Offshore Drill Cuttings Thermal Desorption via Rotor Arms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for offshore disposal of drill cuttings are inefficient and environmentally hazardous due to the difficulty in removing oil-based contaminants, requiring large amounts of water and complex onshore processing, which complicates handling and transportation.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a pressurized vessel for pneumatic conveyance and a reactor unit with rotating rotor arms to vaporize contaminants from drill cuttings, allowing for efficient separation and re-injection of treated cuttings as a slurry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If low-temperature thermal desorption is used to remove hydrocarbons from cuttings, then hydrocarbon removal efficiency is improved, but pre-processing and post-processing steps are required which increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple processing functions (thermal desorption, cooling, and stabilization) into a single continuous chamber operation. The cuttings move through different zones within the same reactor where thermal treatment removes hydrocarbons, followed by cooling and stabilization without requiring separate equipment or discrete processing steps, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The reactor chamber is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as both the thermal desorption zone and the cooling/stabilization zone. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated equipment for each processing stage, reducing overall system complexity while achieving effective hydrocarbon removal and cutting preparation.
2Productivity
If cuttings are screened and sized before thermal desorption, then processing efficiency is improved, but additional equipment and handling steps are required which increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates screening and sizing operations within the same continuous processing flow as the thermal desorption. Cuttings are fed directly into the reactor where they undergo size reduction and separation in-situ during the thermal treatment process, eliminating the need for separate pre-processing equipment and handling steps while maintaining processing efficiency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If large amounts of water are used for cuttings disposal, then environmental hazards are reduced, but handling and transportation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes hydrocarbons from cuttings through thermal desorption, producing dried, stabilized cuttings that can be disposed of with minimal or no water. This extraction of the harmful contaminant allows for direct disposal of the cleaned cuttings without requiring large amounts of water for washing or dilution, thereby reducing both environmental hazards and handling complexity.
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
Enables efficient offshore treatment and disposal of drill cuttings by reducing the need for carrier fluids, minimizing environmental impact, and improving handling and transportation efficiency through pneumatic conveyance and thermal desorption.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor arms generate frictional heat to vaporize the hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 2
A system utilizing a pressurized vessel for pneumatic conveyance
Implementation Method 3
allowing for efficient separation and re-injection of treated cuttings as a slurry
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A system for offshore disposal of drill cuttings including a cleaning system for treating contaminated drill cuttings into drill cuttings and contaminants; a transport system for moving the drill cuttings; a slurrification system for making a slurry of the treated drill cuttings; and a cuttings re-injection system for injecting the slurry into a well.