Cyclone Separator Flash Vessel Dewatering Foam Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for water removal from crude oil, such as flash treating, often result in significant foam formation, requiring large equipment and increased operational costs due to the need for recycle pumps and diluents, and are inefficient in separating water from heavy crudes with small density differences.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cyclone separator in the flash vessel to treat flashed crude oil, optimizing the separation surface area, angular velocity, and process parameters to prevent foam formation and achieve efficient water removal without recycling dewatered product, allowing for a smaller separator size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flash treating process is used to remove water from crude oil, then water removal efficiency is improved, but substantial foam formation occurs requiring large equipment and recycle pumps
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful foam is extracted and removed from the system by venting it through a foam breakers section, separating it from the main flash treating process. This allows the flash vessel to operate without accumulating foam, eliminating the need for large equipment sizes and recycle pumps while maintaining high water removal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam formation, which was previously a harmful byproduct requiring complex suppression systems, is converted into a beneficial vented stream. The foam breakers section captures and breaks down the foam, converting it from a problematic substance into a manageable vapor stream that can be safely discharged, thereby simplifying the overall system design.
2Productivity
If diluent is added to facilitate oil-water separation, then separation efficiency is improved, but cost and equipment volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The crude oil mixture performs its own separation function through the flash treating process and cyclone separation, without requiring external diluents. The process utilizes the inherent density differences between oil, water, and foam, combined with centrifugal force in the cyclone, to achieve efficient separation. This self-service approach eliminates the need for additional chemicals and reduces equipment volume requirements.
3Reliability
If recycle pumps are used to suppress foam, then foam control is improved, but operational cost and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The foam is extracted and removed from the system through dedicated foam breakers and venting pathways, preventing it from interfering with the separation process. This extraction approach eliminates the need for energy-consuming recycle pumps, as the foam is simply directed to a breakers section where it collapses and drains, achieving reliable foam control without additional energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical system of recycle pumps that circulate dewatered liquid for foam suppression is replaced with a passive foam breakers section that uses gravity and vapor expansion to naturally collapse and remove foam. This substitution eliminates moving parts and energy consumption while maintaining effective foam control through the inherent physics of the flash process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cyclone separator effectively reduces foam formation and enables the removal of at least 50% to 90% of water as steam from crude oil without foam carry-over, reducing equipment size and operational costs, and simplifying the dewatering process.
Implementation Method 1
a cyclone separator (most preferably in-vessel or in-tank multi-cyclone separator) is used to treat the flashed crude oil product to so reduce or even prevent foam formation
Implementation Method 2
flashing the crude oil in the flash vessel, wherein the separation surface, a pressure in the flash vessel, the temperature of the crude oil in the separator, and the flow rate are selected such as to so allow flashing of at least 50% of water as steam from the crude oil
Data Source
AI summary
A process for dewatering crude oil is described. The process includes feeding crude oil onto a separation of a cyclone separator that is at least partially disposed in a flash vessel. The temperature are pressure in the flash vessel are selected such that at least 20% of the water contained in the crude oil is flashed from the crude oil as it moves on the separation surface of the cyclone separator. The flow rate and angle of the crude oil inlet is selected such that the crude oil moves across the separation surface as a film in a helical pattern, providing a substantial foaming-free manner. The vapor that is flashed from the crude oil exits the flash vessel at a top outlet and the liquid crude oil exits the flash vessel at a bottom outlet.