Microwave assisted oil-water separator
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsSaeed M Alamoudi, Mohammed Alwani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for oil and water separation of a crude oil composition are provided. The system includes a gravity dehydrator vessel, a heat exchanger upstream of the gravity of the dehydrator vessel, and a plurality of metallic grids located within the gravity dehydrator vessel. The system further includes a mesh metal structure within the gravity dehydrator vessel, a microwave generator operatively connected to the gravity dehydrator vessel, and a waveguide carrying microwave energy from the microwave generator. The system and method separate water and emulsions from the crude oil composition by forming an upper crude oil layer, a middle oil-water emulsion layer, and a lower oily water layer.
Claims15
A system for oil and water separation of a crude oil composition, comprising:
- a gravity dehydrator vessel having a shell wall and an inlet configured to receive the crude oil composition and a demulsifier agent;
- a heat exchanger upstream of the gravity dehydrator vessel, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to heat the crude oil composition via steam heating;
- a plurality of metallic grids located within the gravity dehydrator vessel and made from electrically conducting material, wherein the metallic grids are partially bonded to form two electrically isolated sets of grids, and wherein one of the two sets of grids is electrically bonded to the shell wall of the gravity dehydrator vessel;
- a mesh metal structure made from electrically conducting material that forms a faraday cage within the gravity dehydrator vessel;
- a microwave generator operatively connected to the gravity dehydrator vessel;
- and
- a waveguide carrying microwave energy from the microwave generator, wherein the waveguide is terminated through the shell wall of the gravity dehydrator vessel and into the faraday cage forming a microwave port;
- wherein the system is configured to separate water and emulsions from the crude oil composition by forming an upper crude oil layer, a middle oil-water emulsion layer, and a lower oily water layer, and
- wherein the metallic grids are located in an upper half of the gravity dehydrator vessel, and wherein the metallic grids are configured to enhance separation of oil and water in the upper crude oil layer via control of a voltage of the metallic grids.
A method for oil and water separation of a crude oil composition, comprising:
- steam heating, via a heat exchanger, the crude oil composition;
- injecting, via an inlet device, the crude oil composition and a demulsifier agent into a gravity dehydrator vessel;
- applying, via a microwave generator and a waveguide, electromagnetic radiation to the crude oil composition, wherein the electromagnetic radiation causes polarization of molecules of the crude oil composition;
- energizing, with an electrical potential source, a plurality of metallic grids located within the gravity dehydrator vessel and made from electrically conducting material, wherein the metallic grids are partially bonded to form two electrically isolated sets of grids, and wherein the metallic grids are located in an upper half of the gravity dehydrator vessel;
- and
- adjusting a voltage of the metallic grids,
- wherein the energized metallic grids, electromagnetic radiation, the demulsifier agent, and gravity cause separation of the crude oil composition into an upper crude oil layer, a middle oil-water emulsion layer, and a lower oily water layer and wherein adjustment of the voltage of the metallic grids enhances separation of oil and water in the upper crude oil layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.