US 10,384,960 B2Granted

Microwave-enhanced method for treating Frac water

OwnerRyan Boulware, Alan Springer +1inventors

InventorsRyan Boulware, Alan Springer, Scott Jensen

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Abstract

A method for remediating Frac water and other emulsions created during hydraulic fracturing includes storing contaminated Frac water in a first collection unit, operating at least one pumping unit to pump a portion of the contaminated Frac water, and storing remediated Frac water in a second collection unit. A microwave separation technology (“MST”) unit, an ultra-violet light remediation (“UVLR”) unit, and a chemical additive unit are used to reduce contamination levels of the contaminated Frac water. The MST unit can work alone, or in combination with the UVLR unit, the chemical additive unit, or both, to further reduce contamination levels of the contaminated Frac water. A system operating according to the method can be deployed at an onsite drilling facility or at a centralized offsite location. By reusing remediated Frac water, entities can realize significant cost savings and better environmental compliance.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A microwave-enhanced treatment method for Frac water remediation comprising the steps of:

storing contaminated Frac water in a first collection unit;
pumping with at least one pumping unit at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water from the first collection unit;
receiving the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water from the at least one pumping unit with a microwave separation technology unit having a storage capacity for storing the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water, wherein the microwave separation technology unit reduces contamination levels of the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water;
receiving the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water from the microwave separation technology unit with an ultra-violet light remediation unit having a storage capacity for storing the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water, wherein the ultra-violet light remediation unit further reduces the contamination levels of the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water to produce remediated Frac water;
pumping with another pumping unit from the microwave separation technology unit to the ultra-violet light remediation unit the at least a portion of the contaminated Frac water, the another pumping unit being connected between the microwave separation technology unit and the ultra-violet light remediation unit;
and
storing in a second collection unit the remediated Frac water produced from the ultra-violet light remediation unit.

4 more elements

A microwave-enhanced treatment method for remediation of an emulsion containing water and contaminates comprising the steps of:

storing in a first collection unit the contaminated emulsion;
pumping with at least one pumping unit at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion from the first collection unit;
receiving the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion from the at least one pumping unit with a microwave separation technology unit having a storage capacity for storing the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion, wherein the microwave separation technology unit reduces contamination levels of the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion;
receiving the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion from the microwave separation technology unit with an ultra-violet light remediation unit having a storage capacity for storing the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion, wherein the ultra-violet light remediation unit further reduces the contamination levels of the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion to produce remediated water;
pumping with another pumping unit from the microwave separation technology unit to the ultra-violet light remediation unit the at least a portion of the contaminated emulsion, the another pumping unit being connected between the microwave separation technology unit and the ultra-violet light remediation unit;
and
storing in a second collection unit the remediated water produced from the ultra-violet light remediation unit.

4 more elements

A microwave-enhanced treatment method for remediation of an emulsion containing water and contaminates comprising the steps of:

storing in a first collection unit a contaminated emulsion;
pumping with a first pumping unit the contaminated emulsion from the first collection unit;
receiving the contaminated emulsion from the pumping unit with a microwave separation technology unit having a storage capacity for storing the contaminated emulsion, wherein the microwave separation technology unit reduces contamination levels of the contaminated emulsion;
pumping with a second pumping unit the contaminated emulsion from the microwave separation technology unit;
receiving the contaminated emulsion from the second pumping unit with an ultra-violet light remediation unit having a storage capacity for storing the contaminated emulsion, wherein the ultra-violet light remediation unit further reduces the contamination levels of the contaminated emulsion to produce remediated water, the second pumping unit being connected between the microwave separation technology unit and the ultra-violet light remediation unit;
and
storing in a second collection unit the remediated water produced from the ultra-violet light remediation unit.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/753,067Filed 29 Jun 2015 · division
Priority: 21 Jul 2005
Published: US 2015/0298994 A122 Oct 2015
Granted: 20 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

C02F 1/302
By irradiation: with microwaves
B01D 17/0217
Separation of non-miscible liquids: by centrifugal force
B01D 17/042
Breaking emulsions: by changing the temperature
B01D 17/048
Breaking emulsions: by changing the state of aggregation

Family

Application60/701,273Us provisional application · filed 21 Jul 2005
Application11/489,919Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Jul 2006
Application61/577,334Us provisional application · filed 19 Dec 2011
Application13/531,473Parent of this division · filed 22 Jun 2012
US 8,314,157 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Nov 2012
US 2015/0298994 A1Pre-grant publication · published 22 Oct 2015
US 9,095,788 B2Parent of this division
Application13/531,473Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2007/0017876 A1Published application
US 2013/0015144 A1Published application
US 10,384,960 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.