Dynamic Demulsification System for Gas-Oil Separation Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in gas-oil separation plants (GOSPs) is the difficulty in efficiently separating crude oil from water due to high water cuts and tight emulsions, which increases processing time, reduces oil production rates, and requires additional chemicals and energy, leading to increased costs and environmental compliance issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating in-line microwave treatment subsystems in GOSPs, dynamically monitored and controlled, to break tight oil-water emulsions by applying microwave energy upstream of key processing units, such as dehydrator and desalter vessels, to increase oil droplet size and separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional gravity separation is used to separate oil from water in high water cut crude, then the separation process is simple and low cost, but the separation efficiency is low and retention time is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using microwave radiation to pre-treat the crude oil before gravity separation. The microwave energy breaks down tight emulsions and coalesces fine oil droplets into larger droplets upstream of the separator, preparing the emulsion for more efficient gravity separation. This preliminary treatment reduces the retention time required in the gravity separator while maintaining or improving separation efficiency.
2Reliability
If retention time is increased to handle high water cut, then separation efficiency improves, but oil production rate decreases and GOSP becomes a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The microwave treatment unit performs preliminary demulsification and droplet coalescence before the crude enters the gravity separator. This pre-treatment breaks tight emulsions and converts fine dispersed droplets into larger coalesced droplets that separate more rapidly by gravity, thereby improving separation efficiency without increasing retention time in the separator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the emulsion by applying microwave radiation. The microwave energy alters the interfacial tension and droplet characteristics, transforming tight stable emulsions into less stable emulsions with larger effective droplet sizes. This parameter change enables faster gravity separation and higher production rates.
3Reliability
If multiple oil-water separation technologies are employed to meet discharge regulations, then oil removal efficiency improves, but device complexity and treatment cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The microwave treatment unit serves as a preliminary treatment stage that breaks down tight emulsions and coalesces fine droplets before the water enters the discharge regulation treatment system. This pre-treatment improves the effectiveness of subsequent separation technologies by providing larger, more separable droplets, thereby achieving the required oil removal efficiency with simpler and fewer treatment units.
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 microwave treatment enhances oil-water separation by increasing settling velocity, reducing viscosity, and facilitating the removal of hydrogen sulfide, resulting in improved crude oil flowability and reduced hydrogen sulfide content in the final product, thereby addressing the inefficiencies and costs associated with high water cuts and tight emulsions.
Implementation Method 1
an in-line microwave treatment subsystem upstream of a dehydrator vessel for receiving a water-oil emulsion
Implementation Method 2
a sensor for the real-time monitoring and transmission of data representing one or more properties of the water-oil emulsion
Implementation Method 3
a processor/controller that receives the data from the sensor and transmits one or more signals to the in-line microwave treatment subsystem to generate and apply microwave energy of predetermined characteristics
Implementation Method 4
upstream of a dehydrator vessel for receiving a water-oil emulsion
Implementation Method 5
The settling velocity (Vt), which measures coarse separation of oil and water, depends on the magnitude of the difference in densities of the two immiscible liquids
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic demulsification system to facilitate the removal of water from oil for use in a gas-oil separation plant (GOSP) which has a dehydrator vessel in fluid communication with a desalter vessel which in turn is in fluid communication with a water/oil separator vessel includes the following system components:an in-line microwave treatment subsystem upstream of one or two of each of the dehydrator vessel, the desalter vessel and the water/oil separator vessel, each of which vessels receives a water-oil emulsion;a sensor for the real-time monitoring and transmission of data representing one or more properties of the water-oil emulsion in the respective vessel(s) and/or downstream of the respective vessel(s) with which the sensor is associated; anda processor/controller that receives the data from the sensor and transmits one or more signals to the one or both of the respective in-line microwave treatment subsystem(s) to generate and apply microwave energy of predetermined characteristics to the flowing fluid based on the properties of the emulsion.