# US 10,870,592 B2 · Electrostatic separator

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- Number: US 10,870,592 B2
- Document ID: US10870592B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/156,321
- Filed: 2016-05-16
- Published: 2016-11-17
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-15
- Assignees: OneSubsea IP UK Limited
- Applicants: OneSubsea IP UK Limited
- Inventors: Andrew Jeremiah Hench; John Joseph Byeseda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870592B2

## CPC

- C02F 1/469: by electrochemical separation, e.g. by electro-osmosis, electrodialysis, electrophoresis
- B01D 17/0211: {with baffles}
- B01D 17/06: Separation of liquids from each other by electricity
- B03C 11/00: Separation by high-voltage electrical fields, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- C02F 1/463: by electrocoagulation
- C02F 1/48: with magnetic or electric fields (C02F1/46 takes precedence)
- C10G 33/02: with electrical or magnetic means
- B03C 2201/02: Electrostatic separation of liquids from liquids
- C02F 1/40: Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material (cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16)
- C02F 2101/32: Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B03C: MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (separating isotopes B01D59/00; combinations of magnetic or electrostatic separation with separation of solids by other means B03B, B07B)
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES

## Abstract

An electrostatic separator including a separator vessel having an oil collection portion at its upper end, a water collection portion at its lower end, at least one electrode generating an electric field, and an inlet through which an emulsion mixture enters the separator vessel before exposure to the electric field in the upper part of the vessel, wherein the separator vessel further comprises at least one routing blade located proximate to the at least one electrode to route coalesced water droplets downwardly and away from the electric field.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrostatic separator comprising:
a separator vessel;
an oil collection portion at an upper end of the separator vessel;
a water collection portion at a lower end of the separator vessel;
at least one electrode in the separator vessel generating an electric field;
an inlet through which an oil-water mixture enters the separator vessel before exposure to the electric field; and
at least one routing blade comprising a pair of angled planar surfaces each extending from a terminal lower end thereof to an upper end thereof, wherein the upper ends of the angled planar surfaces form an apex that defines an upper end of the at least one routing blade, and the terminal lower ends of the angled planar surfaces define a terminal lower end of the at least one routing blade;
wherein the at least one electrode extends through a channel formed by the at least one routing blade to route coalesced water droplets downwardly and away from the electric field.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrostatic separator of claim 1, wherein the at least one routing blade is a plurality of routing blades.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrostatic separator of claim 2, wherein the plurality of routing blades are side by side or stacked upon each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The electrostatic separator of claim 2, wherein the plurality of routing blades are separated by slots.

### Claim 5

An electrostatic separator vessel comprising:
an oil and water mixture inlet;
a first fluid outlet;
a second fluid outlet positioned at an upper end of the electrostatic separator vessel, wherein the second fluid outlet comprises an oil outlet for oil of an oil and water mixture received by the oil and water mixture inlet;
a plurality of routing blades forming channels, wherein at least one routing blade of the plurality of routing blades comprises a pair of angled planar surfaces each extending from a terminal lower end thereof to an upper end thereof, wherein the upper ends of the angled planar surfaces form an apex that defines an upper end of the at least one routing blade, and the terminal lower ends of the angled planar surfaces define a terminal lower end of the at least one routing blade;
a plurality of electrodes disposed in the channels to generate an electric field, wherein the separator vessel comprises a longitudinal axis extending between a first end of the separator vessel and a second end of the separator vessel opposite the first end, and wherein the plurality of electrodes are positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet; and
wherein the plurality of routing blades are separated by slots to redirect water coalesced by the electric field from the channels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 5, wherein the coalesced water is redirected downward through the routing blades from the channels.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The electrostatic separator of claim 5 further comprising a first flow path of the oil and water mixture toward the routing blades, a second flow path of the oil from the routing blades to the second fluid outlet, and a third flow path of coalesced water from the slots in the routing blades to the first fluid outlet.

### Claim 8

An electrostatic separator vessel comprising:
an oil and water mixture inlet;
an oil collection portion at an upper end of the separator vessel;
a water collection portion at a lower end of the separator vessel;
a first fluid outlet;
a second fluid outlet positioned at an upper end of the electrostatic separator vessel;
a plurality of routing blades forming channels, wherein at least one routing blade of the plurality of routing blades comprises a pair of angled planar surfaces each extending from a terminal lower end thereof to an upper end thereof, wherein the upper ends of the angled planar surfaces form an apex that defines an upper end of the at least one routing blade, and the terminal lower ends of the angled planar surfaces define a terminal lower end of the at least one routing blade;
a plurality of electrodes disposed in the channels to generate an electric field, wherein the separator vessel comprises a longitudinal axis extending between a first end of the separator vessel and a second end of the separator vessel opposite the first end, and wherein the plurality of electrodes are positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet; and
wherein the plurality of routing blades are separated by slots to redirect water coalesced by the electric field from the channels.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 8, wherein the coalesced water is redirected downward through the routing blades from the channels.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 8, further comprising a first flow path of the oil and water mixture toward the routing blades, a second flow path of oil from the routing blades to the second fluid outlet, and a third flow path of coalesced water from the slots in the routing blades to the first fluid outlet.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 5, wherein the first fluid outlet is positioned at the first end of the separator vessel and the second fluid outlet is positioned at the second end of the separator vessel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 5)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 5, wherein the oil and water mixture inlet is positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 8, wherein the first fluid outlet is positioned at the first end of the separator vessel and the second fluid outlet is positioned at the second end of the separator vessel.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 13, wherein the oil and water mixture inlet is positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet.