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US 8,852,393 B2Granted
Submerged combustion heating water evaporation for natural gas wells
AssigneeInproheat Industries Ltd.
InventorsEric Leopold Panz, Steven Eric Panz, Wesley Young, Roger P. Boulter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for evaporating waste water having dissolved solids therein comprising a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water, a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, the submerged combustion chamber having a plurality of vertical slots defined therein near a bottom thereof which span a substantial portion of a height of the submerged combustion chamber, a blower connected to provide air under positive pressure to the burner, and, a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank.
Claims35
A method for evaporating waste water from a natural gas well having dissolved solids therein, the method comprising:
- providing a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water, a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, and a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank, wherein the burner produces a flame in an upper portion of the combustion chamber and wherein the combustion chamber has a plurality of vertical slots defined therein in a lower portion of the combustion chamber between the flame and a bottom end of the combustion chamber;
- providing the burner with air under positive pressure and natural gas from the natural gas well;
- and,
- burning the natural gas with the burner to generate hot combustion gasses under positive pressure within the submerged combustion chamber such that a liquid level within the submerged combustion chamber is lower than a liquid level within the holding tank and the hot combustion gasses exit the submerged combustion chamber through the slots and bubble upwardly through liquid in the holding tank, wherein at least some of the slots are vertically spaced such that different slots are exposed to vent the combustion gases from the combustion chamber as the level of liquid in the combustion chamber varies during evaporating of the waste water.
1 more element
Apparatus for evaporating waste water having dissolved solids therein, the apparatus comprising:
- a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water;
- a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, wherein the burner produces a flame in an upper portion of the combustion chamber, and wherein the combustion chamber has a plurality of vertical slots defined therein in a lower portion of the combustion chamber between the flame and a bottom end of the combustion chamber;
- a blower connected to provide air under positive pressure to the burner;
- and,
- a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank
- wherein at least some of the slots are located at spaced vertical positions in the lower portion of the combustion chamber such that the slots exposed to vent combustion gases from the combustion chamber change as the level of liquid in the combustion chamber varies during operation of the apparatus.
3 more elements
A method for evaporating waste water from a natural gas well having dissolved solids therein, the method comprising:
- providing a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water, a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, and a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank, wherein the burner produces a flame in an upper portion of the combustion chamber and wherein the combustion chamber has a plurality of vertical slots defined therein in a lower portion of the combustion chamber between the flame and a bottom end of the combustion chamber;
- providing the burner with air under positive pressure and natural gas from the natural gas well;
- burning the natural gas with the burner to generate hot combustion gasses under positive pressure within the submerged combustion chamber such that a liquid level within the submerged combustion chamber is lower than a liquid level within the holding tank and the hot combustion gasses exit the submerged combustion chamber through the slots and bubble upwardly through liquid in the holding tank;
- and
- providing an inner tank disposed between the submerged combustion chamber and the holding tank, the inner tank having an open bottom below the combustion chamber, a conical portion near the open bottom, and an extended side portion outside of the conical portion, whereby a reduced turbulence region is defined between the extended side portion and the conical portion.
2 more elements
Apparatus for evaporating waste water having dissolved solids therein, the apparatus comprising:
- a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water;
- a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, wherein the burner produces a flame in an upper portion of the combustion chamber, and wherein the combustion chamber has a plurality of vertical slots defined therein in a lower portion of the combustion chamber between the flame and a bottom end of the combustion chamber;
- a blower connected to provide air under positive pressure to the burner;
- and, a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank, wherein the inner tank has an extended side portion outside of the conical portion, and wherein a reduced turbulence region is defined between the extended side portion and the conical portion.
1 more element
A method for evaporating waste water from a natural gas well having dissolved solids therein, the method comprising:
- providing a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water, a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, and a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank, wherein the burner produces a flame in an upper portion of the combustion chamber and wherein the combustion chamber has a plurality of vertical slots defined therein in a lower portion of the combustion chamber between the flame and a bottom end of the combustion chamber;
- providing the burner with air under positive pressure from a positive displacement blower and natural gas from the natural gas well;
- and
- burning the natural gas with the burner to generate hot combustion gasses under positive pressure within the submerged combustion chamber such that a liquid level within the submerged combustion chamber is lower than a liquid level within the holding tank and the hot combustion gasses exit the submerged combustion chamber through the slots and bubble upwardly through liquid in the holding tank, wherein the level of liquid in the combustion chamber varies during evaporating of the waste water depending upon the effective gas exit area of the slots.
1 more element
Apparatus for evaporating waste water having dissolved solids therein, the apparatus comprising:
- a holding tank having an inlet for receiving waste water;
- a submerged combustion chamber with burner suspended within the holding tank, wherein the burner produces a flame in an upper portion of the combustion chamber, and wherein the combustion chamber has a plurality of vertical slots defined therein in a lower portion of the combustion chamber between the flame and a bottom end of the combustion chamber;
- a positive displacement blower connected to provide air under positive pressure to the burner;
- and
- a vent stack coupled to an upper portion of the holding tank for allowing water vapor to exit the holding tank,
- wherein the level of liquid in the combustion chamber varies during evaporating of the waste water depending upon the effective gas exit area of the slots.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.