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US 12,728,369 B2Granted
Water oil separator vessel with hydrophobic mesh tubes
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsOlanrewaju Malcolm Oshinowo, Fahd Ibrahim AlGhunaimi, Young Chul Choi
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Abstract
Systems and a method for oil-in-water are provided. A water-oil separation plant (WOSEP) includes a gravity separation vessel, an inlet for an oil-in-water emulsion, an oil outlet for separated oil, a water compartment in the gravity separation vessel, and a water outlet from water compartment for separated water. A tube of hydrophobic mesh with an axis perpendicular to the water surface is disposed in the water compartment, wherein the top of the tube is above the water surface, and the bottom of the tube is below the water surface. An outlet coupled to the bottom of the tube allows oil and water to drain from the tube.
Claims19
A water-oil separator vessel (WOSEP), comprising:
- a gravity separation vessel having an exterior and an interior, the interior having a top internal surface, a bottom internal surface, and a sidewall connecting the top internal surface and the bottom internal surface;
- a separation compartment in the gravity separation vessel for receiving an oil-in-water emulsion from an inlet to the gravity separation vessel;
- an oil outlet for receiving separated oil from the separation compartment;
- a water compartment in the gravity separation vessel for receiving the oil-in-water emulsion from the separation compartment;
- a water outlet from the water compartment for separated water;
- a water baffle positioned between the separation compartment and the water compartment;
- a tube of hydrophobic mesh disposed in the water compartment with an axis perpendicular to a water surface in the water compartment, wherein a top of the tube is positioned above a top surface of the water baffle, and a bottom of the tube is positioned above a bottom surface of the water baffle, and wherein the tube is configured to receive oil from the oil-in-water emulsion received from the separation compartment;
- a water weir positioned between the separation compartment and the water baffle, wherein a top surface of the water weir is positioned below the top surface of the water baffle, and a bottom surface of the water weir is coupled to the bottom internal surface of the gravity separation vessel;
- an oil baffle positioned between the separation compartment and the water weir, wherein a top surface of the oil baffle is positioned above the top surface of the water baffle, and a bottom surface of the oil baffle is positioned above the bottom surface of the water weir and below the top surface of the water weir;
- an outlet from the gravity separation vessel coupled to the bottom of the tube;
- and
- a collection manifold coupling the bottom of the tube to the outlet, the collection manifold and outlet together configured to collect the oil and the water in the tube and to drain the oil and the water from the tube and the gravity separation vessel through the outlet.
9 more elements
A method for separating an oil-in-water emulsion in a water oil separator vessel (WOSEP), comprising:
- flowing the oil-in-water emulsion into a separation compartment of a gravity separation vessel of the WOSEP via an inlet to the gravity separation vessel, the gravity separation vessel having an exterior and an interior, the interior having a top internal surface, a bottom internal surface, and a sidewall connecting the top internal surface and the bottom internal surface;
- performing a gravity separation of a portion of the oil from the water of the oil-in-water emulsion in the separation compartment;
- flowing the separated water from the oil-in-water emulsion under an oil baffle, over a water weir, and under a water baffle into a water compartment comprising a tube made from a hydrophobic mesh and also configured to receive oily water from the separated water received from the separation compartment, wherein:
- a top of the tube is positioned above a top surface of the water baffle, and a bottom of the tube is positioned below a bottom surface of the water baffle,
- the water baffle is positioned between the separation compartment and the water compartment,
- the water weir is positioned between the separation compartment and the water baffle, wherein a top surface of the water weir is positioned below the top surface of the water baffle, and a bottom surface of the water weir is coupled to the bottom internal surface of the gravity separation vessel;
- the oil baffle is positioned between the separation compartment and the water weir, wherein a top surface of the oil baffle is positioned above the top surface of the water baffle, and a bottom surface of the oil baffle is positioned above the bottom surface of the water weir and below the top surface of the water weir;
- collecting the oily water that flows through the tube of the water compartment through an outlet of the tube of the water compartment via a collection manifold coupling the bottom of the tube to the outlet, the collection manifold and outlet together configured to collect the oil water in the oily water in the tube and drain the oil water from the tube and the gravity separation vessel through the outlet;
- and
- removing separated water from the water compartment through a water outlet of the water compartment.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.