Three wire press solids dewatering method and apparatus for oil and gas field applications
AssigneeWsi International LLC
InventorsAlfred TYLER, William Michael FIELDS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three wire press solids dewatering device and method for unconventional oil and gas field solids management applications, including drilling mud dewatering in a closed-loop drilling system, as well as solids dewatering in flow back and produced water treatment systems, including a single wire belt gravity thickener for inlet solids slurry thickening and distribution, and a twin wire press for thickened solids slurry dewatering.
Claims13
A method for solids dewatering in oil and gas applications, comprising the steps of:
- with a single wire belt gravity solids thickening unit, reducing an uprising velocity and turbulence of inlet solids with a reverse truncated pyramid distribution chamber to produce an inlet solid slurry in order to protect fragile flocs entering with the inlet solids;
- concentrating the inlet solids slurry on a single wire porous synthetic belt to produce a thickened solids sheet;
- moving the thickened solids sheet to a twin wire press solids dewatering section, and removing a first filtrate collected in a catchment pan underneath the single wire belt solids thickening unit;
- with a twin wire press solids dewatering unit, entrapping a thickened solids slurry received from the single wire belt gravity solids thickening unit in a wedge zone;
- compressing the thickened solids slurry in an “S” roll zone;
- and
- collecting a second filtrate in filtrate catchment pans provided with the twin wire press solids dewatering unit.
A single wire belt solids thickening unit, comprising:
- a reverse truncated pyramid distribution chamber;
- a gradually opened distribution chute;
- a series of adjustable plows (chicanes) for solids slurry distribution;
- a single wire porous synthetic belt;
- a belt drive system including rolls to drive and guide the synthetic belt, the belt drive system configured to provide variable speed motion/power to the synthetic belt;
- a belt tensioning system to apply individual tension pressure to the synthetic belt;
- a belt alignment system to control the tracking side to side of the belt and to keep the belt in a center of the rolls of the belt drive system;
- and
- a belt shower system to thoroughly clean the belt.
A twin wire press solids dewatering unit, comprising:
- a top wire belt system and a bottom wire belt system, each belt system including
- a porous synthetic wire belt,
- a belt drive system to provide variable speed motion/power to the belt,
- a belt tensioning system to apply individual tension pressure to the belt,
- a belt alignment system to control the tracking side to side of the belts and to keep them in the center of the rolls,
- a belt shower system to thoroughly clean the belts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.