A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of oil extraction technology, specifically a high-efficiency and compact oil-water-gas separation device for offshore platforms. It includes a separator body with a stepped guide plate in the middle. A high-level separation zone is formed between one end of the stepped guide plate and the separator body; a middle-level separation zone is formed between the stepped guide plate and the separator body; and a low-level separation zone is formed between the other end of the middle-level separation zone and the separator body. This utility model divides the interior of the separator body into high, middle, and low-level separation zones using the stepped guide plate, effectively extending the oil-water sedimentation and separation time. It integrates the entire process of gas-liquid pre-separation, oil-water pretreatment, deep separation, and fine liquid removal into a single separator body. By utilizing vertical space in a layered manner, the overall length of the equipment can be compressed, thereby reducing its volume and eliminating the need for additional space for large equipment installation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of oil extraction technology, specifically to a high-efficiency and compact oil-water-gas separation device for offshore platforms. Background Technology

[0002] Oil-water-gas separators are devices used to separate mixtures of oil, water, and gas into individual components. They are widely used in petroleum, chemical and other fields. In offshore oil and gas extraction operations, the produced fluid at the wellhead needs to be separated into oil, water and gas phases in a timely manner to meet the requirements of subsequent transportation, processing or reinjection. Therefore, oil-water-gas separators are the core and key equipment of offshore platforms.

[0003] However, current separation devices used on offshore platforms are limited by platform space, load-bearing capacity, and complex operating conditions, generally suffering from drawbacks such as large size, heavy weight, and poor adaptability. Offshore platforms have strict limitations on deck space and load-bearing capacity, and traditional horizontal oil-water-gas separators, in order to ensure separation effect, mostly rely on the principle of single gravity settling, requiring a long flow channel length and a large shell volume. This not only occupies a large amount of process area space on the platform, but also requires additional heavy lifting equipment for installation and maintenance, making it difficult to adapt to the lightweight and compact requirements of small offshore platforms or deep-sea mining equipment, and making it difficult to balance efficiency, compactness, and stability. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separation device for offshore platforms to solve the problems mentioned in the background art. To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms includes a separator body. A stepped guide plate is located in the middle of the separator body. A high-level separation zone is formed between one end of the stepped guide plate and the separator body. A mid-level separation zone is formed between the middle of the stepped guide plate and the separator body. A bottom-level separation zone is formed between the other end of the mid-level separation zone and the separator body. A stainless steel filter screen is fixedly installed at the connection between the mid-level and bottom-level separation zones. A pre-weir plate is fixedly installed at the connection between the high-level and mid-level separation zones. A hydrophilic / hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer is fixedly installed on one side of the pre-weir plate. A fixing frame is fixedly installed in the middle of both the mid-level and bottom-level separation zones. Multiple sets of wave-flow baffles are uniformly fixedly installed in the middle of the fixing frames. A stainless steel filter screen is located at the connection between the mid-level and bottom-level separation zones. A weir plate is located at one end of the bottom-level separation zone. An oil storage zone is formed between the weir plate and the separator body.

[0005] In some embodiments, a conduit is fixedly connected to the upper part of one end of the separator body, the lower end of the conduit penetrates the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer and is located in the middle of the high-level separation zone and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer, and a support base is fixedly installed at the lower end of the separator body.

[0006] In some embodiments, a gas-liquid separation tube is fixedly installed in the middle of the conduit, and a spiral guide vane is fixedly installed at the lower end of the gas-liquid separation tube, with the spiral guide vane located below the middle of the conduit.

[0007] In some embodiments, a fixing ring is fixedly installed at the upper end of the gas-liquid separation tube, and through holes are provided around the center of the fixing ring. A lower hollow umbrella is fixedly installed at the upper end of the fixing ring, and an upper closed umbrella is fixedly installed at the upper end of the lower hollow umbrella.

[0008] In some embodiments, the lower openwork umbrella and the upper closed umbrella are provided in two sets, and the two sets of the lower openwork umbrella and the upper closed umbrella are installed in a stacked manner.

[0009] In some embodiments, an exhaust pipe is fixedly connected to the upper end of the conduit, and a three-phase liquid pipe is fixedly connected to the middle part of one side of the conduit. The three-phase liquid pipe passes through the conduit and is fixedly connected to the gas-liquid separation pipe.

[0010] In some embodiments, a drain pipe is fixedly connected to one side of the separator body, the drain pipe is connected to the bottom separation zone in the middle of the separator body, and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer is located above the upper separation zone.

[0011] In some embodiments, an oil drain pipe is fixedly connected to the lower part of the other end of the separator body, and the oil drain pipe is fixedly connected to the oil storage area.

[0012] This utility model has at least the following beneficial effects: 1. In use, this utility model divides the interior of the separator body into three separation zones—high, medium, and low—using a stepped guide plate. This effectively extends the oil-water sedimentation and separation time. Simultaneously, it integrates the entire process of gas-liquid pre-separation, oil-water pretreatment, deep separation, and fine liquid removal into a single separator body. By utilizing vertical space in layers, the overall length of the equipment can be compressed, reducing its volume and eliminating the need for additional space for large equipment installation. The height difference between the pre-positioned weir plate and the steps prevents fluid short-circuiting, ensuring that each part of the fluid undergoes a complete separation process, thus avoiding the sharp drop in efficiency caused by short circuits in traditional separators.

[0013] 2. In use, this utility model employs a multi-mechanism synergistic separation approach, balancing high efficiency and stability to adapt to complex operating conditions. During the gas-liquid pre-separation stage, the collision and centrifugal forces of the conduit and spiral blades remove most of the free gas in advance, preventing gas interference with oil-water separation. During the oil-water separation stage, a combination of coalescence, interception, and flow stabilization is achieved through a hydrophilic / hydrophobic coalescence layer, a stainless steel filter, and wave-flow baffles. Even under complex conditions such as sudden changes in the oil-gas-water ratio of the wellhead produced fluid, high-viscosity crude oil, and high-emulsion fluids, free water can still be stably removed. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the first appearance structure of the present utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the second appearance structure of the present utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the catheter of this utility model; Figure 5 For practical purposes Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram of region A in the middle; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional disassembly diagram of the separator body of this utility model.

[0015] In the diagram: 1. Separator body; 10. Gas-liquid separation pipe; 11. Conduit; 12. Three-phase liquid pipe; 13. Exhaust pipe; 14. Spiral guide vane; 15. Fixing ring; 16. Through hole; 17. Lower hollow umbrella; 18. Upper closed umbrella; 19. Support base; 2. Stepped guide plate; 20. Pre-weir plate; 21. High-level separation zone; 22. Middle-level separation zone; 23. Bottom-level separation zone; 24. Stainless steel filter screen; 25. Weir plate; 26. Fixing frame; 27. Wave flow baffle; 28. Hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer; 29. ​​Oil drain pipe; 30. Drain pipe; 31. Oil storage area. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0017] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1 - Figure 6This utility model provides a technical solution: a high-efficiency and compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms, comprising a separator body 1, a stepped guide plate 2 in the middle of the separator body 1, a high-level separation zone 21 formed between one end of the stepped guide plate 2 and the separator body 1, a middle-level separation zone 22 formed between the middle of the stepped guide plate 2 and the separator body 1, a low-level separation zone 23 formed between the other end of the middle-level separation zone 22 and the separator body 1, a stainless steel filter screen 24 fixedly installed at the connection between the middle-level separation zone 22 and the low-level separation zone 23, a front weir plate 20 fixedly installed at the connection between the high-level separation zone 21 and the middle-level separation zone 22, and a hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber aggregate fixedly installed on one side of the front weir plate 20. A fixed frame 26 is fixedly installed in the middle of the middle layer 28, the middle layer separation zone 22 and the bottom layer separation zone 23. Multiple sets of wave flow baffles 27 are evenly fixedly installed in the middle of the fixed frame 26. A stainless steel filter screen 24 is provided at the connection between the middle layer separation zone 22 and the bottom layer separation zone 23. A weir plate 25 is provided at one end of the bottom layer separation zone 23. An oil storage area 31 is formed between the weir plate 25 and the separator body 1. A drain pipe 30 is fixedly connected to one side of the separator body 1. The drain pipe 30 is connected to the bottom layer separation zone 23 in the middle of the separator body 1. The hydrophilic and hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer 28 is located above the upper layer separation zone 21. An oil drain pipe 29 is fixedly connected to the lower part of the other end of the separator body 1. The oil drain pipe 29 is fixedly connected to the oil storage area 31.

[0018] In this embodiment, progressive separation is achieved through different height gradients. The stepped guide plate 2 divides the separator into three separation zones: high, middle, and low, forming three different fluid flow gradients. The high-level separation zone 21 first receives the mixed liquid to be separated, and the front weir plate 20 blocks large particles of impurities and some free water, reducing the treatment load of the middle layer. The middle-level separation zone 22 uses the wave flow baffle 27 and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer 28 to coalesce and grow emulsion droplets. The low-level separation zone 23 can achieve precise oil-water stratification, and compared with traditional single-zone separation, the overall free water removal rate can be greatly improved. The hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer 28 in the high-level zone can capture emulsion droplets and coalesce them through hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties. The stainless steel filter screen 24 at the connection between the middle and low layers further intercepts medium-sized droplets that are not completely separated. The combined flow optimization of the heavy interception and wave flow baffle 27 significantly reduces the oil content in the water, thus meeting high-standard separation requirements. The wave flow baffle 27 in the middle and bottom layers, through its concave and convex surfaces, significantly reduces the fluid velocity at the inlet, preventing the generation of local eddies. The pre-weir plate 20 and weir plate 25 form physical barriers at the upper inlet and the lower oil storage area 31, respectively. Combined with the height difference of the stepped guide plate 2, they prevent the short-circuit problem of the fluid flowing directly from the inlet to the outlet without stratification. At the same time, the fluid in the upper separation area 21 must cross the pre-weir plate 20 to enter the middle layer, which further prolongs the residence time and provides sufficient conditions for preliminary separation. The drain pipe 30 is directly connected to the lower separation area 23, which can quickly discharge the settled water phase and avoid water accumulation at the bottom. The oil drain pipe 29 is dedicated to the oil storage area 31, and the oil phase storage and discharge do not interfere with each other.

[0019] Example 2: Figure 1 - Figure 5 As shown, a conduit 11 is fixedly connected to the upper part of one end of the separator body 1. The lower end of the conduit 11 passes through the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer 28 and is located in the middle of the high-level separation zone 21 and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer 28. A support base 19 is fixedly installed at the lower end of the separator body 1. A gas-liquid separation pipe 10 is fixedly installed in the middle of the conduit 11. A spiral guide vane 14 is fixedly installed at the lower end of the gas-liquid separation pipe 10. The spiral guide vane 14 is located below the middle of the conduit 11.

[0020] In this embodiment, when the mixture to be separated is transported through the conduit 11, it will directly collide with the gas-liquid separation pipe 10. During the collision, most of the less dense gas will rise and quickly enter the exhaust pipe 13 for discharge. The denser oil and gas will fall along the conduit 11 into the spiral guide vane 14 and flow along its path, generating centrifugal force. During this process, the remaining less dense gas will be thrown out and rise, while the denser oil-water mixture will flow downward along the inner wall of the conduit 11, preventing gas from carrying droplets or liquid from encapsulating bubbles into the upper separation zone 21. The lower end of the conduit 11 is penetrated by hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber polymer. The layer 28 leads directly to the upper separation zone 21, allowing the oil-water mixture that has undergone gas-liquid pre-separation to be directly transported to the core separation zone without flowing through other areas. The gas-liquid separation pipe 10 and the spiral guide vane 14 are precisely matched, allowing the gas separated by centrifugal force to enter the separation pipe along the shortest path without having to detour through the interior of the separator body 1, reducing the contact time between the gas and the liquid and lowering the probability of gas entraining liquid droplets. The support base 19 at the lower end of the separator body 1 adopts a symmetrical load-bearing design, which can stably fix the equipment on the deck of the offshore platform or on the ground foundation, avoiding displacement or tilting of the separator due to the shaking of the offshore platform or fluid impact.

[0021] Example 3: As Figure 1 - Figure 5 As shown, there are two sets of lower hollow umbrella 17 and upper closed umbrella 18. The two sets of lower hollow umbrella 17 and upper closed umbrella 18 are stacked. The upper end of the conduit 11 is connected to and fixed with an exhaust pipe 13. The middle part of one side of the conduit 11 is connected to and fixed with a three-phase liquid pipe 12. The three-phase liquid pipe 12 passes through the conduit 11 and is connected and fixed with the gas-liquid separation pipe 10.

[0022] In this embodiment, the perforated design of the lower perforated umbrella 17 allows gas to pass through while intercepting medium to large droplets entrained in the fluid. Due to gravity and the obstruction of the umbrella surface, the droplets slide back into the liquid inside the conduit 11 along the inclined surface of the perforated umbrella, preventing them from entering the subsequent gas path and completing the coarse gas-liquid separation. The upper closed umbrella 18 has no perforated structure and can block tiny liquid mists that are not intercepted by the lower perforated umbrella 17. The gas needs to flow upwards around the edge of the upper closed umbrella 18. As the flow path lengthens, the liquid mist adheres to the lower surface of the closed umbrella due to inertial force, converging into droplets that flow along the umbrella... The liquid drips from the inclined surface and from the through hole 16 of the fixed ring 15 into the fixed ring 15 for subsequent separation, achieving fine gas-liquid separation. Two sets of lower hollow umbrellas 17 and upper closed umbrellas 18 are stacked and installed to form a progressive liquid removal process from coarse filtration to fine filtration to coarse filtration to fine filtration, which can directly reduce the liquid content of the gas to the standard that fully meets the requirements of natural gas transportation. The three-phase liquid pipe 12 directly passes through the conduit 11 and is connected to the gas-liquid separation pipe 10, which can accurately transport the oil, gas and water three-phase mixture to be separated to the inside of the gas-liquid separation pipe 10.

[0023] Working principle: like Figure 1 - Figure 6 As shown, during use, the three-phase mixture of oil, gas, and water to be separated is precisely delivered to the inside of the conduit 11 through the three-phase liquid pipe 12 and directly enters the gas-liquid separation pipe 10, initiating gas-liquid pre-separation. After entering the gas-liquid separation pipe 10, the mixture collides with the inner wall of the pipe. Due to its low inertia and high buoyancy, the gas quickly rises to the upper part of the conduit 11; the denser oil-water mixture, under the influence of gravity, flows downward along the inner wall of the gas-liquid separation pipe 10, initially separating most of the free gas. The oil-water mixture continues to fall to the spiral guide vanes 14 in the middle of the conduit 11. As it flows along the spiral path of the vanes, centrifugal force is generated, and the remaining tiny bubbles are thrown towards the center of the conduit 11 by the centrifugal force, converging upward with the previously separated gas; the oil-water mixture flows downward close to the inner wall of the conduit 11, avoiding the problem of gas entraining droplets and liquid encapsulating bubbles, ensuring that the fluid entering the subsequent separation zone is mainly oil-water mixture. The pre-separated gas flows upward and enters the double-layer stacked umbrella-shaped structure at the upper end of the conduit 11, where it is finely purified. The gas first flows through the lower perforated umbrella 17. The perforated design of the umbrella allows the gas to pass through, but intercepts medium to large droplets. Due to gravity and the obstruction of the umbrella surface, the droplets slide down the slope of the perforated umbrella and flow back into the oil-water mixture below through the inner wall of the conduit 11, preventing them from entering the gas path and causing liquid carryover. The coarsely filtered gas continues upward, encountering the non-perforated upper closed umbrella 18. It then flows upward around the edge of the umbrella. As the flow path lengthens, tiny liquid mists adhere to the lower surface of the closed umbrella due to inertia, gradually converging into droplets. These droplets fall down the slope of the umbrella surface to the lower fixing ring 15 and flow back into the conduit 11 through the through-hole 16 of the fixing ring 15, completing the gas-liquid fine separation. The purified gas after fine separation is discharged from the equipment through the exhaust pipe 13.

[0024] The oil-water mixture, after gas-liquid pre-separation, is directly transported to the upper-level separation zone 21 through the lower end of conduit 11. Upon entering the upper-level separation zone 21, some of the fluid first contacts the bottom of the coalescing layer, initially adsorbing tiny emulsion droplets. Simultaneously, the pre-weir plate 20 prevents the mixture from flowing directly to the middle layer, forcing the fluid to accumulate in the upper layer. As the liquid level rises, the mixture completely submerges the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer 28, fully completing the coalescence of the emulsion droplets. Once the liquid level is higher than the pre-weir plate 20, the pretreated oil-water mixture finally overflows from the pre-weir plate 20 into the middle-level separation zone 22. The oil-water mixture overflowing into the middle-level separation zone 22 first flows through the wave-flow baffle 27. The concave-convex surface of the wave-flow baffle 27 rapidly reduces the fluid velocity, preventing eddies and extending the flow time, providing sufficient conditions for droplet settling. The oil-water mixture in the middle layer continues to move and passes through a stainless steel filter screen 24. The filter screen intercepts incompletely separated medium-sized droplets, further improving the separation accuracy. Finally, precise oil-water stratification is achieved in the bottom separation zone 23: the water phase settles to the bottom, and the oil phase floats on top. A weir plate 25 at one end of the bottom separation zone 23 forms a physical barrier, guiding the oil phase floating on top into the oil storage zone 31 for temporary storage, preventing the oil phase from being discharged with the water phase; the settled water phase is quickly discharged through the drain pipe 30, preventing residual water at the bottom from causing secondary mixing. The pure oil phase in the oil storage zone 31 can be discharged from the equipment through the oil drain pipe 29, achieving oil phase recovery. The entire separator relies on physical actions such as collision, centrifugation, coalescence, and sedimentation to achieve efficient separation of oil, gas, and water phases without external power. At the same time, its compact integrated design adapts to the space requirements of offshore platforms, combining high efficiency, stability, and practicality.

[0025] 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.

[0026] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms, comprising a separator body (1), wherein a stepped guide plate (2) is provided in the middle of the separator body (1), characterized in that: A high-level separation zone (21) is formed between one end of the stepped guide plate (2) and the separator body (1). A middle-level separation zone (22) is formed between the middle part of the stepped guide plate (2) and the separator body (1). A low-level separation zone (23) is formed between the other end of the middle-level separation zone (22) and the separator body (1). A stainless steel filter screen (24) is fixedly installed at the connection between the middle-level separation zone (22) and the low-level separation zone (23). A pre-weir plate (20) is fixedly installed at the connection between the high-level separation zone (21) and the middle-level separation zone (22). A hydrophilic and hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer (28) is fixedly installed on one side of the pre-weir plate (20). A fixed frame (26) is fixedly installed in the middle of the middle layer separation zone (22) and the bottom layer separation zone (23). Multiple sets of wave flow baffles (27) are evenly fixedly installed in the middle of the fixed frame (26). A stainless steel filter screen (24) is provided at the connection between the middle layer separation zone (22) and the bottom layer separation zone (23). A weir plate (25) is provided at one end of the bottom layer separation zone (23). An oil storage area (31) is formed between the weir plate (25) and the separator body (1).

2. The high-efficiency compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 1, characterized in that: A conduit (11) is fixedly connected to the upper part of one end of the separator body (1). The lower end of the conduit (11) penetrates the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer (28) and is located in the middle of the high-level separation zone (21) and the hydrophilic-hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer (28). A support base (19) is fixedly installed at the lower end of the separator body (1).

3. The high-efficiency compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 2, characterized in that: A gas-liquid separation pipe (10) is fixedly installed in the middle of the conduit (11), and a spiral guide vane (14) is fixedly installed at the lower end of the gas-liquid separation pipe (10). The spiral guide vane (14) is located below the middle of the conduit (11).

4. The high-efficiency compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 3, characterized in that: A fixing ring (15) is fixedly installed at the upper end of the gas-liquid separation pipe (10). Through holes (16) are opened around the middle part of the fixing ring (15). A lower hollow umbrella (17) is fixedly installed at the upper end of the fixing ring (15). An upper closed umbrella (18) is fixedly installed at the upper end of the lower hollow umbrella (17).

5. A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lower hollow umbrella (17) and the upper closed umbrella (18) are provided in two sets, and the two sets of the lower hollow umbrella (17) and the upper closed umbrella (18) are installed in a stacked manner.

6. A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper end of the conduit (11) is connected to and fixed with an exhaust pipe (13), and the middle part of one side of the conduit (11) is connected to and fixed with a three-phase liquid pipe (12). The three-phase liquid pipe (12) passes through the conduit (11) and is connected and fixed with the gas-liquid separation pipe (10).

7. A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 1, characterized in that: A drain pipe (30) is fixedly connected to one side of the separator body (1). The drain pipe (30) is connected to the bottom separation zone (23) in the middle of the separator body (1). The hydrophilic and hydrophobic composite fiber coalescing layer (28) is located above the upper separation zone (21).

8. A high-efficiency, compact oil-water-gas separator for offshore platforms according to claim 1, characterized in that: An oil drain pipe (29) is fixedly connected to the lower part of the other end of the separator body (1), and the oil drain pipe (29) is fixedly connected to the oil storage area (31).

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