A self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator to prevent jamming

Abstract

This utility model discloses a self-heating level gauge for preventing jamming in a heavy oil separator. It includes: a protective guide tube with an axial cavity inside, and a viewing window along its length on the outer wall of the protective guide tube; the upper and lower parts of the protective guide tube are respectively used for connecting to a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe for communication with the heavy oil separator; a float ball disposed within the cavity; multiple arc-shaped strong magnets non-uniformly and eccentrically disposed on the outer wall of the protective guide tube along its length; and a high-resistance closed-loop heating coil non-uniformly wound from a high-resistance material. The beneficial effects of this utility model are: by incorporating the protective guide tube, float ball, multiple arc-shaped strong magnets, high-resistance closed-loop heating coil, and eddy current heating plate, the high-resistance closed-loop heating coil cuts the non-uniform magnetic field generated by the multiple arc-shaped strong magnets during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generating eddy currents and heating and melting the heavy oil, thus preventing the float ball from jamming.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of heavy oil level measurement technology, and in particular to a self-heating level gauge for a heavy oil separator that prevents jamming. Background Technology

[0002] In the petrochemical industry, various separators experience situations where the float of the level gauge becomes stuck due to the high viscosity and pour point of the medium inside the container. Existing solutions have significant limitations, primarily in the following aspects: 1) Level gauge sticking can lead to safety accidents. A stuck float is difficult to detect during routine inspections, easily resulting in situations like overflowing tanks at high levels or airlocks and cavitation in external pumps at low levels, posing a significant safety hazard. 2) Disassembling and cleaning stuck level gauges is labor-intensive. Due to the small diameter and length of the protective conduit pipe (several meters), cleaning is difficult. Conventional methods of soaking in cleaning agents and high-temperature rinsing are inefficient and rarely thoroughly clean the sticky oil adhering to the pipe walls. Frequent disassembly and cleaning of the level gauge consumes a large amount of manpower. 3) Manual disassembly and cleaning of level gauges is risky, easily causing wear on the sealing surface of the single isolation ball valve. Sudden changes in container / separator pressure can impact the single ball valve, greatly increasing the probability of oil and gas leaks. 4) Stagnant level gauges can harbor hidden dangers due to hot water dissolution and scaling. Currently, a common method for dealing with stagnant level gauges is to flush them with a continuous flow of high-water-content well fluid or treated high-temperature production water to ensure that the guide tube and float annulus are always in a diluted state of heavy oil, reducing the likelihood of oil accumulation on the float and guide tube walls and minimizing friction. However, this practice poses significant safety hazards to well control, and the temporary short-circuit high-temperature production water is also highly prone to leaks, causing burns to personnel. 5) The thermal efficiency of electric heat tracing for heating conduit is low. The currently commonly used method of heating the thick oil inside the conduit by wrapping it with electric heat tracing has the following defects: 1. The heating wires are not wrapped evenly, resulting in poor heating and oil melting effect in the annulus of the conduit and easy detachment; 2. The direct contact area between the heating wires and the outer wall of the conduit is small, relying mainly on air for heat conduction and radiation, resulting in low internal energy utilization and a large waste of heat energy; 3. Since the heating wires are wrapped around the outer wall of the conduit, additional insulation and armor are required to store the heat generated by the heating wires and prevent heat loss in the air, adding a significant amount of extra work; 4. The insulation of the heating wires is poor and the lifespan is short. Once the insulation is damaged, short circuits and arcing are very likely to occur, leading to secondary disasters such as electric shock, resulting in poor on-site applicability; 5. Replacing the electric heat tracing is a large workload, the maintenance cycle is short, the economic applicability is poor, and the return on investment (ROI) is low. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to provide a self-heating liquid level gauge for heavy oil separator that prevents jamming. It is equipped with a protective tube, a float, multiple arc-shaped strong magnets, a high-resistance closed-loop heating coil, and an eddy current heating plate. The high-resistance closed-loop heating coil cuts the non-uniform magnetic field generated by the multiple arc-shaped strong magnets during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generates eddy currents, and heats up to melt the heavy oil, preventing the float from jamming.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution, including:

[0005] The protective guide tube has an axial cavity inside and a viewing window arranged along its length on its outer wall; the upper and lower parts of the protective guide tube are respectively used to connect to the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe of the heavy oil separator.

[0006] A float ball, which is installed inside the lumen, is used to indicate the liquid level position inside the protective conduit;

[0007] Multiple arc-shaped strong magnets are non-uniformly and eccentrically arranged on the outer wall of the protective guide tube along its length to form a non-uniform magnetic field;

[0008] The high-resistance closed-loop heating coil is made of high-resistance material wound non-uniformly. It is used to cut the non-uniform magnetic field during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generate eddy currents, and heat up to melt the viscous oil, thus preventing the float from getting stuck.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes:

[0010] A pressure-type liquid level sensor is installed at the lower end of the protective tube to detect the liquid level inside the protective tube;

[0011] A capacitive liquid level sensor is installed at the upper end of the protective guide tube to detect the liquid level inside the protective guide tube;

[0012] The pressure-type liquid level sensor and the capacitive liquid level sensor are electrically connected to the server to upload the detected values ​​to the server.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes:

[0014] A push pin, located at the bottom of the float, is used to abut against the lower end face of the protective guide tube;

[0015] The length of the pin is greater than the distance between the lower end of the second connecting tube and the lower end face of the protective guide tube.

[0016] Preferably, the float consists of a pair of interlocking float bodies; the float is made of a non-magnetic hard copper alloy containing 14.5%-17.5% chromium and 14%-17% molybdenum.

[0017] Preferably, a fluorescent layer is provided on the upper outer periphery of the float. The fluorescent layer can display red / green light waves after being excited by ultraviolet / blue light, so that the float has high visibility. The fluorescent layer contains 0.69%-4.3% europium and 47.7%-48.31% terbium.

[0018] Preferably, a thermosensitive coating is provided on the lower outer periphery of the float. When the temperature reaches a specific threshold, the thermosensitive coating changes color, making it easy to visually display the threshold of the temperature generated by the float's self-heating.

[0019] Preferably, a plurality of detachably connected counterweights are provided on the inner circumference of the bottom of the float for adjusting the weight of the float.

[0020] Preferably, the arc-shaped strong magnet is arc-shaped and is mounted on the outer wall of the protective guide tube via a connecting rod; the arc-shaped strong magnet is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

[0021] Preferably, the protective catheter is made of a magnetically conductive material.

[0022] Preferably, it also includes:

[0023] Eddy current heating plates are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the high-resistance closed-loop heating coil and electrically connected to the high-resistance closed-loop heating coil; they are used to generate heat, melt viscous oil, and prevent the float from getting stuck.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: it is equipped with a protective tube, a float, multiple arc-shaped strong magnets, a high-resistance closed-loop heating coil, and an eddy current heating plate. The high-resistance closed-loop heating coil cuts the non-uniform magnetic field generated by the multiple arc-shaped strong magnets during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generates eddy currents, and heats up to melt the viscous oil, preventing the float from getting stuck. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Fig. 1 This is a perspective view of a self-heating liquid level gauge for preventing jamming in a heavy oil separator according to this utility model.

[0026] Fig. 2 This is a front view of a self-heating liquid level gauge for preventing jamming in a heavy oil separator according to this utility model.

[0027] Fig. 3 This is an exploded view of the float in this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The utility model will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement it based on the description.

[0029] It should be understood that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” and “including” as used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0030] like Figs. 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides a self-heating, anti-jamming level gauge 1 for a heavy oil separator, comprising:

[0031] The protective conduit 110 has an axial cavity 111 inside, and a viewing window 112 arranged along its length on the outer wall of the protective conduit 110. The upper and lower parts of the protective conduit 110 are respectively used for connecting to a first connecting pipe 113 and a second connecting pipe 114 for communication with a heavy oil separator. Preferably, the protective conduit 110 is made of a magnetically conductive material. More preferably, a pressure-type liquid level sensor 151 is disposed at the lower end of the protective conduit 110 for detecting the liquid level inside the protective conduit 110; a capacitive liquid level sensor 152 is disposed at the upper end of the protective conduit 110 for detecting the liquid level inside the protective conduit 110. The pressure-type liquid level sensor 151 and the capacitive liquid level sensor 152 are electrically connected to a server for uploading the detected values ​​to the server.

[0032] A float 120, disposed within the lumen 111, is used to indicate the liquid level position within the guide tube 110. Preferably, the float 120 consists of a pair of interlocking float bodies 121. The float 120 is made of a non-magnetic hard copper alloy containing 4.5%-17.5% chromium and 14%-17% molybdenum. Preferably, a fluorescent layer 122 is provided on the upper outer periphery of the float 120. This fluorescent layer 122 displays red / green light waves upon excitation by ultraviolet / blue light, providing high visibility of the float. The fluorescent layer contains 0.69%-4.3% europium and 47.7%-48.31% terbium. Preferably, a thermosensitive coating 123 is provided on the lower outer periphery of the float 120. When the temperature reaches a specific threshold, the thermosensitive coating changes color, facilitating a visual display of the threshold temperature at which the float 120 generates heat. As a further preferred embodiment, a plurality of detachably connected counterweights 124 are provided on the inner circumference of the bottom of the float 120 for adjusting the weight of the float 120. As a further preferred embodiment, it also includes: a pin 125, which is disposed at the bottom of the float 120 for abutting against the lower end face of the protective guide tube 110; wherein, the length of the pin 125 is greater than the distance between the lower end of the second connecting tube 114 and the lower end face of the protective guide tube 110.

[0033] Multiple arc-shaped strong magnets 130 are non-uniformly and eccentrically arranged on the outer wall of the protective guide tube 110 along the length direction of the protective guide tube 110 to form a non-uniform magnetic field; as a preferred embodiment, the arc-shaped strong magnets 130 are arc-shaped and are arranged on the outer wall of the protective guide tube 110 through connecting rods 131, and the arc-shaped strong magnets 130 are permanent magnets or electromagnets.

[0034] A high-resistance closed-loop heating coil 140, made of a high-resistance material non-uniformly wound, is used to cut through the non-uniform magnetic field during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generating eddy currents and heating up to melt the viscous oil, thus preventing the float 120 from getting stuck. Preferably, it also includes: eddy current heating plates 160 respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the high-resistance closed-loop heating coil 140 and electrically connected to the high-resistance closed-loop heating coil 140; used to generate heat, melt the viscous oil, and prevent the float 120 from getting stuck.

[0035] During use, the protective tube 110 is connected to the separator via the first connecting pipe 113 and the second connecting pipe 114, forming a communicating vessel structure. The liquid level inside the protective tube 110 is the same as the liquid level inside the separator. The float 120 floats on the liquid surface inside the protective tube 110. Multiple arc-shaped strong magnets 130 are non-uniformly and eccentrically arranged on the outer wall of the protective tube 110 along its length to form a non-uniform magnetic field. As the float 120 rises and falls with the liquid level, the high-resistance closed-loop heating coil 140 cuts the non-uniform magnetic field, generating eddy currents and heating up to melt the heavy oil, preventing the float 120 from getting stuck.

[0036] In another embodiment, the system further includes: a pressure-type liquid level sensor 151 disposed at the lower end of the protective conduit 110 for detecting the liquid level inside the protective conduit 110; and a capacitive liquid level sensor 152 disposed at the upper end of the protective conduit 110 for detecting the liquid level inside the protective conduit 110; wherein the pressure-type liquid level sensor 151 and the capacitive liquid level sensor 152 are electrically connected to the server for uploading the detected values ​​to the server.

[0037] In another embodiment, it further includes: a pin 125 disposed at the bottom of the float 120 for abutting against the lower end face of the protective tube 110; wherein the length of the pin 125 is greater than the distance between the lower end of the second connecting tube 114 and the lower end face of the protective tube 110.

[0038] In another embodiment, the float 120 consists of a pair of opposing, interlocking float bodies 121; the float is made of a non-magnetic hard copper alloy containing 4.5%-17.5% chromium and 14%-17% molybdenum.

[0039] In another embodiment, a fluorescent layer 122 is provided on the upper outer periphery of the float 120. The fluorescent layer 122 can display red / green light waves after being excited by ultraviolet / blue light, so that the float has high recognition. The fluorescent layer contains 0.69%-4.3% europium and 47.7%-48.31% terbium.

[0040] In another embodiment, a thermosensitive coating 123 is provided on the lower outer periphery of the float 120. When the temperature reaches a specific threshold, the thermosensitive coating changes color, making it easy to visually display the threshold of the temperature generated by the self-heating of the float 120.

[0041] In another embodiment, a plurality of detachably connected counterweights 124 are provided on the inner periphery of the bottom of the float 120 for adjusting the weight of the float 120.

[0042] In another embodiment, the arc-shaped strong magnet 130 is arc-shaped and is disposed on the outer wall of the protective guide tube 110 via a connecting rod 131. The arc-shaped strong magnet 130 is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

[0043] In another embodiment, the protective catheter 110 is made of a magnetically conductive material.

[0044] In another embodiment, it further includes: eddy current heating plates 160 are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the high resistance closed-loop heating coil 140 and electrically connected to the high resistance closed-loop heating coil 140; used to generate heat, melt the heavy oil, and prevent the float 120 from getting stuck.

[0045] In summary, this utility model discloses a self-heating liquid level gauge 1 for preventing jamming in a heavy oil separator. It is equipped with a protective guide tube 110, a float 120, multiple arc-shaped strong magnets 130, a high-resistance closed-loop heating coil 140, and an eddy current heating plate 160. The high-resistance closed-loop heating coil 140 cuts the non-uniform magnetic field generated by the multiple arc-shaped strong magnets 130 during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generating eddy currents and heating up to melt the heavy oil, thus preventing the float 120 from jamming.

[0046] Although the embodiments of this utility model have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, this utility model is not limited to the specific details and the illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separators with anti-jamming properties, characterized in that, include: The protective guide tube has an axial cavity inside and a viewing window arranged along its length on its outer wall; the upper and lower parts of the protective guide tube are respectively used to connect to the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe of the heavy oil separator. A float ball, which is installed inside the lumen, is used to indicate the liquid level position inside the protective conduit; Multiple arc-shaped strong magnets are non-uniformly and eccentrically arranged on the outer wall of the protective guide tube along its length to form a non-uniform magnetic field; The high-resistance closed-loop heating coil is made of high-resistance material wound non-uniformly. It is used to cut the non-uniform magnetic field during the rise and fall of the liquid level, generate eddy currents, and heat up to melt the viscous oil, thus preventing the float from getting stuck.

2. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A pressure-type liquid level sensor is installed at the lower end of the protective tube to detect the liquid level inside the protective tube; A capacitive liquid level sensor is installed at the upper end of the protective guide tube to detect the liquid level inside the protective guide tube; The pressure-type liquid level sensor and the capacitive liquid level sensor are electrically connected to the server to upload the detected values ​​to the server.

3. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A push pin, located at the bottom of the float, is used to abut against the lower end face of the protective guide tube; The length of the pin is greater than the distance between the lower end of the second connecting tube and the lower end face of the protective guide tube.

4. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: A thermosensitive coating is provided on the lower outer periphery of the float. When the temperature reaches a certain threshold, the thermosensitive coating changes color, making it easy to visually display the threshold of the temperature generated by the float's self-heating.

5. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 3, characterized in that: Multiple detachable counterweights are provided on the inner circumference of the bottom of the float to adjust the weight of the float.

6. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc-shaped strong magnet is mounted on the outer wall of the protective guide tube via a connecting rod. The arc-shaped strong magnet is a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

7. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective tubing is made of a magnetically conductive material.

8. The anti-jamming self-heating level gauge for heavy oil separator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Eddy current heating plates are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the high resistance closed-loop heating coil and are electrically connected to the high resistance closed-loop heating coil. Used to generate heat, melt viscous oil, and prevent the float from getting stuck.

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