# US 11,299,682 B2 · Systems and methods for crude oil desalting and dehydration in a single vessel

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- Number: US 11,299,682 B2
- Document ID: US11299682B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/852,140
- Filed: 2020-04-17
- Published: 2020-07-30
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-17
- Assignees: VME Process, Inc.
- Applicants: Vme Process, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Thomas; Chad Tomlinson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299682B2

## CPC

- C10G 32/02: by electric or magnetic means
- B01D 17/06: Separation of liquids from each other by electricity
- C02F 1/463: by electrocoagulation
- C10G 33/02: with electrical or magnetic means
- C10G 33/08: Controlling or regulating
- C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids
- C10G 2300/201: Impurities
- C10G 2300/4012: Pressure
- 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
- 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)
- 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)

## Abstract

A system for crude oil desalting and dehydration in a single vessel is disclosed. The system comprises a pressure vessel defining a cavity and comprising a sealed bulkhead separating the cavity into a first compartment and a second compartment. Disposed within the first compartment is a first distributor disposed within the first compartment, a first electrical grid assembly, and a transfer conduit that passes through the bulkhead from the first compartment to the second compartment, the second compartment being in fluid communication with the first compartment via the transfer conduit. The pressure vessel may further comprise an overflow weir in the first compartment and a second electrical grid assembly disposed within the second compartment and aligned substantially transverse to a flow path extending from the transfer conduit to the crude collection header.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for crude oil desalting and dehydration, the system comprising:
a pressure vessel defining a cavity and extending along a central axis, the pressure vessel comprising:
a sealed bulkhead disposed within the cavity, the sealed bulkhead separating the cavity into a first compartment and a second compartment;
a crude inlet disposed within the first compartment, the crude inlet configured to communicate a crude oil stream into the first compartment;
a first electrical grid assembly disposed within the first compartment;
a transfer conduit that is disposed within the cavity, the second compartment being in fluid communication with the first compartment via the transfer conduit;
a second electrical grid assembly disposed within the second compartment;
a crude outlet disposed within the second compartment, the crude outlet configured to communicate the crude oil out of the second compartment and
an overflow weir disposed within the first compartment, wherein the overflow weir is configured to define a passage over the weir that directs the crude oil stream toward the intake of the transfer conduit and mitigate coalesced droplets from entering the intake of the transfer conduit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the crude inlet comprises a first distributor disposed within the first compartment, wherein the first distributor is configured to receive the crude oil stream and provide fluid communication into the first compartment via an inlet of the first distributor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the first electrical grid assembly is disposed between an intake of the transfer conduit and at least a portion of the first distributor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second electrical grid assembly is not aligned with the first electrical grid assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second electrical grid assembly is aligned with the first electrical grid assembly.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a fluid mixer, wherein the fluid mixer is in fluid communication with the transfer conduit and disposed between an intake of the transfer conduit and a distributor of the transfer conduit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the fluid mixer comprises a static mixer or an externally adjustable mixer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the pressure vessel further comprising a dilution conduit that defines a channel extending from outside the cavity and into the transfer conduit, and wherein the dilution conduit is configure to introduce dilution fluid within the transfer conduit and upstream of the fluid mixer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical grid assembly is configured to be energized by a power transformer, and wherein the first electrical grid assembly is configured to create a first voltage potential that electrostatically coalesces water from the crude oil stream into droplets before the intake of the transfer conduit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical grid assembly comprises at least two grid elements and a spacing adjuster configured to vary a distance between at least two of the grid elements.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second electrical grid assembly is disposed between the crude outlet and at least a portion of the transfer conduit, and wherein the second electrical grid assembly comprises at least two grid elements that each extend substantially orthogonal to the first electrical grid assembly.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical grid assembly comprises a horizontal electrical grid assembly disposed within the first compartment, and wherein the second electrical grid assembly comprises a vertical electrical grid assembly disposed within the second compartment and aligned substantially transverse to a horizontal flow path extending from the transfer conduit to an overflow weir.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the vertical electrical grid assembly is configured to create a second voltage potential that electrostatically coalesces water into droplets before the overflow weir, and wherein the second voltage potential created by the vertical electrical grid assembly is greater than a first voltage potential created by the horizontal electrical grid assembly.

### Claim 14

A system for crude oil desalting and dehydration, the system comprising:
a pressure vessel defining a cavity and extending along a central axis, the pressure vessel comprising:
a sealed bulkhead disposed within the cavity, the sealed bulkhead separating the cavity into a first compartment and a second compartment;
a crude inlet disposed within the first compartment, the crude inlet configured to communicate a crude oil stream into the first compartment;
a first electrical grid assembly disposed within the first compartment;
a transfer conduit that is disposed entirely within the cavity, the second compartment being in fluid communication with the first compartment via the transfer conduit;
a dilution conduit that defines a channel extending from outside the cavity and into the transfer conduit within the cavity, and wherein the dilution conduit is configure to introduce a dilution fluid into the transfer conduit upstream of a fluid mixer disposed within the transfer conduit;
a second electrical grid assembly disposed within the second compartment; and
a crude outlet disposed within the second compartment, the crude outlet configured to communicate the crude oil out of the second compartment.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the first electrical grid assembly is disposed between an intake of the transfer conduit and at least a portion of a first distributor disposed within the first compartment.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the second electrical grid assembly is not aligned with the first electrical grid assembly.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the second electrical grid assembly is aligned with the first electrical grid assembly.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the fluid mixer comprises a static mixer or an externally adjustable mixer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the first electrical grid assembly comprises at least two grid elements and a spacing adjuster configured to vary a distance between at least two of the grid elements.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the first electrical grid assembly comprises a horizontal electrical grid assembly disposed within the first compartment, and wherein the second electrical grid assembly comprises a vertical electrical grid assembly disposed within the second compartment and aligned substantially transverse to a horizontal flow path extending from the transfer conduit to an overflow weir.