is simple, making it suitable as a separation device for remote well sites.

[0045] Example 1: Separation process of the injected liquid

[0046] The produced fluid from the well site enters the separator through the cyclone inlet 220. Under the action of centrifugal force, the injected phases undergo gas-liquid separation in the cyclone tube 230. The gas phase, with its lower density, flows from the upper part of the cyclone tube 230, through the gas guide hole 240, and out of the separator through the gas outlet 110. The liquid phase flows out from the bottom of the separator from the lower part of the cyclone tube 230. After a certain period of time, oil and water separation occurs, with oil in the upper layer and water in the lower layer. The upper layer of oil flows out from the oil inlet 130 into the tanker, while the water flows out of the separator through the water inlet pipe 630, regulating pipe 610, regulating box 620, and water outlet pipe 640.

[0047] Example 2: Dynamic Adjustment Process of Oil-Water Interface

[0048] After the injected fluid at the wellhead undergoes initial separation via the vortex structure 200, and after a period of gravity settling, the liquid phase at the bottom of the separator will separate into an oil layer and a water layer, with oil on top and water on the bottom. An oil-water interface exists in between. If the oil content of the produced fluid from the well is too low, the oil-water interface will rise. When the oil-water interface is close to the oil inlet 130, the oil flowing out of the outlet will have a high water content, resulting in high transportation costs. In this case, a shorter regulating pipe 610 needs to be added to the regulating tank 620 via the regulating inlet 650. Based on the principle of U-shaped pipe connection, the oil-water interface inside the separator will decrease, moving it further from the oil inlet. The oil flowing out of the oil inlet will have a lower water content, reducing the transportation of wastewater and lowering transportation costs to meet the requirement of outputting the oil phase.

[0049] Example 3: Applicability of the Separator

[0050] Because the oil-water content in the incoming fluid varies from well site to well site, and the oil-water interface also differs, a high oil-water interface results in a high water content at the oil outlet, leading to high transportation costs. Conversely, a low oil-water interface results in oil-containing fluid at the water outlet, causing energy loss and environmental pollution. Therefore, the length of the regulating pipe 610 must be determined based on the production rate to control the oil-water interface within a suitable height range, ensuring low water content at the oil outlet and no oil at the water outlet. Historically, the large height difference between the oil and water outlets of the separator allows for a wide adjustable range of the oil-water interface. Horizontal separators, due to their horizontal placement, have a smaller height difference between the oil and water outlets, resulting in a smaller adjustable range of the oil-water interface. Compared to horizontal separators, this equipment better meets the needs of different well sites.

[0051] Example 4: Crude Oil Collection Process

[0052] Inside the separator, the oil and water separate into layers after gravity settling, with oil on top and water at the bottom. Because of its high viscosity, crude oil slowly solidifies as the temperature drops. If the temperature isn't increased, the crude oil will solidify into lumps and won't flow out. Therefore, a 500mm heating element is installed in the oil layer of the separator to continuously heat the crude oil, ensuring it doesn't solidify and allowing it to flow out from the outlet for loading. Simultaneously, heating the wastewater layer is avoided to prevent heat waste.

[0053] Example 5: Liquid Level Display Process

[0054] To monitor the liquid level inside the separator at any time, a liquid level display structure 300 is designed on the outside of the separator. A steel wire rope 330 passes around a pulley 320, with one end pulling a float 350 and the other end pulling a pointer 360. The float 350 floats on the liquid surface inside the cylinder 100. When the liquid level rises, the float 350 rises, and the pointer 360 falls, indicating the corresponding height mark on the scale on the outer wall of the cylinder 100. People can know the height of the liquid level inside the tank by reading the value on the scale.

[0055] Example 6 Overall Separation Process

[0056] The produced fluid from the well site enters the vortex structure 200 through the vortex inlet 220. Under the action of centrifugal force, the gas rises and the liquid flows downward. The rising gas is discharged from the gas outlet 110 through the gas guide hole 240. The liquid phase in the lower layer of the separator flows into the bottom liquid phase zone of the separator through the bottom of the vortex tube (230). After a period of time, the oil and water are separated in the lower part of the separator, with oil in the upper part and water in the lower part. Since the water content of the produced fluid from the well cannot always be fixed at the same value, the height of the oil-water interface inside the cylinder 100 is also within a fluctuating range. This invention adjusts the height of the regulating pipe 610 in the regulating box 620 by adjusting the manhole 650 according to the oil and water content, and uses the U-tube principle to adjust the oil-water interface. This ensures that the water content in the oil outlet is as low as possible, and the water in the water outlet is free of oil.

[0057] Since oil begins to solidify into lumps at around 30 degrees Celsius, heating pipes are installed in the oil layer to input heat energy into the heating pipes and heat the oil layer to prevent the oil from solidifying. At the same time, heating only the oil layer avoids wasting heat energy by heating the sewage, thus maximizing the effective utilization of energy.

[0058] Because remote wells have small mining scale and short mining time, this invention adopts a skid-mounted hoisting structure, which is conducive to the installation of equipment in remote wells and the repeated handling and hoisting between well sites.

[0059] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lightweight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication, characterized in that, The cyclone structure (200) is fixedly connected to the cylinder (100) through a support (210), the cyclone pipe (230) is provided with a cyclone opening (220) on the side, the liquid level display structure (300) is fixedly connected to the outside of the cylinder (100), the oil-water interface adjusting structure (600) is located above the water inlet pipe (630) and is fixedly connected to the cylinder (100), the oil-water interface adjusting structure (600) is internally provided with an adjusting box (620), and the lifting structure (400) is installed on the upper and lower parts of the cylinder (100) and can realize the horizontal placement of the vertical separator and the vertical placement of the horizontal separator.

2. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The adjusting box (620) is a cavity with an open top end, the inside of the box is provided with replaceable adjusting pipes (610), the bottom of the box (620) is provided with a water inlet pipe (630), the bottom of the box (620) is also provided with a water outlet pipe (640), the side of the box (620) is provided with an adjusting manhole (650) formed in the cylinder (100), and the adjusting pipes (610) are in communication with the water inlet pipe (630).

3. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The liquid level display structure (300) comprises a pulley (320) fixedly connected to the top of the cylinder (100), a scale plate (340) fixedly connected to the side of the cylinder (100), a steel wire rope (330) wound around the pulley, a float (350) in the cylinder (100) and a pointer (360) outside the cylinder (100) connected by the steel wire rope, and a tank steel wire rope buckle (310).

4. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The lifting structure (400) comprises four parts, namely, a support leg (410), a reinforcing ring (420), a shaft type lifting lug (430) and a tail lifting lug (440), and the four parts are fixedly connected to the cylinder (100).

5. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 1 wherein, A skid structure (700) is arranged at the bottom.

6. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The cyclone structure (200) is provided with a gas guide hole (240) at the top, so as to prevent the scouring of gas flow to the cylinder wall.

7. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 1 wherein, The cylinder (100) is internally provided with a heating pipe (500).

8. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level display as claimed in claim 7 wherein, A heating pipe opening (510) is formed in the side of the cylinder (100), so as to transfer heat to the heating pipe (500).

9. The light weight cyclone vertical skid mounted separator with liquid level indication as claimed in claim 2 wherein, The height of the adjusting pipe (610) is set according to the height of the oil-water interface to the bottom.

10. A produced fluid separation method characterized by, The produced liquid of the oil well in the well site enters the cyclone structure (200) through the cyclone opening (220), gas-liquid separation is generated in the cyclone pipe (230), the gas phase is located at the center of the cyclone pipe (230) and is discharged from the gas outlet (110) of the separator under the action of the upward force; the liquid phase flows into the liquid phase area at the bottom of the separator through the bottom of the cyclone pipe (230), and after a period of time, the oil and water are separated at the lower part of the separator, the upper part of the liquid phase is oil, and the lower part is water; the heating pipe (500) is arranged in the oil layer, continuously heats the oil layer, and ensures the fluidity of the oil; the water after separation is discharged from the separator through the water inlet pipe (630), the adjusting pipe (610), the adjusting box (620) and the water outlet pipe (640); according to the size of the water content of the liquid, the adjusting pipe (610) is added into the adjusting box (620) through the adjusting manhole (650), so as to adjust the height of the oil-water interface.

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