Drilling Mud Treatment Unit With Flocculation And Hydrocyclone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drilling mud treatment methods are inefficient and costly, particularly due to the difficulty in separating drilling muds with fine grain sizes and stabilizing agents, which makes them unsuitable for reuse and environmentally problematic when disposed of in liquid form.
Innovation Solution
A compact and inexpensive drilling mud treatment unit incorporating an in-line flocculation system and a hydrocyclone with a specific orifice diameter ratio, which flocculates and separates drilling mud into a solid, pelletable product using centrifugal force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex solid-liquid separation methods such as rotary decanters are used, then separation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex mechanical components (rotating casing, extraction screw) from the separation system, retaining only the essential hydrocyclone structure with optimized orifice dimensions to achieve separation without complex moving parts
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive, complex rotary decanter equipment with a simple, inexpensive hydrocyclone system that has no moving parts and requires minimal maintenance, effectively using a simpler structure to achieve the separation function
2Device complexity
If conventional hydrocyclones with standard orifice ratios are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but separation effectiveness deteriorates for fine-grained drilling muds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the critical geometric parameter of the hydrocyclone by setting the underflow orifice diameter to be greater than the overflow orifice diameter (Du > Do), with the ratio Du/Do > 1.1, which fundamentally alters the separation mechanism to effectively handle fine-grained drilling muds while maintaining structural simplicity
3Reliability
If drilling mud is continuously treated to extract large particles, then mud quality is improved, but treatment cost and complexity increase due to multiple treatment cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary flocculation treatment to aggregate fine particles before they enter the hydrocyclone, preparing the mud in advance for effective separation in a single pass, thereby eliminating the need for multiple repeated treatment cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements continuous flocculation and separation in a single integrated process flow, maintaining continuous useful action throughout the treatment to achieve both quality improvement and time efficiency
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 solution effectively produces a solid treatment product with high dryness and pelletability, reducing environmental impact by enabling dehydration and solidification of drilling mud, making it suitable for landfill disposal while maintaining operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Under the effect of centrifugal force, the dense solid particles of the mud are pushed towards the wall of the casing and then taken towards a first outlet of the decanter, while the liquid remains in the central portion
Implementation Method 2
an in-line flocculation system for flocculating the coagulated drilling mud flowing in the primary duct
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling mud treatment unit (100) comprises a primary duct (10) for feeding coagulated drilling mud, an in-line flocculation system (20) for flocculating the coagulated drilling mud flowing in the primary duct (10), and at least one hydrocyclone (30) fed by the primary duct (10) and arranged downstream from the flocculation system (20). The hydrocyclone (30) has an overflow orifice (32) for receiving a liquid product resulting from treatment of the drilling mud and an underflow orifice (34) for receiving a solid product resulting from treatment of the drilling mud. The overflow orifice (32) presents an overflow diameter (Do) and the underflow orifice presents an underflow diameter (Du), and the underflow diameter (Du) is greater than 1.1 times the overflow diameter (Do).