Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating water from an oil-and-water mixture includes at least two elongated separator vessels oriented at an incline and connected to one another so that an upwardly flowing oil predominant fluid passes from the first separator vessel to the second separator vessel where further electrostatic separation of water from the oil predominant fluid occurs. Each vessel has an electrode at its upper end preferably connected to a different voltage source. The inlet to each vessel is located relative to the electrode to provide an up flow or a down flow vessel. Additionally, the first vessel may be at a different elevation than the second vessel. An additional vessel may be included with output from the first vessel bypassing the additional vessel, the second vessel, or both. Baffles may be added in the water collection portion of each vessel to reduce turbulence and settling distance.

Abstract: A method for treating an interface rag includes the steps of removing a volume of rag at a controlled rate from an upstream rag source and passing the rag through a high pressure pump and a heater. The heater heats the rag to a temperature of at least 350° F. to thermally decomposing any chemicals that had been added to the interface rag to promote separation. Diluent is then mixed with the heated rag to cool the rag to a temperature less than 300° F. and produce a 30 API rag. The cooled diluted rag is then treated in an electrostatic treater or sent directly to a hydrocyclone cluster. The electrostatic treater is preferably a vertical electrostatic treater with a conical-shaped lower portion and a means for agitating the solid-laden water within the treater to prevent the solids from settling on the bottom of the treater.

Abstract: A method system for processing interface emulsion, water, and solids contained within a separator vessel that comprises the steps of continually extracting those components from the vessel and then passing them through a gas flotation cell. The cell, which is preferably a vertical induced gas flotation cell, separates the oil and water contained in the interface emulsion and discharges recovered oil from an upper portion of the cell and treated water from a bottom portion of the cell. The recovered oil and treated water may be further processed and recycled to the vessel or sent elsewhere. The treated water may also be recycled to the cell or sent to a process sewer. Fuel gas residing in an upper portion of the cell may be cooled and passed through a splitter. All the steps of the system comprise a closed system with no air emissions.

Abstract: A method for processing interface emulsion, water, and solids contained within a separator vessel that comprises the steps of continually extracting those components from the vessel and then passing them through a gas flotation cell. The cell, which is preferably a vertical induced gas flotation cell, separates the oil and water contained in the interface emulsion and discharges recovered oil from an upper portion of the cell and treated water from a bottom portion of the cell. The recovered oil and treated water may be further processed and recycled to the vessel or sent elsewhere. The treated water may also be recycled to the cell or sent to a process sewer. Fuel gas residing in an upper portion of the cell may be cooled and passed through a splitter. All the steps of the method comprise a closed system with no air emissions.

Abstract: A system and process for an improvement to a gas-liquid cylindrical cyclone (“GLCC”) separator to reduce gas carry-under to the liquid outlet of the separator is described. The means for reducing gas carry-under is arranged within the interior space of the separator and below the inclined inlet of the separator to affect the tangential flow of the incoming liquid-and-gas mixture stream into the interior space. The reducing means may be a vortex locator, preferably in the form of a horizontal plate, arranged coaxial with the separator vessel and located at a vortex formation point within the interior space. The reducing means may also be a plurality of vertical baffles located at a lower end of the separator vessel and extending radially inward from the wall of the vessel. The reducing means may also be a combination of the horizontal plate and vertical baffles.

Abstract: A system and method for improving oil-and-water separation in a blended fluid stream are presented. The system includes a pressure reduction device that causes cyclonic flow in the stream. The pressure reduction device may be a wafer-based hydrocyclone or a modified hydrocyclone having an underflow outlet but no overflow outlet. The system may also include a valve that is located upstream or downstream of the pressure reduction device. Both the valve and the pressure reduction device reduce the pressure of the fluid stream while reducing the shearing of oil and water droplets within the stream. As a result, the droplets are more likely to coalesce and less likely to form emulsions, thus improving oil-and-water separation in downstream treatment processes.

Abstract: A high temperature high pressure electrostatic treater and method of use are described for removing water from heavy crude oil. The electrostatic treater is comprised of a vessel with a wet bitumen inlet and water outlet in the upper portion of the vessel, a dry bitumen outlet in the lower portion of the vessel, a plurality of electrodes on an electrically isolating support inside the vessel, an entrance bushing, and an interface control to regulate the flow of water through the water outlet. The water outlet is located above the dry bitumen outlet. The electrostatic treater and method reduce the amount of diluent needed to process the heavy crude when compared to the prior art.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating water from a water-in-oil mixture having an elongated inlet vessel with a lower outlet end and an upper inlet end, the length thereof being a multiple of the largest vessel cross-sectional dimension. A separation vessel having an oil outlet and a divergent water outlet has an inlet passageway in communication with the inlet vessel lower outlet end. At least one electrode is positioned within the inlet vessel by which a mixture flowing therethrough is subjected to an electric field.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for separating water from an oil-and-water mixture includes at least two elongated separator vessels oriented at an incline and connected to one another so that an upwardly flowing oil predominant fluid passes from the first separator vessel to the second separator vessel where further electrostatic separation of water from the oil predominant fluid occurs. Each vessel has an electrode at its upper end preferably connected to a different voltage source. The inlet to each vessel is located relative to the electrode to provide an up flow or a down flow vessel. Additionally, the first vessel may be at a different elevation than the second vessel. An additional vessel may be included with output from the first vessel bypassing the additional vessel, the second vessel, or both. Baffles may be added in the water collection portion of each vessel to reduce turbulence and settling distance.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating water from a water-in-oil mixture having an elongated inlet vessel with a lower outlet end and an upper inlet end, the length thereof being a multiple of the largest vessel cross-sectional dimension. A separation vessel having an oil outlet and a divergent water outlet has an inlet passageway in communication with the inlet vessel lower outlet end. At least one electrode is positioned within the inlet vessel by which a mixture flowing therethrough is subjected to an electric field.

Abstract: A method of removing entrained salt containing water from an inlet crude oil stream includes the steps of applying an electrical energy to at least one electrode of a plurality of horizontally oriented, spaced-apart electrodes (12, 14, 16) housed within an elongated desalting vessel (10) and distributing an inlet crude oil stream between the electrodes. Each electrode in the plurality of electrodes is housed in an upper portion of the desalting vessel and may be in communication with a first, second and third transformer (42, 44, 46), respectively. The electrical energy may be at a single frequency and voltage or at a modulated voltage. Or, the electrical energy may be a modulated frequency at a single or modulated voltage. Fresh water may be mixed with the inlet crude oil stream either exteriorly or interiorly of the vessel.

Abstract: A vertical electrostatic coalescer comprises a first and second electrode surface and a horizontally disposed foraminous surface. The first electrode surface and horizontally disposed foraminous surface are at ground potential. The first and second electrode surfaces share the same planar orientation relative to the central longitudinal axis of the vessel. The unique arrangement of the vessel and opposing pairs of first and second electrode surfaces provides for a substantially uniform voltage field around a perimeter of the vessel and an effective voltage field for coalescence within a center of the vessel. A circular-shaped distributor pipe or a distributor housing serves to absorb momentum of the incoming emulsion stream and distribute the stream into an interior of the vessel.

Abstract: A method for processing interface emulsion, water, and solids contained within a separator vessel that comprises the steps of continually extracting those components from the vessel and then passing them through a gas flotation cell. The cell, which is preferably a vertical induced gas flotation cell, separates the oil and water contained in the interface emulsion and discharges recovered oil from an upper portion of the cell and treated water from a bottom portion of the cell. The recovered oil and treated water may be further processed and recycled to the vessel or sent elsewhere. The treated water may also be recycled to the cell or sent to a process sewer. Fuel gas residing in an upper portion of the cell may be cooled and passed through a splitter. All the steps of the method comprise a closed system with no air emissions.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator for separating immiscible components of a wet gas stream is formed by an upright cylindrical vortex tube having an internal wall surface, a top with a gas outlet opening therein, a bottom providing a liquid outlet opening and a wet gas stream inlet tangential to the internal wall surface, the inlet being spaced below the top. A helical baffle is secured to the vortex tube internal wall surface and extends from below the top but above the inlet to a lower end spaced above the vortex tube bottom. A plurality of spaced apart vertical outlet fins are affixed to and extending radially from the internal wall surface adjacent the vortex tube bottom, each outlet fin having a top end spaced below the helical baffle lower end.

Abstract: A method for treating an interface rag includes the steps of removing a volume of rag at a controlled rate from an upstream rag source and passing the rag through a high pressure pump and a heater. The heater heats the rag to a temperature of at least 350° F. to thermally decomposing any chemicals that had been added to the interface rag to promote separation. Diluent is then mixed with the heated rag to cool the rag to a temperature less than 300° F. and produce a 30 API rag. The cooled diluted rag is then treated in an electrostatic treater or sent directly to a hydrocyclone cluster. The electrostatic treater is preferably a vertical electrostatic treater with a conical-shaped lower portion and a means for agitating the solid-laden water within the treater to prevent the solids from settling on the bottom of the treater.

Abstract: A method of separating gaseous components, heavier liquid components and lighter liquid components of a stream including the steps of conducting the stream between spaced apart electrodes in a treatment vessel, supplying from a voltage source an AC voltage of at least one base frequency F1 to at least one of the electrodes to establish an electric field within the vessel through which the stream passes, modulating the frequency F1 of the AC voltage at a modulation frequency F2, and withdrawing separated gaseous components from an upper portion of the vessel, heavier stream components from a lower portion of the vessel, and lighter liquid components from an intermediate portion of said vessel.

Abstract: A vertical electrostatic coalescer comprises a first and second electrode surface and a horizontally disposed foraminous surface. The first electrode surface and horizontally disposed foraminous surface are at ground potential. The first and second electrode surfaces share the same planar orientation relative to the central longitudinal axis of the vessel. The unique arrangement of the vessel and opposing pairs of first and second electrode surfaces provides for a substantially uniform voltage field around a perimeter of the vessel and an effective voltage field for coalescence within a center of the vessel. A circular-shaped distributor pipe or a distributor housing serves to absorb momentum of the incoming emulsion stream and distribute the stream into an interior of the vessel.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing the salt content of a crude oil stream includes using a quill to disperse a water stream into the crude oil and then routing the mixed oil/water stream through a plurality of mixing stages. The water stream may include a wash water that has been preconditioned with recycled effluent water. Each mixing stage increases the homogeneity of the mixed oil/water stream. The first and third mixing stages are preferably lower pressure stages relative to the second mixing stage, which provides pressure effective for flowing the mixed oil/water stream through the third and fourth mixing stages. Upon exiting the fourth mixing stage, the mixed oil/water stream is electrostatically treated in a dual frequency separator vessel or a dual polarity separator vessel.

Abstract: A centrifugal separator for separating immiscible components of a wet gas stream is formed by an upright cylindrical vortex tube having an internal wall surface, a top with a gas outlet opening therein, a bottom providing a liquid outlet opening and a wet gas stream inlet tangential to the internal wall surface, the inlet being spaced below the top. A helical baffle is secured to the vortex tube internal wall surface and extends from below the top but above the inlet to a lower end spaced above the vortex tube bottom. A plurality of spaced apart vertical outlet fins are affixed to and extending radially from the internal wall surface adjacent the vortex tube bottom, each outlet fin having a top end spaced below the helical baffle lower end.

Abstract: This invention teaches a process that includes extraction of gas in which the presence of foam results in the carry over in the outlet gas stream of excessive liquids and/or solids, including the steps of injecting the foam laden gas stream tangentially into a cyclonic separator having an axial gas outlet and a liquid outlet, under conditions in which the inlet stream is subjected to at least about 150 G's, the outlet gas being substantially liquids/solids free and the outlet liquid stream being conveyed for disposal or further processing.