Electromagnetic Salt-in-Crude Analysis for Smart Desalter Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current desalting and dehydration processes in crude oil refining face challenges such as transformer failures, inefficiencies in water-oil separation, and manual sampling inaccuracies, leading to reduced processing efficiency and quality of crude oil.
Innovation Solution
A smart dehydrator and desalter system incorporating a magnetic circuit with programmable logic control, super-hydrophobic meshes, and smart inductor cups to automatically analyze salt content and control water wash, ensuring accurate salt detection and efficient processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual sampling methods are used for salt analysis, then operational simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision and accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical sampling with an automated electromagnetic analysis system. The electromagnetic circuit automatically measures salt content in crude oil by detecting changes in electrical properties, eliminating the need for manual sampling operations while significantly improving measurement precision and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service operation where the electromagnetic circuit continuously and automatically monitors salt content without requiring manual intervention. The programmable logic controller automatically processes measurements and triggers water wash operations when salt thresholds are exceeded, making the system self-regulating and highly precise.
2Reliability
If traditional dehydrator and desalter systems are used, then basic processing function is provided, but processing efficiency and reliability deteriorate due to transformer failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electrical transformer-based dehydration and desalting systems with an electromagnetic field-based system. This substitution eliminates the vulnerable transformer components that caused failures, improving reliability while maintaining processing efficiency through direct electromagnetic interaction with the crude oil.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses consumable electromagnetic field interactions rather than durable but failure-prone transformer components. The electromagnetic circuit provides reliable operation through field-based processing that doesn't rely on heavy electrical transformers, effectively replacing long-lived but unreliable components with shorter-lived field-based operations.
3Reliability
If water wash is applied continuously to remove salt, then salt removal effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the electromagnetic circuit continuously monitors salt content levels in real-time. The programmable logic controller receives this feedback and automatically activates water wash only when salt content exceeds predetermined thresholds, ensuring effective salt removal while minimizing unnecessary processing time and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous water wash, the system employs periodic water wash cycles triggered by salt threshold detections. The electromagnetic monitoring enables intermittent water wash operations that achieve the same salt removal effectiveness as continuous washing but with significantly reduced processing time and water consumption.
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 mitigates transformer failures, reduces processing time by 20 minutes per Gas-Oil separation plant, optimizes operations, and enhances crude oil quality by automating salt analysis and water management, thereby minimizing outages and improving accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage detection element to detect a second voltage across the second winding, the second voltage induced in the second winding by the first voltage applied across the first winding
Implementation Method 2
super-hydrophobic meshes
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic salt-in-crude analysis system can include an electromagnetic circuit having a magnetic element with a first side and a second side separated by an air gap, a first winding wound around the first side, a voltage source connected to the first winding to apply a first voltage across the first winding, a second winding wound around the second side, and a voltage detector to detect a second voltage across the second winding, the second voltage induced in the second winding by the first voltage. While crude oil is in the air gap, a PLC can compare the second voltage and the first voltage, determine whether an amount of salt in the crude is greater than a threshold amount of salt by comparing the second voltage and the first voltage; and diluting crude oil in the oil tank if the amount of salt is above the threshold amount.