Vortex Flow Contaminated Water Treatment System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Membrane filter-based technologies used in oil and gas well operations are inefficient due to rapid clogging by contaminants like fracing gels, sands, and hydrocarbons, making it costly and impractical to treat and recycle contaminated water effectively.
Innovation Solution
A vortex flow-based treatment system using a cylindrical container with distinct regions for separation, water collection, and oil collection, where contaminants are separated through centrifugal force, allowing denser particles to settle at the bottom and lighter contaminants to rise, enabling efficient separation of water from contaminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If membrane filter based technologies are used to remove contaminants from contaminated fluids, then water can be recycled back into oilfield operations, but contaminants will fill up or clog the filters at a rate that is far too fast to allow for economical and efficient use
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment system is divided into multiple functional zones: a vortex generation zone for initial contaminant separation, a settling zone for denser particles, and a skimming zone for lighter contaminants. This segmentation allows different separation mechanisms to work in sequence, preventing clogging of any single filtration component and extending overall system service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The vortex flow mechanism performs preliminary separation of contaminants from the contaminated fluid before any filtration occurs. By removing the bulk of solids, oils, and hydrocarbons through centrifugal force and density-based separation, the preliminary action protects downstream filters from rapid clogging, thereby extending their operational duration.
2Reliability
If membrane filters are used to treat contaminated water, then water recycling is enabled, but the cost and frequency of filter maintenance and replacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex separation system performs preliminary contaminant removal before water enters any filtration or recycling system. This preliminary action dramatically reduces the contaminant load, allowing water recycling to proceed with minimal filter maintenance and replacement, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining reliable water recycling capability.
3Reliability
If contaminated fluids are transported off-site for treatment and disposal, then proper treatment can be ensured, but containment and disposal costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service treatment at the oilfield location through vortex-based separation that requires no external facilities or expensive off-site transport. The contaminated fluid is treated on-site, with contaminants separated and valuable hydrocarbons recovered, eliminating disposal costs while maintaining treatment effectiveness through proven separation physics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts harmful contaminants into beneficial outcomes by separating and recovering valuable hydrocarbons for sale or refinement. Instead of treating contaminants as waste requiring expensive disposal, the system extracts economic value from them, turning a cost center into a potential revenue stream while ensuring proper treatment.
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 effectively separates contaminants from water, reducing salinity and allowing treated water to be reused in oilfield operations without clogging traditional membrane filters, and enables the recovery of valuable hydrocarbons for sale or refinement.
Implementation Method 1
A vortex flow-based treatment system using a cylindrical container with distinct regions for separation, water collection, and oil collection, where contaminants are separated through centrifugal force, allowing denser particles to settle at the bottom and lighter contaminants to rise
Implementation Method 2
allowing denser particles to settle at the bottom
Implementation Method 3
lighter contaminants to rise
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect the invention provides a fluid treatment apparatus for treating contaminated fluid. The apparatus comprises a container having base member and a peripheral containment wall and defining a total interior volume. The apparatus further comprises at least one container inlet to receive said contaminated fluid, at least one container outlet to discharge water separated from said contaminated fluid, a separation region suitable to receive said contaminated fluid, to allow separation of said contaminated fluids into less dense contaminants, water and denser contaminants, and to store said denser contaminants as a sediment layer on the base member. The apparatus further comprises a water collection region suitable to receive water from the separation region and direct said water to said at least one container outlet, and an oil collection region, suitable to receive less dense contaminants from the separation region.