With Heat Exchange Means Patents (Class 96/185)
  • Patent number: 11998860
    Abstract: A produced water evaporation system for spray evaporating water comprising a geothermal heat retainment system and an evaporation system is disclosed. The geothermal heat retainment system comprises a first feed inlet, an optional solar collection system or a heat exchanger, and a first discharge outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Energy Water Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen M. Shiner, Chuck Hanebuth, Colin A. Lindsey, Paul Thomas
  • Publication number: 20140338904
    Abstract: A system is provided for removing dimethyl ether (DME) from oil, water or brine and gas that includes a gas-oil-water separation module, a DME absorber, a water stripper, a liquid-liquid extractor, a water source, and an oil stripper, and a process is provided for separating DME from a mixture of DME, crude oil, water or brine, and a gas containing alkane hydrocarbons. A DME lean oil containing at most 1 ppmwt may be produced by the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: SHELL OIL COMPANY
    Inventors: Hendrik Adriaan KOOIJMAN, Gosina Geertruida BURGGRAAF
  • Patent number: 8097128
    Abstract: An efficient flash evaporation water purification system located at a hydrocarbon well site. An internal combustion engine uses hydrocarbon fuel from the well and drives a pump to pressurize production water from the well. The engine also generates thermal energy used to preheat the production water. An electrical generator is also driven by the engine to produce electrical power for the water purification system, as well as produce AC power for off-site consumers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Inventor: Raymond C. Sherry
  • Patent number: 7575672
    Abstract: A mobile separator system for oil and gas well production fluids consisting of a sled supporting a horizontal three phase separator vessel having an upright vessel or blowcase, with an upper section open to a lower section through a check valve, and a vertical two phase vessel mounted beside each other and seated within the horizontal vessel. A direct fired heater in the horizontal vessel provides the required heating for all three vessels. Production fluids tangentially enter the upper section of the upright vessel with gas rising and the fluid descending through a check valve to the lower section and then transferred into the horizontal vessel. The rising gas outlet is connected to the suction of a compressor and discharged under pressure to the intake of the vertical vessel. Separated gas from the horizontal vessel also is directed to the intake of the compressor. Oil and water separated in the horizontal vessel are transferred into storage or pipelines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Inventor: Terry S. Gilmore
  • Patent number: 7513934
    Abstract: A system for processing of multi-phase fluid, comprising a plurality of portable proximately arranged modules disposed over and spaced from a working pad where each module contains at least one separate processing element of a system for producing degassed and dehydrated crude oil and having a plurality of fluid carrying pipes interconnecting the processing elements in the said modules, including quick connect/disconnect joints in the pipe disposed between the said modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Brooks Range Petroleum Corporation
    Inventors: Darcee C. Adam, Daniel L. Wuthrich
  • Patent number: 6843832
    Abstract: The compound/curvilinear immiscible liquid separator has a separator section with an outer, elongated, cylindrical shell aligned vertically opening into an upper transition section and vapor dome at the top and a lower transition section and solid/heavy crude containment section at the bottom. A center column is disposed in the axial center of the separator section and a plurality of serially connected curved plates are disposed between the outer shell and center column to define an elongated curvilinear flow path having reverse flow pathways. An oil-water-gas mixture is introduced into the separator section under pressure past heating coils and through the curvilinear path, the lighter density oil entering and being removed from the top of the center column, and heavier sludge and brine collecting in the containment section. Gases bubble up through the center column and are removed from the vapor dome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Inventors: Boyd B. Greene, Helen C. Greene
  • Patent number: 6398850
    Abstract: A thermally-activated gas extraction device that comprises a bubble capture chamber, an exhaust manifold, a tapered extraction chamber and an extraction heater associated with the tapered extraction chamber. The tapered extraction chamber extends from the bubble capture chamber towards the exhaust manifold and has a cross-sectional area that increases towards the exhaust manifold. A gas removal method in which the gas extraction device is provided, a bubble of gas is accumulated in the bubble capture chamber, a portion of the liquid in the tapered extraction chamber heated to nucleate a bubble of vapor, and the bubble of vapor is heated to explosively expand the bubble of vapor into contact with the walls of the tapered extraction chamber and into contact with the bubble of gas to form a composite bubble. Contact with the walls of the tapered extraction moves the composite bubble towards the exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Leslie A. Field, David K. Donald, Phillip W. Barth, Jonathan Servaites, Storrs T. Hoen
  • Patent number: 6299673
    Abstract: A thermally-activated gas extraction device that comprises a bubble capture chamber, an exhaust manifold, a tapered extraction chamber and an extraction heater associated with the tapered extraction chamber. The tapered extraction chamber extends from the bubble capture chamber towards the exhaust manifold and has a cross-sectional area that increases towards the exhaust manifold. A gas removal method in which the gas extraction device is provided, a bubble of gas is accumulated in the bubble capture chamber, a portion of the liquid in the tapered extraction chamber heated to nucleate a bubble of vapor, and the bubble of vapor is heated to explosively expand the bubble of vapor into contact with the walls of the tapered extraction chamber and into contact with the bubble of gas to form a composite bubble. Contact with the walls of the tapered extraction moves the composite bubble towards the exhaust manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Leslie A. Field, David K. Donald, Phillip W. Barth, Jonathan Servaites, Storrs T. Hoen, Jonah A. Harley
  • Patent number: 6073685
    Abstract: Input/output chamber for a fluid, for part of a body (1) of an apparatus in which this fluid circulates, this part of the body including a face (3) for inlet or outlet of the said fluid, the chamber (6A) being intended to be connected with a leaktight joint to this face. At least part of the chamber consists of at least one spherical or ellipsoidal portion (20A) and of sectors of cones (22A) tangential to this spherical or ellipsoidal portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, Nordon Cryogenie SNC
    Inventors: Claude Gerard, Jean-Yves Lehman
  • Patent number: 5988283
    Abstract: A Vertical Combined Production Facility, or gas-well production system, in which the separation of each phase (hydrocarbon gas, hydrocarbon liquids, and produced water), dehydration of natural gas, removal of minute traces of water from the hydrocarbon liquids, and polishing of produced water, are performed in a single pressure vessel. Additionally, the pressure vessel is installed in a vertical configuration such that the pressure vessel shell also serves as the structural support for a small deck and helideck. Additionally, the inlet heating of the well flow-stream is accomplished by a heat exchanger installed in the dehydration/regeneration heater (reboiler).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Union Pacific Resources Company
    Inventor: Don Mike Gann
  • Patent number: 5928519
    Abstract: A system for separation of fluids and drill cuttings received from a borehole during an under-balanced drilling procedure. The system is designed to cope with significantly varied pressures and flow rates, particularly in relation to gas content of drill fluids returned to the surface during the drilling process in a production zone, and to provide effective separation and to reduce the detrimental effect due to the presence of the drill cuttings in the returned drill fluids. In the present invention there is utilized a first stage, high pressure vessel in which a major portion of the gases ad drill cuttings are separated, and a second stage, horizontal low pressure vessel, preferably of greater volume than the high pressure vessel, in which further separating is achieved, including the separate removal of the drilling liquid to be returned to the drill tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Inventor: Edwin Daryl Homan
  • Patent number: 5900137
    Abstract: A system for separation of fluids and drill cuttings received-from a borehole during an under-balanced drilling procedure. The system is designed to cope with significantly varied pressures and flow rates, particularly in relation to gas content of drill fluids returned to the surface during the drilling process in a production zones and to provide effective separation and to reduce the detrimental effect due to the presence of the drill cuttings in the returned drill fluids. In the present invention there is utilized a first stage, high pressure vessel in which a major portion of the gases ad drill cuttings are separated, and a second stages horizontal low pressure vessel, preferably of greater volume than the high pressure vessel, in which further separating is achieved, including the separate removal of the drilling liquid to be returned to the drill tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Inventor: Edwin Daryl Homan
  • Patent number: 5765631
    Abstract: A fluid circulation apparatus comprises a body part (2) in the shape of a dihedron with, on a first face of the dihedron, at least one opening for input/output of this fluid covering over the opening in a leaktight way. The bulb projects with respect to the body part (2) beyond the edge (13) of the dihedron and is produced by combination of metal sheets, of cylindrical, spherical and/or ellipsoidal shape, welded to one another. The apparatus is applicable to the integration of phase separators with heat exchangers of the brazed-plate type or alternatively to the input/output of fluids in such exchangers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, Nordon Cryogenie SNC
    Inventor: Claude Gerard
  • Patent number: 5665144
    Abstract: An environmentally safe apparatus for reclaiming uncondensed hydrocarbons normally exhausted to the atmosphere from the still column of a glycol dehydrator system, and utilizing the uncondensed hydrocarbons as fuel in the burner of a reboiler fire-tube by natural draft of the fire-tube exhaust stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Inventors: D. Jeffrey Hill, E. Todd Wiggins
  • Patent number: 5520723
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing emissions from glycol dehydrators which employ a vapor-liquid contactor operated under ambient conditions to treat the organic vapors and liquids exiting from a condenser attached to the vapor vent of the glycol reboiler. A stream of the organic liquids is passed to the top of the contactor and allowed to descend in counter-current relation to the upward moving gas introduced at the bottom portion of the contactor. Liquids containing a relatively high content of hydrocarbons may be recovered from the bottom of the contactor, and vapors having a reduced content of organic emissions can be emitted directly to the atmosphere from the top the contactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Inventor: Robert A. Jones, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5346537
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed which are improvements in the conventional method and apparatus for extracting water from a gas stream such as a natural gas stream by contacting the stream with a glycol to absorb the water, and then regenerating the glycol for further use in extraction by heating the moist glycol in a glycol regenerator to vaporize the water contained in same as steam. The improvement enables control of emissions of volatile organic compounds which have been absorbed by the glycol during contact with the gas stream, while minimizing the contaminants in the water streams produced. The vented steam and gaseous volatile organics are flowed from the glycol regenerator as input to a cooling condenser having successive air and water-cooled condensers, to produce a condenser water stream having a relatively high content of the organic compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1994
    Assignee: Gas Research Institute
    Inventor: Philip S. Lowell