Multiphase Separator Self-Cleaning via Gas-Water Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing petroleum separation technologies face inefficiencies in separating oil, gas, and water while also requiring frequent vessel cleaning, which disrupts production and poses safety risks due to the need for manual intervention and equipment shutdowns.
Innovation Solution
A multiphase separator system that includes a separating vessel with an inlet chamber, oil chamber, gas and water recycling lines, and a cleaning system for injecting a pressurized gas and water mixture to enhance flotation and facilitate periodic cleaning without stopping production, using a mixture of pressurized gas and water to aid in the separation and removal of solid particles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual cleaning of the separator vessel is performed, then solid particles are removed, but production must be stopped and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The separator performs self-cleaning by using its own separated water and gas to generate a cleaning fluid mixture that removes solid particles from the vessel bottom, eliminating the need for external manual intervention and maintaining continuous production
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning operation is performed periodically by controlling the opening and closing of the water outlet and gas outlet valves, allowing the separator to alternate between separation mode and cleaning mode without permanent shutdown
2Reliability
If water is injected at high pressure to remove solids, then solid particles are conveyed out, but water consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separator recycles the separated water that would otherwise be discarded, using it as the liquid component of the cleaning fluid mixture, thereby eliminating additional water consumption while maintaining effective solids removal
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines separated water and separated gas into a unified cleaning fluid mixture that performs both cleaning functions, reducing the need for separate water injection systems and minimizing total water usage
3Productivity
If the separator operates continuously without cleaning, then production efficiency is maintained, but solid particle accumulation causes obstruction and erosion
Solution Approach 1:
The separator performs preliminary cleaning actions by periodically removing solid particles before they can accumulate to problematic levels, preventing obstruction and erosion while maintaining continuous production capability
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning function is integrated into the continuous operation by using the separator's own output (water and gas) to perform cleaning during operational cycles, ensuring both production continuity and reliability maintenance
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 increases separation efficiency, reduces the need for downstream water treatment, and allows for periodic cleaning of the separator vessel without interrupting production, thereby improving operational safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a method of separation widely known from the prior art is so-called classical flotation, which uses addition of flocculants that act at the surface of small oil droplets, causing them to coalesce, and increasing the size of the flocs. Under the action of microbubbles of gas, which also become agglomerated with the floc, these flocs tend to rise to the surface and are separated more easily from the aqueous 'core'.
Implementation Method 2
the gas injected adheres to the oil and dirt present in the stream of fluid and they are collected in a layer of foam
Implementation Method 3
in operation, by injecting water at high pressure at the bottom of the vessel (through injector nozzles), in which the water is responsible for conveying these solids, which are removed via the drainage nozzles of the separator
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a multiphase separator for separating a multiphase fluid produced by one or more oil wells, the multiphase separator comprising: a separating vessel, comprising an inlet chamber and an oil chamber for collecting oil at least partially separated by a barrier; an inlet for introducing the multiphase fluid into the separating vessel; wherein the oil chamber is positioned on the opposite side of the barrier to the inlet; a gas outlet configured to collect gas separated from the multiphase fluid; an oil outlet configured to collect oil, separated from the multiphase fluid, from the oil chamber; a water outlet configured to collect water separated from the multiphase fluid; and a gas and water mixture injector configured to inject a mixture of pressurized gas and water in a lower portion of the separating vessel.