Automated solar thermal collection and storage heating system for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields.
By combining an automated solar thermal collector and storage heating device with an air source heat pump, the problem of heating difficulties in the extraction of light oil in the Changqing Oilfield has been solved, achieving an efficient, safe, and low-cost heating process that is adaptable to different climatic conditions.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KARAMAY KELI ENERGY SAVING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TECH
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
During the extraction of light oil in Changqing Oilfield, there are problems of waxing and freezing, which makes heating difficult in winter. Existing heating methods are energy-intensive, pose significant safety hazards, and have high maintenance costs.
It adopts an automated heating device with solar thermal collection and storage, combined with an air source heat pump. During the day, it uses solar energy to store heat, and at night or in the absence of light, it is heated by the heat pump. It achieves automated control and integrated design, and is adaptable to different climatic conditions.
It achieves an efficient, safe, and low-cost heating process, reduces energy consumption and maintenance costs, minimizes the risks of manual operation, and adapts to different climate changes.
Smart Images
Figure CN224316441U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to automated heating devices for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields, and in particular to an automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields. Background Technology
[0002] Changqing Oilfield produces light oil, relying on self-flowing or water injection for oil recovery. Some light oil wells are located in remote, isolated areas, resulting in high construction and maintenance costs for gathering and transportation pipelines. In the Longdong area of Changqing Oilfield, some wells are situated in deep mountain gullies or remote loess plateau regions. After extraction, the crude oil suffers from wax formation during extraction and freezing in storage tanks during winter, making loading and unloading by truck impossible. Heating of the produced fluid at gathering and transportation stations is also limited. During winter and summer, the temperature of elevated tanks and gathering pipelines needs to be maintained between 55-70 degrees Celsius. Therefore, after extraction, the light oil enters the gathering and storage tanks, heated by electric heating or water-jacketed boilers. In some remote wells, a water-jacketed coal-fired boiler and semi-raw gas extracted from the wellhead pump are mixed and heated by depressurized combustion to heat the bottom coils inside the gathering and storage tanks. Once the temperature is reached, the oil is transported by truck. Electric heating is energy-intensive, and water-jacketed coal-fired boilers require large amounts of coal, necessitating annual coal delivery by truck to each well site. The semi-raw gas extracted from the wellhead contains hydrogen sulfide, is unstable, has a high failure rate in winter, poses a high risk to personnel operation, and has high manual maintenance costs.
[0003] After the thin oil is extracted, it enters the oil storage tank. The coal-fired water jacket furnace is similar to a small boiler. It heats the water in the circulating water tank by burning coal or using associated gas from the wellhead. The water is circulated in the oil storage tank by a circulating pump. Due to the unstable liquid volume during the extraction time, it is necessary to maintain the necessary furnace temperature. There are significant hidden dangers in terms of circulation, maintenance, and safety.
[0004] Some well sites use direct electric heating, while others use water-jacketed coal-fired boilers combined with associated gas combustion heating at the wellhead. Compared to other methods, the investment costs, energy consumption, safety, and operational issues are indeed too high. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to provide an automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields. It has a reasonable structure, utilizes green sunlight, has a long sunshine duration, no obstructions, concentrates heat for daytime storage and releases heat at night, has a low collector loss rate, high heat exchange efficiency, and saves electricity.
[0006] The purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows: An automated solar thermal collector and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields includes a crude oil inlet pipe and a crude oil outlet pipe for transporting crude oil. The outlet pipe of the solar collector is connected to the inlet of the storage tank via a first temperature transmitter, one interface of a second electric three-way valve, and a sixth shut-off valve. The outlet pipe of the storage tank is connected to the inlet of a high-level oil collection tank via a second temperature transmitter, a third check valve, a seventh shut-off valve, one interface of a third electric three-way valve, and a first shut-off valve. The other interface of the second electric three-way valve is connected to the pipeline between the seventh shut-off valve and the third electric three-way valve via an air source heat pump, one interface of a fourth electric three-way valve, and a second check valve. The other interface of the fourth electric three-way valve is connected to the pipeline between the second electric three-way valve and the sixth shut-off valve via a first check valve. The outlet pipe of the high-level oil collection tank is connected via a second shut-off valve. Next, the inlet pipe of the water tank, the other port of the third electric three-way valve is connected to the pipeline between the water tank and the second stop valve through the fifth stop valve. The outlet pipe of the water tank is connected to the liquid inlet of the solar collector through the eighth stop valve, one port of the three-way valve, the ninth stop valve, the first filter, the first circulation pump, the tenth stop valve, and one port of the first electric three-way valve. The outlet pipe of the water tank is connected to the pipeline between the tenth stop valve and the first electric three-way valve through the eighth stop valve, the other port of the three-way valve, the eleventh stop valve, the second filter, the second circulation pump, and the twelfth stop valve. The other port of the first electric three-way valve is connected to the pipeline between the second electric three-way valve and the first temperature transmitter through a connecting pipe. The crude oil inlet pipe and crude oil outlet pipe installed on the high-level oil collection tank are connected to the crude oil input pipe and crude oil output pipe respectively through the third stop valve and the fourth stop valve.
[0007] The first temperature transmitter determines the temperature of the solar collector and adjusts the first electric three-way valve. The second temperature transmitter determines the temperature of the thermal storage tank; if it falls below the set temperature and there is no sunlight, the air source heat pump is activated for heating. Simultaneously, the second electric three-way valve switches to the air source pipeline, closing the side inlet to the thermal storage tank. The third temperature transmitter in the high-level oil collection tank controls the third electric three-way valve to distribute heat to the thermal storage tank and the high-level oil collection tank. When the temperature is above the set value, the circulating medium flows through the thermal storage tank via the second electric three-way valve. The third electric three-way valve switches to the fifth shut-off valve based on the set temperature of the third temperature transmitter in the high-level oil collection tank.
[0008] The second electric three-way valve has one port connected to the inlet of the heat storage tank and the other to the inlet of the air source heat pump. These two ports branch off from the second electric three-way valve and eventually converge at the rear end of the third electric three-way valve. The third electric three-way valve outputs two lines: one connects to the first shut-off valve of the high-level oil collection tank, and the other connects to the fifth shut-off valve. The pipelines from the high-level oil collection tank to the second and fifth shut-off valves converge and enter the insulated water tank. The water tank outlet connects to one side of the eighth shut-off valve, and the other side of the eighth shut-off valve connects to the first and second shut-off valves.
[0009] The third electric three-way valve can precisely adjust the flow rate and temperature ratio between the heat storage box and the high-level oil tank according to the high-level oil collection tank.
[0010] Air source heat pumps come with built-in flow meters, temperature and pressure displays.
[0011] This invention collects solar energy during the day into a tube box. Inside the tube box, a circulating medium carries away the collected heat. The heat is then pressurized by a low-power circulating pump and flows to a heat storage device for collection and storage. At this time, the bypass valve of the heat storage box is closed. The produced fluid from the wellhead is transported to the oil collection and storage tank through an oil pumping unit. There is a heating coil at the bottom of the storage tank. The produced fluid is heated by the temperature of the circulating medium inside the coil. The solar heat storage box can store heat and circulate simultaneously during the day.
[0012] After the sun sets at night, the three-way valve of the solar energy system closes, switching to the heat storage tank to release stored heat. In rainy or snowy weather, when there is no sun, if the outlet temperature of the heat storage tank is lower than the set value, the valve entering the heat storage tank is shut off, and the air source heat pump is automatically activated to start heating.
[0013] The outer shell of the heat storage box adopts the shape of a freezer for heat insulation. The modules are easy to install and remove, and the lid can be added or removed according to actual needs. It is easy to transport and disassemble.
[0014] Air source heat pumps offer rapid heating and high heating capacity, ensuring minimal start-stop cycles and maintaining normal operating temperatures. Depending on the temperature, a regulating valve at the pump's output partially opens, allowing excess heat to enter the storage tank until the system temperature reaches equilibrium. When the heat pump stops, the system automatically switches to the storage tank process to maintain the insulation system. Air source heat pumps are designed with local conditions in mind, considering dust, rain, snow, and freezing weather, as well as evaporator fin spacing, defrosting drainage, fire and explosion protection, and other environmental factors.
[0015] The entire equipment is integrated into a skid, allowing for seamless installation, disassembly, and transportation without the need for disassembly.
[0016] This utility model utilizes a combined solar collector, heat storage, and air source heat pump heating device. During summer daytime operation, only a small-power circulating pump is needed for heating. The device avoids direct contact with the extracted liquid during heating, maintaining only intermittent contact; even if the extracted liquid pipe breaks, it cannot enter the solar circulation system. It boasts high heat exchange efficiency and low resistance, with the water bath heat exchanger featuring anti-sand accumulation functionality. The equipment is integrated, easy to relocate, and requires no special foundation hardening—only a level surface is needed. Precise automatic control automatically switches between nighttime and cloudy / rainy days, and remote meter and monitoring data are automatically stored and uploaded. It efficiently utilizes solar energy to absorb heat, saving electricity. Attached Figure Description
[0017] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of this utility model. Detailed Implementation
[0018] An automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields, such as... Figure 1As shown, the crude oil is transported by the crude oil inlet pipe 16 and the crude oil outlet pipe 17. The outlet pipe of the solar collector 1 is connected to the inlet of the heat storage tank 5 through the first temperature transmitter 2, one interface of the second electric three-way valve 3, and the sixth shut-off valve 4. The outlet pipe of the heat storage tank 5 is connected to the inlet of the high-level oil collection tank 11 through the second temperature transmitter 6, the third check valve 7, the seventh shut-off valve 8, one interface of the third electric three-way valve 9, and the first shut-off valve 10. The other interface of the second electric three-way valve 3 is connected to the pipeline between the seventh shut-off valve 8 and the third electric three-way valve 9 through the air source heat pump 12, one interface of the fourth electric three-way valve 13, and the second check valve 14. The other interface of the fourth electric three-way valve 13 is connected to the pipeline between the second electric three-way valve 3 and the sixth shut-off valve 4 through the first check valve 15. The outlet pipe of the high-level oil collection tank 11 is connected to the inlet pipe of the water tank 39 through the second shut-off valve 40. The other interface of the third electric three-way valve 9 is connected to the inlet of the water tank 39 through the fifth shut-off valve 40. The stop valve 18 connects the pipeline between the water tank 39 and the second stop valve 40. The outlet pipe of the water tank 39 is connected to the inlet of the solar collector 1 via the eighth stop valve 19, one interface of the three-way pipe, the ninth stop valve 20, the first filter 21, the first circulation pump 22, the tenth stop valve 23, and one interface of the first electric three-way valve 24. The outlet pipe of the water tank 39 is connected to the pipeline between the tenth stop valve 23 and the first electric three-way valve 24 via the eighth stop valve 19, another interface of the three-way pipe, the eleventh stop valve 25, the second filter 26, the second circulation pump 27, and the twelfth stop valve 28. The other interface of the first electric three-way valve 24 is connected to the pipeline between the second electric three-way valve 3 and the first temperature transmitter 2 via a connecting pipe. The crude oil inlet pipe 38 and the crude oil outlet pipe 37 installed on the high-level oil collection tank 11 are connected to the crude oil input pipe 16 and the crude oil output pipe 17 via the third stop valve 29 and the fourth stop valve 30, respectively. The solar collector 1 is a solar heat pipe collector. The high-level oil collecting tank 11 is a phase-change high-level oil collecting tank, with an internal circulation pipeline installed inside. A third temperature transmitter 31 and a first level gauge 32 are installed on the high-level oil collecting tank 11. A second level gauge 33 is installed on the water tank 39. Softened water circulates in the solar collector 1. An automatic air vent valve 34 and a heat collection module 35 are installed on the solar collector 1. Pressure gauges 36 are installed on the outlet pipes of the first circulation pump 22 and the second circulation pump 27, respectively. Crude oil extracted by the pumping unit enters the high-level oil collecting tank 11 through the crude oil input pipe 16, the third shut-off valve 29, and the crude oil inlet pipe 38. Crude oil output from the high-level oil collecting tank 11 enters the crude oil loading port through the crude oil outlet pipe 37, the fourth shut-off valve 30, and the crude oil output pipe 17. The heat storage box 5 has no electric heating configuration at the front and rear.
Claims
1. An automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields, comprising crude oil transported by a crude oil inlet pipe (16) and a crude oil outlet pipe (17), characterized in that: The liquid outlet pipe of the solar collector (1) is connected to the liquid inlet of the heat storage tank (5) through a first temperature transmitter (2), one interface of the second electric three-way valve (3), and a sixth shut-off valve (4). The liquid outlet pipe of the heat storage tank (5) is connected to the liquid inlet of the high-level oil collection tank (11) through a second temperature transmitter (6), a third check valve (7), a seventh shut-off valve (8), one interface of the third electric three-way valve (9), and a first shut-off valve (10). The other interface of the second electric three-way valve (3) is connected to an air source heat pump (12) and a fourth electric three-way valve (4). One port of the through valve (13) and the second check valve (14) are connected to the pipeline between the seventh shut-off valve (8) and the third electric three-way valve (9). The other port of the fourth electric three-way valve (13) is connected to the pipeline between the second electric three-way valve (3) and the sixth shut-off valve (4) through the first check valve (15). The outlet pipe of the high-level oil collection tank (11) is connected to the inlet pipe of the water tank (39) through the second shut-off valve (40). The other port of the third electric three-way valve (9) is connected to the pipeline between the water tank (39) and the fifth shut-off valve (18). The pipeline between the second shut-off valve (40), the outlet pipe of the water tank (39) is connected to the inlet of the solar collector (1) through the eighth shut-off valve (19), one interface of the three-way pipe, the ninth shut-off valve (20), the first filter (21), the first circulation pump (22), the tenth shut-off valve (23), and one interface of the first electric three-way valve (24). The outlet pipe of the water tank (39) is connected to the inlet of the solar collector (1) through the eighth shut-off valve (19), the other interface of the three-way pipe, the eleventh shut-off valve (25), the second filter (26), and the second circulation pump (40). 27) The twelfth shut-off valve (28) is connected to the pipeline between the tenth shut-off valve (23) and the first electric three-way valve (24). The other port of the first electric three-way valve (24) is connected to the pipeline between the second electric three-way valve (3) and the first temperature transmitter (2) through a connecting pipe. The crude oil inlet pipe (38) and crude oil outlet pipe (37) installed on the high-level oil collection tank (11) are respectively connected to the crude oil input pipe (16) and crude oil output pipe (17) through the third shut-off valve (29) and the fourth shut-off valve (30).
2. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: The solar collector (1) is a solar heat pipe collector.
3. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-level oil collection tank (11) is a phase change high-level oil collection tank. An internal circulation pipeline is installed inside the high-level oil collection tank (11). A third temperature transmitter (31) and a first level gauge (32) are installed on the high-level oil collection tank (11).
4. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second level gauge (33) is installed on the water tank (39).
5. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: Softened water is circulated in the solar collector (1).
6. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: An automatic air vent valve (34) and a heat collection module (35) are installed on the solar collector (1).
7. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: Pressure gauges (36) are installed on the outlet pipes of the first circulation pump (22) and the second circulation pump (27).
8. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crude oil extracted by the pumping unit enters the high-level oil collection tank (11) through the crude oil input pipe (16), the third shut-off valve (29), and the crude oil inlet pipe (38). The crude oil output from the high-level oil collection tank (11) enters the crude oil loading port through the crude oil outlet pipe (37), the fourth shut-off valve (30), and the crude oil output pipe (17).
9. The automated solar thermal collection and storage heating device for crude oil gathering and transportation in oilfields according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat storage box (5) has no electric heating configuration at the front and rear.