Control method for hydrocarbon hydrocyclones
AssigneeFLSmidth A/S
InventorsPaul Martin Keyser, Timothy John Olson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The overflow and underflow effluents of a conventional hydrocyclone are discharged into enclosed vessels, so that the operating pressure may be manipulated for each effluent independently of other operating parameters. Each of the effluent vessels is equipped with a source of pressurized gas to form a gas blanket over the effluent at a controllable pressure. Such variable pressures in each vessel, in combination with the pressure of the incoming feed stream, provide the necessary parameters to implement pressure-differential-ratio control, thereby improving the efficiency of separation.
Claims20
A liquid/solid separation unit comprising:
- a hydrocyclone;
- an enclosed overflow vessel receiving an overflow effluent from the hydrocyclone;
- an enclosed underflow vessel receiving an underflow effluent from the hydrocyclone, said enclosed overflow and underflow vessels being separate and without fluid communication therebetween;
- an overflow gas blanket over the overflow effluent in said enclosed overflow vessel;
- and
- a control system programmed to maintain a predetermined pressure differential ratio for the hydrocyclone by adjusting a pressure level of said overflow gas blanket.
In a hydrocyclone in a liquid/solid separation circuit wherein an input slurry is separated into a liquid and a solid discharged from the hydrocyclone as overflow and underflow effluents, respectively, the improvement comprising:
- an overflow vessel receiving the overflow effluent under substantially hermetic conditions;
- an underflow vessel receiving the underflow effluent under substantially hermetic conditions, said overflow and underflow vessels being separate and without fluid communication therebetween;
- a source of pressurized gas connected to said overflow vessel to form an overflow gas blanket over the overflow effluent;
- another source of pressurized gas connected to said underflow vessel to form an underflow gas blanket over the underflow effluent;
- and
- a controller adapted to maintain a predetermined pressure differential ratio for the hydrocyclone by affecting pressure levels of said underflow and overflow gas blankets.
A method for maintaining a pressure differential ratio at a predetermined level in hydrocyclone operating as a liquid/solid separation unit, the method comprising the following steps:
- connecting the hydrocyclone to an enclosed overflow vessel receiving an overflow effluent from the hydrocyclone;
- connecting the hydrocyclone to an enclosed underflow vessel receiving an underflow effluent from the hydrocyclone, said enclosed overflow and underflow vessels being separate and without fluid communication therebetween;
- providing an overflow gas blanket over the overflow effluent in said enclosed overflow vessel;
- providing an underflow gas blanket over the underflow effluent in said enclosed underflow vessel;
- and
- controlling pressure levels of said underflow and overflow gas blankets so as to maintain said predetermined pressure differential ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.