Low Shear Pump Dehydrator for Crude Oil BS&W Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing basic sediment and water (BS&W) from crude oil at oil well sites and pipeline stations are inefficient, leading to excessive water concentrations in crude oil, which necessitate large-scale dilution processes, waste of heating energy, and corrosion risks in equipment, while existing dehydration efforts at well sites often aggravate water-in-oil mixing and fail to effectively separate water.
Innovation Solution
A system employing a low shear progressing cavity pump, a heat transfer system for preheating and cooling crude oil, and an oil-water separation system with chemical additives and coalescing sections to optimize Stokes' Law separation, ensuring efficient dehydration and minimizing water content in crude oil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high shear pumps are used to transfer crude oil, then pumping efficiency is improved, but water droplet shearing increases causing more water-in-oil mixing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameter of pump operation from high shear to low shear conditions. The low shear pump operates at reduced speeds with optimized impeller design to minimize turbulent mixing while maintaining adequate pumping capacity, thereby reducing water droplet fragmentation and emulsion formation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional high shear mechanical pumping system with a low shear pump system that uses gentler mechanical action. This substitution fundamentally changes the mechanical interaction between the pump and crude oil, reducing the intensity of shear forces applied to water droplets in the crude oil stream
2Reliability
If crude oil is heated at the point of origin to offset water mixing, then separation effectiveness is improved, but heating energy is wasted without heat capture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary device between the heating system and the crude oil stream. This heat exchanger captures thermal energy from the heated crude oil and transfers it to incoming crude oil or to heating media, serving as a bridge that recovers and reusestheat energy that would otherwise be lost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers thermal energy that would normally be discarded after heating crude oil for separation. The heat exchanger system captures this waste heat and redirects it for useful purposes, such as preheating incoming crude oil or generating steam, thereby converting a loss into a resource
3Manufacturing precision
If dilution process is used to mask high water concentration, then BS&W criteria is met, but large quantities of water free crude are required and storage time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts water from the crude oil stream through a dedicated separation system before the crude oil enters the transportation pipeline. The separation system removes water droplets and free water through gravitational separation, coalescing elements, and filtration, thereby eliminating the need to dilute crude oil with additional water-free crude to meet BS&W specifications
4Ease of operation
If dehydration is attempted at well sites, then local treatment is achieved, but water droplet shearing aggravates mixing and separation fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the pumping system from high shear to low shear conditions specifically for the dehydration process at well sites. This parameter change ensures that the mechanical action during pumping and separation does not fragment water droplets or create emulsions, allowing gravitational separation to work effectively
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 achieves 99.99% dehydration of crude oil, reducing the need for dilution, conserving energy, and minimizing corrosion risks, thereby enhancing pipeline and refinery operations by preconditioning crude oil before transportation.
Implementation Method 1
a heat transfer system for preheating and cooling crude oil
Implementation Method 2
optimize Stokes' Law separation
Implementation Method 3
an oil-water separation system with chemical additives and coalescing sections to optimize Stokes' Law separation
Implementation Method 4
an oil-water separation system with chemical additives and coalescing sections
Data Source
AI summary
A portable, semi-portable, or permanent system for removing BS&W from crude oil at the local production or bulk storage site. A demulsifier is added to the crude as it enters a low shear pump which pumps the mixture through a plate and frame type heat exchanger where the incoming crude is preheated using outgoing heated and dehydrated crude. Then the incoming crude enters an oil-water separator where it is further heated by a secondary heater within the separator and passes through a special coalescing section. Water and basic sediment separate from the crude are discharged from the bottom of the separator. The heated dehydrated crude exits the separator, flows back through the heat exchanger where it is cooled as it preheats incoming crude, and then is pumped to clean oil storage. BS&W and flow monitors on the incoming crude and outgoing crude are used to control operation of the system.