# US 2018/0023804 A1 · Water treatment and steam generation system for enhanced oil recovery and a method using same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0023804 A1 - Document ID: US20180023804A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/215,714 - Filed: 2016-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21 - Assignees: Great Ocean Ltd. - Applicants: Great Ocean Ltd. - Inventors: Henry Z. Qin; Wen Li Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023804A1 ## CPC - C02F 1/042: {Prevention of deposits} - B01D 1/14: with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid - B01D 17/0214: {with removal of one of the phases} - C02F 1/041: {by means of vapour compression} - C02F 1/14: using solar energy - C02F 1/24: by flotation (C02F1/465 takes precedence) - F16T 1/00: Steam traps or like apparatus for draining-off liquids from enclosures predominantly containing gases or vapours, e.g. gas lines, steam lines, containers - F22B 1/006: {using solar heat} - F22B 1/18: the heat carrier being a hot gas, e.g. waste gas such as exhaust gas of internal-combustion engines - F22B 29/06: of once-through type, i.e. built-up from tubes receiving water at one end and delivering superheated steam at the other end of the tubes (combined low- and high-pressure boilers of forced-flow type F22B33/16) - F22B 33/18: Combinations of steam boilers with other apparatus - B01D 5/006: {with evaporation or distillation} - C02F 1/04: by distillation or evaporation - C02F 1/40: Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material (cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16) - C02F 2101/325: {Emulsions} - C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities - C02F 2303/22: Eliminating or preventing deposits, scale removal, scale prevention (C02F1/042, C02F1/4602, C02F5/00 take precedence) - F22B 37/486: {Devices for removing water, minerals or sludge from boilers (F22B37/483, F22B37/50, F22B37/52 and F22B37/54 take precedence)} - Y02A 20/212: Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation - Y02W 10/37: using solar energy - 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) - 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) - F16T: STEAM TRAPS OR LIKE APPARATUS FOR DRAINING-OFF LIQUIDS FROM ENCLOSURES PREDOMINANTLY CONTAINING GASES OR VAPOURS - F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A system and method of generating steam from a emulsion stream produced from a reservoir via thermal recovery. The system includes a heat exchanger for adjusting the emulsion to a first temperature; at least one separation device for separating water from the emulsion at the first temperature to obtain produced water; and a high pressure evaporator for receiving the produced water at the first temperature and generating steam using the produced water. Also, an evaporator includes a vapor drum; a heating element in fluid communication with the vapor drum, said heating element receiving the water stream; a heating source for vaporizing the water stream for generating steam; and a bubble generator for generating bubbles and injecting generated bubbles into the heating element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of generating steam from an emulsion stream produced from a reservoir via thermal recovery, the emulsion stream being a mixture of oil and water, the method comprising: adjusting the emulsion to a first temperature; obtaining produced water from the emulsion at the first temperature; and generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said first temperature is above 100° C. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining produced water from the emulsion at the first temperature comprises: separating water from the emulsion at the first temperature; and removing residual oil from the separated water to obtain the produced water. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said removing residual oil from the separated water to obtain the produced water comprises: removing residual oil from the separated water by using at least two pressurized, high-temperature, induced gas flotation units (IGF's) coupled in series, to obtain the produced water. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein said generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature comprises: generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature by using a high pressure evaporator operating at a first pressure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein said removing residual oil from the separated water to obtain the produced water further comprises: using at least one pump to adjust the pressure of the produced water to the first pressure, and to feed the produced water to the high pressure evaporator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein said generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature by using the high pressure evaporator operating at the first pressure further comprises: using solar power to directly heat up a heating medium of the high pressure evaporator; feeding the produced water into the high pressure evaporator at the first temperature; and generating steam from the produced water using the heated heating medium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature by using the high pressure evaporator operating at the first pressure further comprises: using a secondary heater as a secondary heating source for compensating for the solar power for heating up the heating medium of the high pressure evaporator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein said generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature by using the high pressure evaporator operating at the first pressure further comprises: separating impurities from the produced water, the separated impurities forming a blowdown stream; cooling the blowdown stream; and discharging the cooled blowdown stream. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein said generating steam from the produced water at the first temperature by using the high pressure evaporator operating at the first pressure further comprises: injecting bubbles into the high pressure evaporator for fouling mitigation and heat transfer improvement. ### Claim 11 A system for generating steam from a emulsion stream produced from a reservoir via thermal recovery, the emulsion stream being a mixture of oil and water, the system comprising: a heat exchanger for adjusting the emulsion to a first temperature; at least one separation device for separating water from the emulsion at the first temperature to obtain produced water; and a high pressure evaporator for receiving the produced water at the first temperature and generating steam using the produced water. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the high pressure evaporator comprises: a vapor drum; a heating element in fluid communication with the vapor drum, said heating element receiving the produced water at the first temperature; a heating source for vaporizing the produced water for generating steam; and a bubble generating device for generating bubbles and injecting generated bubbles into the heating element. ### Claim 13 An evaporator receiving a water stream and generating steam from the water stream, the evaporator comprising: a vapor drum; a heating element in fluid communication with the vapor drum, said heating element receiving the water stream; a heating source for vaporizing the water stream for generating steam; and a bubble generator for generating bubbles and injecting generated bubbles into the heating element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The evaporator of claim 13, wherein the bubble generator uses pipeline gas for generating bubbles. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The evaporator of claim 14, further comprising: a condenser for receiving a portion of generated steam and condensing received steam to water; and wherein the bubble generator receives the condensed water discharged from the condenser and mixes the pipeline gas with the received water for generating a water stream with gas bubbles for feeding into the heating element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The evaporator of claim 13, wherein the bubble generator is a sparger. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The evaporator of claim 15, further comprising a steam/liquid interface separating steam thereabove and liquid therebelow; and wherein the steam/liquid interface is maintained at a level such that the one or more heating tubes are entirely submerged in liquid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The evaporator of claim 13, wherein the evaporator is configured to a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules being interconnectable for forming a module block. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The evaporator of claim 18, wherein the plurality of modules comprise at least one vapor drum module, at least one heating element module and at least one piping module. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The evaporator of claim 19, wherein at least one heating element module is configured at a corner of a module block.