Portable Flowback Water Recycling System for On-Site Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water treatment facilities for oil and gas well fracturing operations are complex, costly, and often require transporting treated water back to the well site, increasing traffic and straining local water resources, as they lack portable and on-site recycling capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A portable water recycling and treatment system comprising interconnected trailers with dedicated tanks and vessels for hydration, retention, and filtration, allowing on-site treatment of contaminated flowback fracturing water, including chemical addition, gas removal, and filtration to achieve potable water standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water is treated at centralized facilities and transported back to the well site, then treatment capability is provided, but traffic increases and local water resources are strained
Solution Approach 1:
The water treatment system is divided into multiple modular units (hydration tank, retention tank, filtration system, chemical addition units) that can be independently configured and transported. This segmentation allows the system to be deployed portabley at well sites without requiring permanent centralized facilities, thereby reducing traffic and local water resource demands while maintaining treatment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a portable treatment system as an intermediary between the well site and centralized treatment facilities. This intermediary system performs water treatment locally at the well site, eliminating the need for large-scale transportation of treated water back to centralized facilities, thus reducing traffic and strain on local water resources.
2Reliability
If centralized water treatment facilities are used, then comprehensive treatment is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is segmented into separate functional modules (hydration, retention, filtration, chemical addition) that can be independently configured based on specific treatment needs. This modular approach reduces device complexity compared to monolithic centralized facilities while maintaining comprehensive treatment capability through selective module activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be dynamically configurable and adaptable to different well site conditions. The modular components can be assembled, disassembled, and reconfigured as needed, providing treatment capability without the fixed complexity of permanent centralized facilities. The system can adjust its configuration based on water quality parameters and treatment requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If water is transported back to the well site for re-use, then water resource availability is maintained, but traffic and transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The portable treatment system acts as an intermediary that enables water re-use locally at the well site without requiring transportation back to centralized facilities. By treating and storing water on-site, the system maintains water availability while eliminating the harmful traffic and transportation demands associated with centralized treatment and return shipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the well site to treat and reuse its own water resources independently, rather than relying on external centralized facilities. This self-service capability maintains water availability while eliminating the need for continuous transportation of treated water back to the well site, thereby reducing traffic and transportation costs.
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 system enables efficient on-site treatment of contaminated water, reducing traffic and water resource demands by allowing flexible configuration and treatment of varying water qualities, achieving consistent water quality suitable for reuse or disposal.
Implementation Method 1
The water is treated to remove chemicals that were added to the water before use and/or chemicals and sediment present in the water after use
Implementation Method 2
dedicated hydration, retention and filtering tanks and vessels that provide treatment for the removal of chemicals, sediments and other containments
Implementation Method 3
dedicated hydration, retention and filtering tanks and vessels that provide treatment for the removal of chemicals, sediments and other containments
Implementation Method 4
The water treatment facilities must be capable of treating the water for wide ranges of conditions including total dissolved solids, turbidity, different types and concentration of contaminants, off-gassing
Data Source
AI summary
A portable water recycling and treatment system and process for used and produced flowback frac water pumps the water from a collection tank through a series of dedicated hydration, retention and filtering tanks and vessels that provide treatment for the removal of chemicals, sediments and other containments. The system, which is enclosed, can be readily assembled on-site by interconnecting the dedicated tanks, vessels and pumps. The tanks and vessels may be situated in a plurality of trailers that are transported separately to the site.