Electrostatic separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870592-B2
Application number	US-201615156321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	May 15, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

An electrostatic separator including a separator vessel having an oil collection portion at its upper end, a water collection portion at its lower end, at least one electrode generating an electric field, and an inlet through which an emulsion mixture enters the separator vessel before exposure to the electric field in the upper part of the vessel, wherein the separator vessel further comprises at least one routing blade located proximate to the at least one electrode to route coalesced water droplets downwardly and away from the electric field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrostatic separator comprising:
a separator vessel;
an oil collection portion at an upper end of the separator vessel;
a water collection portion at a lower end of the separator vessel;
at least one electrode in the separator vessel generating an electric field;
an inlet through which an oil-water mixture enters the separator vessel before exposure to the electric field; and
at least one routing blade comprising a pair of angled planar surfaces each extending from a terminal lower end thereof to an upper end thereof, wherein the upper ends of the angled planar surfaces form an apex that defines an upper end of the at least one routing blade, and the terminal lower ends of the angled planar surfaces define a terminal lower end of the at least one routing blade;
wherein the at least one electrode extends through a channel formed by the at least one routing blade to route coalesced water droplets downwardly and away from the electric field.

2. The electrostatic separator of claim 1 , wherein the at least one routing blade is a plurality of routing blades.

3. The electrostatic separator of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of routing blades are side by side or stacked upon each other.

4. The electrostatic separator of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of routing blades are separated by slots.

5. An electrostatic separator vessel comprising:
an oil and water mixture inlet;
a first fluid outlet;
a second fluid outlet positioned at an upper end of the electrostatic separator vessel, wherein the second fluid outlet comprises an oil outlet for oil of an oil and water mixture received by the oil and water mixture inlet;
a plurality of routing blades forming channels, wherein at least one routing blade of the plurality of routing blades comprises a pair of angled planar surfaces each extending from a terminal lower end thereof to an upper end thereof, wherein the upper ends of the angled planar surfaces form an apex that defines an upper end of the at least one routing blade, and the terminal lower ends of the angled planar surfaces define a terminal lower end of the at least one routing blade;
a plurality of electrodes disposed in the channels to generate an electric field, wherein the separator vessel comprises a longitudinal axis extending between a first end of the separator vessel and a second end of the separator vessel opposite the first end, and wherein the plurality of electrodes are positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet; and
wherein the plurality of routing blades are separated by slots to redirect water coalesced by the electric field from the channels.

6. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 5 , wherein the coalesced water is redirected downward through the routing blades from the channels.

7. The electrostatic separator of claim 5 further comprising a first flow path of the oil and water mixture toward the routing blades, a second flow path of the oil from the routing blades to the second fluid outlet, and a third flow path of coalesced water from the slots in the routing blades to the first fluid outlet.

8. An electrostatic separator vessel comprising:
an oil and water mixture inlet;
an oil collection portion at an upper end of the separator vessel;
a water collection portion at a lower end of the separator vessel;
a first fluid outlet;
a second fluid outlet positioned at an upper end of the electrostatic separator vessel;
a plurality of routing blades forming channels, wherein at least one routing blade of the plurality of routing blades comprises a pair of angled planar surfaces each extending from a terminal lower end thereof to an upper end thereof, wherein the upper ends of the angled planar surfaces form an apex that defines an upper end of the at least one routing blade, and the terminal lower ends of the angled planar surfaces define a terminal lower end of the at least one routing blade;
a plurality of electrodes disposed in the channels to generate an electric field, wherein the separator vessel comprises a longitudinal axis extending between a first end of the separator vessel and a second end of the separator vessel opposite the first end, and wherein the plurality of electrodes are positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet; and
wherein the plurality of routing blades are separated by slots to redirect water coalesced by the electric field from the channels.

9. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 8 , wherein the coalesced water is redirected downward through the routing blades from the channels.

10. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 8 , further comprising a first flow path of the oil and water mixture toward the routing blades, a second flow path of oil from the routing blades to the second fluid outlet, and a third flow path of coalesced water from the slots in the routing blades to the first fluid outlet.

11. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 5 , wherein the first fluid outlet is positioned at the first end of the separator vessel and the second fluid outlet is positioned at the second end of the separator vessel.

12. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 5 , wherein the oil and water mixture inlet is positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet.

13. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 8 , wherein the first fluid outlet is positioned at the first end of the separator vessel and the second fluid outlet is positioned at the second end of the separator vessel.

14. The electrostatic separator vessel of claim 13 , wherein the oil and water mixture inlet is positioned axially between the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet.

Assignees

• Onesubsea Ip Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Hench Andrew Jeremiah
• Byeseda John Joseph

Classifications

• B01D17/06 Primary

  Separation of liquids from each other by electricity · CPC title

• C02F2101/32

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil · CPC title

• C02F1/463

  by electrocoagulation · CPC title

• C02F1/40

  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) · CPC title

• B03C2201/02

  Electrostatic separation of liquids from liquids · CPC title