Abstract: A gas burner is provided for use on the inlet end of a fire tube, and includes a mixer having attached to it a gas delivery pipe, fuel gas and air being combined in the mixer to provide mixed gas and air. A venturi is secured at its inlet end to the mixer to receive the flow of gas and air, the venturi serving to draw air into the mixer. A burner nozzle is affixed to the venturi outlet end and the burner nozzle and extends within the fire tube. A perforated tube surrounds the mixer/venturi and at least a portion of the burner nozzle. A sound absorbing flame cell housing surrounds the perforated tube. A flame arrestor closes an air inlet opening in the flame cell housing air and serves to permit air to pass into the flame cell housing but prohibits the passage of flame therethrough so that flame is confined within the interior of the flame cell housing.

Abstract: A system and method of use thereof for separating commingled heavier and lighter components of a liquid stream, employing a vessel having a liquid inlet, a lighter component outlet communicating with an interior upper portion of the vessel and a heavier component outlet communicating with an interior lower portion of the vessel, a distribution conduit positioned within the vessel in communication with the liquid inlet and having a plurality of spaced apart small diameter openings through which liquid is discharged as small streams and at least one momentum attenuator supported within the vessel adjacent the distribution conduit and configured to intercept the small streams to dissipate the kinetic energies thereof.

Abstract: A system for controlling organic contaminants released from a regenerator during the process of liquid dehydration of natural gas where contaminants are vaporized into a gaseous mixture. The system includes conducting the vaporized mixture from the regenerator to a heater, heating the vaporized mixture in the heater, conducting the vaporized mixture from the heater to a liquid collection chamber where suspended liquid particles are separated out from the vaporized mixture, drawing the vaporized mixture from the liquid chamber using fuel gas as an aspirator, mixing atmospheric air with the vaporized mixture, and combusting the vaporized mixture in order to incinerate the vaporized mixture.

Abstract: An apparatus for augmenting the coalescence of a component of an oil/water mixture employs an elongated cylindrical vessel having a fluid inlet at one end and a fluid outlet at the other end and an electrically conductive sidewall. An electrode is positioned within the vessel, concentric with the vessel sidewall, and between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet. An electrical potential is applied between the electrode and the vessel sidewall. A distributor plate is positioned within the vessel and between the vessel fluid inlet and the electrode. The distributor plate is shaped to cause fluid passing through it to move in a spiral pattern within the vessel and around the electrode as the fluid moves towards the fluid outlet.

Abstract: An inlet momentum absorber for passing an oil/water/gas mixture into a separator vessel having an inlet nozzle that extends through the vessel wall into the interior thereof, and a nozzle axis. A dish-shaped deflector is supported within the vessel adjacent to the deflector being intersected by the nozzle axis. A plurality of closely spaced apart cylindrical posts are arranged in an enlarged circumferential pattern defining a dispersing area within the vessel, the dispersing area being formed equilaterally around the nozzle axis. The closely spaced cylindrical posts provide a multitude of tortuous paths through which the oil/water/gas mixture flows from the dispersing area into the interior of the vessel. The tortuous paths are free of sharp edges to thereby minimize shearing of dispersed droplets.

Abstract: A method of removing dispersed oil from an oil in water emulsion is accomplished by the steps of dissolving gas in water to form an aerated solution, introducing the emulsion and aerated solution into a treatment vessel in which is positioned a coalescing media formed by an assembly of closely spaced corrugated plates of oleophilic material, the emulsion and aerated solution passing in contact with the plates to cause oil droplets to coalescence on the plates and small gas bubbles carried with the aerated solution to adhere to the oil droplets to increase the buoyancy of the oil droplets so that the oil droplets more readily rise to the surface of the emulsion, accumulated oil being removed from the surface.

Abstract: A method of augmenting the coalescence of water in an emulsion having a heavier water component that is relatively electrically conductive and a lighter oil component that is relatively non-conductive, including the steps of tangentially injecting the emulsion into the interior of a cylindrical vessel and tangentially withdrawing the emulsion from the vessel interior to cause the emulsion to flow circumferentially within the vessel to thereby impart centrifugal force on the emulsion to create a first area within the vessel adjacent the vessel sidewall in which the heavier water component of the emulsion is maintained and a second area within the vessel interior towards which the lighter oil component migrates and imposing an electrical potential on a concentrically positioned electrode within the vessel interior and thereby on the areas within the vessel having the circumferentially flowing emulsion to cause at least a portion of the water component of the emulsion to coalescence, the lighter, relatively non-

Abstract: A method and apparatus for augmenting the coalescence of water in a water-in-oil emulsion. The apparatus includes a tubular vessel having a cylindrical side wall and opposed ends. A tangential inlet in the cylindrical side wall is adjacent one of the vessel ends. A tubular electrode having an external diameter less than the internal diameter of the vessel extends concentrically within the vessel from the one end less than the entire length of the vessel. An elongated electrode extends axially and concentrically within the tubular electrode from the one end. An outlet is provided in the one end between the tubular electrode and the elongated electrode. The inlet and outlet serve to cause fluid to initially flow through the vessel in a circumferential path outside the tubular electrode and thereafter axially through the tubular electrode to the outlet. An electrical potential is applied between the electrodes and the vessel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of augmenting the coalescence of water in a water-in-oil emulsion in which the emulsion is tangentially ejected into the interior of a cylindrically walled vessel to cause the emulsion to flow circumferentially within the vessel and to thereby cause the water component of the emulsions to migrate towards the vessel cylindrical wall, the vessel having an axially positioned electrode therein. A voltage, preferably a pulsating DC voltage, is imposed between the electrode and the vessel to thereby subject the swirling water-in-oil emulsion to an electrical potential to cause the water components to coalescence from smaller to larger droplets. The water-in-oil emulsion is passed from the vessel where the water component can be more effectively separated from the emulsion by gravitational or centrifugal separation.

Abstract: The present invention is a liquid-liquid contactor which employs an electrostatic field to mix an organic phase with an aqueous phase and to coalesce the aqueous phase in order to accomplish extraction of a component present in the aqueous phase. The electrostatic field is formed between a rod electrode located within a gaseous phase adjacent the top of the contactor and a plate electrode located within the aqueous phase adjacent the bottom of the contactor by applying a high voltage to the rod electrode. The extraction process consists of an extraction stage where the component is extracted out of the aqueous phase by the organic phase and a subsequent stripping stage where the component is stripped out of the organic phase by ion exchange with a second aqueous phase.

Abstract: A portable flare boom for the combustion of waste gases is disclosed for easy installation and maintenance requiring limited labor to adjust and install the flare boom. Preferably, the portable flare boom is for locations close to tank batteries or oil wells for the incineration of waste gas which is often vented into the atmosphere. It has a unitary vertical support frame perpendicular to a base plate and a hinge pin located on the vertical support frame for raising and lowering a flare stack pipe. On the upper end of the flare stack pipe is located a flaring assembly.

Abstract: A method for removing soluble contaminants, such as acetonitrile, from a non-polar hydrocarbon stream into a polar water stream by countercurrent flow between an electrostatic field generated by a pair of parallel electrodes. The electrostatic field is modulated in strength to produce a dispersing, mixing, coalescing, and settling cycle that is effective to mix and separate the fluids.

Abstract: The present invention is a method utilizing a liquid-liquid contactor which employs an electrostatic field to mix an organic phase with an aqueous phase and to coalesce the aqueous phase in order to accomplish extraction of a component present in the aqueous phase. The electrostatic field is formed between a rod electrode located within a gaseous phase adjacent the top of the contactor and a plate electrode located within the aqueous phase adjacent the bottom of the contactor by applying a high voltage to the rod electrode. The extraction process consists of an extraction stage where the component is extracted out of the aqueous phase by the organic phase and a subsequent stripping stage where the component is stripped out of the organic phase by ion exchange with a second aqueous phase.

Abstract: A system for controlling organic contaminants released from a regenerator during the process of liquid dehydration of natural gas where contaminants are vaporized into a gaseous mixture. The system includes conducting the vaporized mixture from the regenerator to a heater, heating the vaporized mixture in the heater, conducting the vaporized mixture from the heater to a liquid collection chamber where suspended liquid particles are separated out from the vaporized mixture, drawing the vaporized mixture from the liquid chamber using fuel gas as an aspirator, mixing atmospheric air with the vaporized mixture, and combusting the vaporized mixture in order to incinerate the vaporized mixture.

Abstract: A pair of electrodes in the configuration of parallel plates represents how multiple pathways are formed through which emulsions of relative polar and relative non-polar liquids are passed. The electrode plates are comprised of materials which render the plates varying in electrical conductivity to establish multiple electric fields which degrade in the direction of emulsion flow.

Abstract: A vertical separator vessel has an inlet structure mounted at the inlet to receive a mixture of fluids to be separated. The inlet structure is given several configurations which divide the incoming mixture of fluids into at least two segments and thereby reduces the velocity of the mixture.

Abstract: A system for removing brine from oil well production (12) in which fresh water (50) or less saline water (50) is passed in counterflow to the oil well production (12) through electric fields established between a plurality of composite electrodes (26). The electrodes (26) are of a laminar construction having a centrally located conductive member (30) surrounded by an electrically nonconductive region (28). With a nonmodulated voltage supply (144) connected to conductive member (30) a plurality of electric fields, some having uniform gradient and others having nonuniform gradient, are established between adjacent composite electrodes (26) in the direction of flow of both the oil well production (12) and the dilution water (50). Composite grids (26) have an inherent current regulating characteristic that reduces the tendency for arcing and suppresses sustained arcing should an arc occur.