An adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep offshore platform sway working condition

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of self-adapting oil-water separation fiber module for deep sea platform sway condition, the self-adapting oil-water separation fiber module is by several Ω type or approximate Ω type grid structure weaving constitutes three-dimensional porous fiber module, the grid structure is by wire and elastic fiber interweave and constitute, fixed node is arranged at the interlaced point of the grid structure to form damping structure.Under the impact of hydraulic swing, wire can maintain the overall structure stability of module, and elastic fiber will occur reversible deformation.The fiber module of the application not only can be passive to adapt to flow rate change, but also can actively stabilize flow field, while with the wettability of fiber and compression-rebound movement to strengthen oil droplet capture, desorption and coalescence process, suitable for offshore floating facility oil-water separation system, can significantly improve the oil-water separation stability and efficiency under the harsh conditions such as continuous swing and intermittent impact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of oil-water separation technology, specifically, it relates to an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for use in deep-sea platform swaying conditions. Background Technology

[0002] Oil-water separation is a critical step in offshore oil and gas exploration and processing. Traditional separation equipment (such as gravity settlers, coalescing plates, and fixed packing) performs well under stable gravity and flow fields. However, on floating facilities such as deep-sea platforms and FPSOs, the separation container is subjected to continuous six-degree-of-freedom motion (roll, pitch, heave, etc.) due to wind-wave-current coupling, resulting in severe sloshing of the internal fluid, liquid surface tilting, phase interface instability, and disordered turbulence in the internal flow field. This sloshing condition leads to a series of problems: 1) It disrupts the established gravity stratification of oil and water, significantly reducing separation efficiency; 2) It intensifies oil droplet shearing and dispersion, forming a stable emulsion; 3) It induces short-circuit flow, shortening the actual separation residence time; 4) It generates periodic hydraulic impacts, causing fatigue damage to internal components.

[0003] To address these challenges, existing technologies primarily employ two strategies: one is to suppress large-scale sloshing by adding internal baffles and flow-stabilizing components, but this method has limited ability to finely regulate the flow field; the other is to use packing material with a fixed pore structure for filtration, but this may increase pressure drop and the risk of clogging. Fixed structures lack effective energy dissipation mechanisms and are prone to permanent deformation or fatigue failure under periodic impacts, and may directly transfer the energy of external sloshing to the fluid interior, further exacerbating interfacial instability. In variable-velocity and variable-direction flow fields caused by sloshing, fixed pore structures struggle to adapt to changes in flow velocity and impact force. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an intelligent oil-water separation internal component that can dynamically adapt to marine sloshing conditions and possesses functions of flow regulation, energy dissipation, and efficient coalescence. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and provide an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for use in deep-sea platform swaying conditions. This oil-water separation fiber module can not only capture and coalesce oil droplets, but more importantly, its unique Ω-shaped elastic fiber structure and ballast damping mechanism enable it to adaptively adjust the overall porosity and dissipate swaying energy according to the intensity of external hydraulic impact, thereby actively stabilizing the internal flow field and phase interface and improving the stability and efficiency of oil-water separation under swaying conditions.

[0005] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: This invention provides an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for use in deep-sea platform swaying conditions. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module is a three-dimensional porous fiber module woven from several Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped mesh structures. The mesh structure is composed of interwoven metal wires and elastic fibers, and fixed nodes are set at the interlacing points of the mesh structure to form a damping structure.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the metal wire is 0.3 mm to 3 mm, and the material of the metal wire is any one of titanium metal wire, nickel-titanium alloy metal wire and 316L stainless steel wire.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic fiber has a diameter of 0.1 mm to 1 mm and is made of a polymer material with shape memory effect or superelasticity.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the material of the elastic fiber is a polyurethane elastomer or polytetrafluoroethylene fiber.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the metal wire is hydrophilic and the elastic fiber is oleophilic.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the height of the single Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped mesh structure is 1 mm to 20 mm, and the radius of curvature is 0.2 mm to 5 mm.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the initial porosity of the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module is 65% to 90%.

[0012] This invention also provides a method for preparing an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for use under swaying conditions on deep-sea platforms, comprising the following steps: S1. Select elastic fibers and metal wires as the base material for the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module, and process the elastic fibers and metal wires into Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped monomers of a preset size through die pressing or weaving processes. S2. Weave Ω-shaped or near-Ω-shaped monomers into planar fiber modules, set fixed nodes at the interlacing points between monomers to form a damping structure, and further connect them in three-dimensional space by winding or weaving to form an oil-water separation fiber module with a preset initial porosity.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following outstanding advantages: 1. This invention utilizes an adaptive pore adjustment and damping energy dissipation mechanism based on an Ω-shaped or near-Ω-shaped three-dimensional porous structure. Metal wires are used to ensure the shape of the module structure, and elastic fibers are used to adapt to the flow velocity. Under the alternating action of compression and rebound, the adhering oil droplets are promoted to desorb, migrate, and coalesce, thereby enhancing the oil-water separation efficiency and suppressing the emulsification tendency. This achieves active dissipation of fluid fluctuations and flow field stability under sloshing conditions, effectively overcoming the problems of easy failure and low separation efficiency of traditional fixed packing in marine sloshing environments.

[0014] 2. The porosity of the fiber module of the present invention can be adaptively adjusted according to the intensity of external hydraulic impact (the pores shrink to stabilize the flow when the impact is enhanced, and rebound to promote the shedding of oil droplets when the impact is weakened). The oil phase removal efficiency under swaying conditions exceeds 95%. Compared with traditional fixed metal wire mesh packing, the interface fluctuation amplitude is reduced by more than 60%, and it has excellent fatigue resistance. The structure remains intact after 500 hours of operation, successfully overcoming the problem of oil-water separation under swaying environment of deep-sea platforms. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for use in deep-sea platform swaying conditions.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of demulsification separation using an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module.

[0017] Drawing number explanation: 31-Adaptive oil-water separation fiber module; 311-Metal wire; 312-Elastic fiber; 313-Fixed node; 314-Oil-water mixture. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. These embodiments are based on the technical solution of the present invention and provide detailed implementation methods and specific operating procedures. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0019] Example 1 The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions in this embodiment is as follows: Figures 1-2 As shown, the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31 is a three-dimensional porous fiber module woven from several Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped mesh structures. The mesh structure is composed of interwoven metal wires 311 and elastic fibers 312. Fixed nodes 313 are set at the interlacing points of the mesh structure to form a damping structure.

[0020] Furthermore, the diameter of the metal wire 311 is 0.3mm to 3mm, and the material of the metal wire 311 is any one of titanium metal wire, nickel titanium alloy metal wire and 316L stainless steel wire; The elastic fiber 312 has a diameter of 0.1 mm to 1 mm and is made of a polymer material with shape memory effect or superelasticity; further, the material of the elastic fiber 312 is polyurethane elastomer or polytetrafluoroethylene fiber.

[0021] Furthermore, the metal wire 311 is hydrophilic, and the elastic fiber 312 is oleophilic.

[0022] Furthermore, the height of the single Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped mesh structure is 1 mm to 20 mm, and the radius of curvature is 0.2 mm to 5 mm; the initial porosity of the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31 is 65% to 90%.

[0023] The preparation method of the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module in this embodiment includes the following steps: S1. Select elastic fiber 312 and metal wire 311 as the substrate of adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31, and process elastic fiber 312 and metal wire 311 into Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped monomers of preset size through die pressing or weaving process. S2. Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped monomers are woven into planar fiber modules, and fixed nodes 313 are set at the interlacing points between monomers to form a damping structure. The modules are then connected in three-dimensional space by winding or weaving to form an adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31 with a preset initial porosity.

[0024] Mechanism of action of this invention: like Figure 2 As shown, when the oil-water mixture 314 flows through the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31, if the external platform shakes, the fluid hydraulic impact acts on the three-dimensional porous fiber module; the metal wire 311 maintains the overall structural stability of the module and provides hydrophilic channels, while the elastic fiber 312 undergoes reversible buckling deformation under the action of fluid dynamic pressure. When the impact intensifies, the porosity of the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31 adaptively decreases to stabilize the flow field and balance the flow velocity distribution; when the impact weakens, the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module 31 elastically rebounds to restore porosity to promote oil droplet shedding. The dynamic adjustment mechanism of this invention is based on the principle of "structure-material synergistic dissipation": the metal wire 311 provides high-modulus skeleton support, ensuring timely deformation recovery and periodic reversible adjustment capability of the pore structure; the elastic fiber 312 undergoes controllable deformation under the action of fluid fluctuations, and its curved surface topology and the constraint effect of the fixed node 313 form a local damping zone, dissipating pulse energy through the micro-amplitude relative displacement at the fixed node 313 and the friction effect of the fiber-metal wire composite system, suppressing phase interface disturbance; at the same time, the viscoelastic hysteresis effect of the elastic fiber 312 converts vibration energy into heat energy to dissipate the periodic compression-rebound motion of the elastic fiber 312, forming a continuous mechanical squeezing and release effect on the oil droplets attached to the surface, promoting oil droplet desorption, migration and aggregation, and reducing the oil content in the purified aqueous phase.

[0025] Example 2 This embodiment uses the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module and its preparation method for deep-sea platform swaying conditions described in Example 1. Titanium wire with a diameter of 0.3 mm is selected as a high-strength support skeleton, and polytetrafluoroethylene fiber with a diameter of 0.15 mm is spirally wound on the surface to form a miniaturized Ω-shaped unit with a height of 1 mm and a radius of curvature of 0.5 mm. A layered multi-point nested weaving process is used to ensure that the fiber units are arranged in a matrix-like, tightly packed arrangement in space (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The initial porosity of the oil-water separation fiber module is approximately 83%.

[0026] Example 3 This embodiment uses the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module and its preparation method for deep-sea platform swaying conditions as described in Embodiment 1. A nickel-titanium alloy wire with a diameter of 0.5 mm is selected as a high-strength support skeleton, and a polyurethane elastic fiber with a diameter of 0.25 mm is selected as a functional elastic fiber. The two are wound together to form an Ω-shaped unit with a height of 8 mm and a radius of curvature of 5 mm. A three-dimensional interlaced nested weaving process is used to arrange the Ω-shaped units with a center-to-center distance of 10 mm in both the transverse and longitudinal directions. The opening directions of the Ω-shaped units in adjacent layers are opposite, forming a three-dimensional network structure with strong integrity and excellent pore connectivity. The initial porosity of this module is 65%.

[0027] Performance testing 1. The oil-water separation fiber module of Example 2 was placed in a test environment simulating strong shaking conditions (swing angle 15°, period 4s), and compared with a traditional metal wire mesh oil removal module with the same filling volume and porosity of approximately 85%. The oil content of the oily wastewater introduced was approximately 300 mg / L. Three parameters were measured: interface fluctuation amplitude (measured by a wave sensor, i.e., the maximum vertical fluctuation height of the oil-water interface relative to the static equilibrium position), oil-water separation efficiency, and structural fatigue damage. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0028] Table 1 This embodiment's module forms a highly damping network through compact and dense weaving, utilizing buckling deformation, material elasticity, and nodal micro-friction to dissipate wave energy and stabilize the flow field and phase interface. Simultaneously, the high specific surface area of ​​the fibers provides numerous sites for oil droplet capture, enabling the module to exert a continuous "squeeze-release" mechanical action on the attached oil droplets during fluid sloshing deformation, promoting the coalescence and desorption of fine micro-oil droplets. As shown in Table 1, the fiber module of this invention far surpasses traditional metal wire mesh packings in four aspects: wave energy dissipation, interface stability control, efficient separation, and long-term reliability.

[0029] 2. The oil-water separation fiber module of Example 2 was placed in a horizontal oil-water separator and tested in a simulated strong shaking condition (swing angle 12°, period 10s). It was compared with a traditional fixed corrugated plate packing of the same volume. The oil content of the oily wastewater was about 2000mg / L. The oil content of the effluent was measured. The test parameters and results are shown in Table 2.

[0030] Table 2 This embodiment utilizes a loosely woven, low-porosity, adaptive oil-water separation fiber module to ensure extremely low flow resistance at normal flow rates. When encountering a sudden, large-flow-rate impact caused by sloshing, the Ω-shaped structure undergoes geometrical nonlinear buckling, compressing the entire module and adaptively increasing the porosity to approximately 79%, thus increasing flow resistance and buffering for stable flow. The loose, interwoven structure provides ample space for coalescence, and the micro-amplitude reciprocating motion of the elastic fibers promotes oil droplet desorption and coalescence, preventing secondary emulsification. As shown in Table 2, this invention achieves a dynamic balance between "low normal pressure drop" and "high-impact stable flow," while simultaneously improving separation accuracy. It is particularly suitable for horizontal separator applications with large flow fluctuations and sensitivity to pressure drop.

[0031] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present application in any way. Although the present application discloses the preferred embodiment as described above, it is not intended to limit the present application. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present application using the disclosed technical content are equivalent to equivalent implementation cases. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the technical solution.

Claims

1. An adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for use under swaying conditions on deep-sea platforms, characterized in that, The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module is a three-dimensional porous fiber module woven from several Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped mesh structures. The mesh structure is composed of interwoven metal wires and elastic fibers, and fixed nodes are set at the interlacing points of the mesh structure to form a damping structure.

2. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the metal wire is 0.3 mm to 3 mm.

3. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the metal wire is any one of titanium wire, nickel-titanium alloy wire, and 316L stainless steel wire.

4. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic fibers have a diameter of 0.1 mm to 1 mm and are made of polymer materials with shape memory effect or superelasticity.

5. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic fiber is made of polyurethane elastomer or polytetrafluoroethylene fiber.

6. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal wire is hydrophilic, and the elastic fiber is oleophilic.

7. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the individual Ω-shaped or approximately Ω-shaped grid structure is 1mm to 20mm, and the radius of curvature is 0.2mm to 5mm.

8. The adaptive oil-water separation fiber module for deep-sea platform swaying conditions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The initial porosity of the adaptive oil-water separation fiber module is 65%–90%.

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