Reverse osmosis system for use with a wellbore and methods of assembling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828605-B2
Application number	US-201515125294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2015
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A reverse osmosis unit for processing a feed solution is provided. The unit includes a pressure vessel includes an inlet end, an outlet end, and a vessel body extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The reverse osmosis unit further includes a plurality of first membrane modules positioned within the pressure vessel. Each first membrane module of the plurality of first membrane modules has a first salt permeance value. At least one second membrane module is positioned within the pressure vessel and coupled in flow communication to the plurality of first membrane modules. The at least one second membrane module has a second salt permeance value that is different from the first salt permeance value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of recovering a hydrocarbon fluid from a formation reservoir, said method comprising:
discharging a feed solution into a pressure vessel comprising an inlet end, an outlet end, and comprising a plurality of membrane modules including one or more first membrane modules and one or more second membrane modules coupled in series between the inlet end and the outlet end;
discharging the feed solution into the one or more first membrane modules comprising a first salt permeance value and configured to desalinate the feed solution into a first permeate and a first concentrate; and
discharging the first concentrate into the one or more second membrane modules comprising a second salt permeance value that is greater than the first salt permeance value by a difference of at least about 0.4×10 −5 cm/sec. and configured to desalinate the first concentrate into a second permeate and a second concentrate, wherein a collective permeate of the plurality of membrane modules has a salinity of at least about 500 parts per million;
controllably discharging at least a portion of the collective permeate having the salinity of at least about 500 parts per million into the formation reservoir; and
forcing the hydrocarbon fluid from the formation reservoir under pressure of the collective permeate and into a well casing.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising discharging the second concentrate into one or more third membrane modules of the plurality of membrane modules comprising a third permeance value which is greater than the first salt permeance value and the second salt permeance value.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein controllably discharging the collective permeate having the salinity of at least about 500 parts per million comprises discharging the collective permeate at least one of an adjustable flow rate and an adjustable pressure rate.

Assignees

• Bl Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Wang Hua
• Kommepalli Hareesh Kumar Reddy
• Shapiro Andrew Philip

Classifications

• B01D61/029

  Multistep processes comprising different kinds of membrane processes selected from reverse osmosis, hyperfiltration or nanofiltration · CPC title

• B01D61/08

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B01D2317/02

  Elements in series · CPC title

• C02F2209/005

  Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC] · CPC title

• C02F1/441

  by reverse osmosis · CPC title