Hydrocyclone
AssigneeFluid Dynamics, Inc.
InventorsWayne W. Hesse, Howard T. Marles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a hydrocyclone which operates on a relatively low pressure differential and on a linear flow principle. The hydrocyclone comprises an inlet chamber with a vortex creating a spiral insert therein, which inlet chamber opens in to a frustoconical portion of the hydrocyclone body. The frustoconical portion opens into a cylindrical portion which leads both to the accept and reject outlets at the end. The hydrocyclone is particularly useful for on sight separation of produced water in oil fields. The invention also provides hydrocyclone units of linked hydrocyclones according to the present invention, fluid separation systems incorporating hydrocyclones of the invention and methods of separating fluids using hydrocyclones in the invention.
Claims19
A hydrocyclone for separating a fluid mixture into a lighter phase and a heavier phase comprising:
- a generally elongate hydrocyclone body having an inlet end and a remote outlet end, said body having:
- an elongate inlet chamber at said inlet end with an inlet for receiving said fluid mixture and a spiral insert located within the inlet chamber for creating a spiraling motion in said fluid mixture said insert having at least one helical vane arranged around a central cylindrical core;
- a frustoconical portion communicating with said inlet chamber;
- and,
- a cylindrical portion having a first end contiguous with said frustoconical portion and an opposed second end proximate to said remote outlet end, said opposed second end defining at least one accept outlet for removing said heavier phase and at least one reject outlet opening for removing said lighter phase.
A hyrocyclone for separating a fluid mixture into lighter phase and a heavier phase comprising:
- an elongate inlet chamber having an inlet axially aligned with a longitudinal axis of said inlet chamber for receiving said fluid mixture and a means for creating a spiraling motion in said fluid mixture;
- and,
- a hydrocyclone body having a first portion communicating with said inlet chamber for receiving said spiraling fluid mixture and maintaining said spiraling motion therethrough, a second cylindrical portion having a first end contiguous with said first portion and a opposed second end and a plurality of outlets at said second end for removing both said lighter phase and said heavier phase,
- wherein said outlets comprise a plurality of accept outlets circumferentially spaced about said second end of the second cylindrical portion for removing said heavier phase, and at least one reject outlet located adjacent a radial center of said second end of the second cylindrical portion for removing said lighter phase.
A hydrocyclone for separating a fluid mixture into a first phase and a denser second phase comprising:
- a generally elongate hydrocyclone body having an inlet end and a remote outlet end, said body having:
- an elongate inlet chamber at said inlet end having an inlet located at an axial end of said inlet chamber for providing a non-tangential entry of said fluid mixture thereinto, and a spiral insert for creating a spiraling motion in said fluid mixture;
- a frustoconical portion contiguous with said inlet chamber opposite said inlet for receiving said fluid mixture from said inlet chamber and maintaining said spiraling motion;
- a cylindrical portion having a first end contiguous with said frustoconical portion opposite said inlet chamber and an opposed second end adjacent said remote outlet end, said opposed second end defining at least one accept outlet for withdrawing said denser second phase and at least one reject outlet opening for removing said first phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.