Apparatus and methods to remove solids from hydrocarbon streams

A process of removing solids from hydrocarbon streams:

• providing an initial hydrocarbon stream, wherein the hydrocarbon stream consists essentially of a hydrocarbon and an amount of solids;
• feeding the hydrocarbon stream to a solids removal unit through an inlet with a damper at the termination of the inlet to promote less turbulent flow of the hydrocarbon stream, wherein the solids removal unit comprises a vessel, a distributor plate system, a reduced solids outlet, an extracted solids outlet, and a mixture of water and a surfactant;
• wherein the surfactant reduces the interfacial tension between water molecules in the water and hydrocarbon molecules in the hydrocarbon stream;
• contacting the hydrocarbon stream via the distributor plate system with the water and surfactant mixture to create a water/hydrocarbon interface;
• wherein solids in the hydrocarbon stream are entrained at the water/hydrocarbon interface;
• allowing gravity to pull entrained solids at the water/hydrocarbon interface into a water phase;
• removing a water stream with increased solids concentration as compared to the initial hydrocarbon stream from the extracted solids outlet, wherein the extracted solids outlet is located within the water phase portion of the solids removal unit;
• and
• removing a hydrocarbon stream with reduced solids concentration as compared to the initial hydrocarbon stream from the reduced solids outlet, wherein the reduced solids outlet is located above the water phase portion of the solids removal unit.