Thermal desorption of oily solids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11219842-B2
Application number	US-202016741093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2020
Priority date	May 23, 2019
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems involving thermal desorption of an oily slurry are provided. In some embodiments, such systems include a desorption vessel including an inner chamber; a heating unit disposed adjacent to the desorption vessel configured to heat a slurry including solids and oil disposed in the inner chamber of the desorption vessel; and a plurality of vapor outlets in fluid communication with the inner chamber of the desorption vessel, wherein each vapor outlet is in fluid communication with a condenser or an eductor for condensing vapors generated by heating the slurry.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a desorption vessel comprising an inner chamber;
a heater disposed configured to heat a slurry comprising solids and oil disposed in the inner chamber of the desorption vessel; and
a plurality of vapor outlets in fluid communication with the inner chamber of the desorption vessel, wherein each of the vapor outlets is in fluid communication with a corresponding one of a plurality of eductors for condensing vapors generated by heating the slurry,
wherein each of the eductors fully condenses vapors received through the corresponding one of the vapor outlets; and

a flow path coupled to outlets of each of the plurality of eductors, wherein the flow path combines the vapors from each of the plurality of eductors after the vapors are fully condensed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the desorption vessel comprises a conveyor capable of feeding the slurry through the desorption vessel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the slurry comprises solids, oil, and water.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the desorption vessel is configured to operate at a negative pressure.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of vapor outlets are spaced apart along a length of the desorption vessel.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of vapor outlets may be selectively switched between open to flow toward the corresponding eductor through the vapor outlet and closed to flow toward the corresponding eductor through the vapor outlet by one or more outlet valves.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a motive fluid header coupled to each of the eductors, wherein the motive fluid header passes motive fluid therefrom to each of the eductors, wherein the motive fluid applies a negative pressure to each of the vapor outlets.

8. A system comprising:
a desorption vessel comprising an inner chamber;
a heater configured to heat a slurry comprising solids and oil disposed in the inner chamber of the desorption vessel;
a plurality of vapor outlets in fluid communication with the inner chamber of the desorption vessel; and
a plurality of eductors configured to condense vapors from the plurality of vapor outlets, wherein each vapor outlet is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of eductors,
wherein each of the eductors fully condenses vapors received through the corresponding one of the vapor outlets;
one or more cyclones configured to remove particles from the vapors, wherein each of the one or more cyclones is connected to one of the plurality of vapor outlets; and
a flow path coupled to outlets of each of the plurality of eductors, wherein the flow path combines the vapors from each of the plurality of eductors after the vapors are fully condensed.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the desorption vessel comprises a conveyor capable of feeding the slurry through the desorption vessel.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the slurry comprises solids, oil, and water.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the desorption vessel is configured to operate at a negative pressure generated by the plurality of eductors.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of vapor outlets are spaced apart along a length of the desorption vessel.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the plurality of vapor outlets may be selectively opened or closed to flow toward the corresponding eductor through the vapor outlet by one or more outlet valves.

14. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a motive fluid header coupled to each of the eductors, wherein the motive fluid header passes motive fluid therefrom to each of the eductors, wherein the motive fluid applies a negative pressure to each of the vapor outlets.

15. A method comprising:
heating, via a heater, a slurry comprising oil and solids disposed in an inner chamber of a desorption vessel to convert at least a portion of the oil in the slurry to oil vapor;
removing at least a first portion of the oil vapor from the desorption vessel at a first oil vapor outlet in fluid communication with the inner chamber of the desorption vessel;
fully condensing the first portion of the oil vapor via a first eductor in fluid communication with the first oil vapor outlet;
removing at least a second portion of the oil vapor from the desorption vessel at a second oil vapor outlet in fluid communication with the inner chamber of the desorption vessel;
fully condensing the second portion of the oil vapor via a second eductor in fluid communication with the second oil vapor outlet;
discharging the first portion of the oil vapor and the second portion of the oil vapor through a flow path coupled to an outlet of each of the first eductor and the second eductor, wherein the flow path combines the first portion of the oil vapor and the second portion of the oil vapor after the first portion of the oil vapor and the second portion of the oil vapor are fully condensed.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising selecting a position of at least one of the first oil vapor outlet and the second oil vapor outlet based, at least in part, on a composition of the slurry.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising opening or closing one or more of the vapor outlets using one or more outlet valves based, at least in part, on the selection of the position of the first oil vapor outlet and the second vapor outlet.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the slurry further comprises an aqueous fluid and the method further comprises allowing at least a portion of the aqueous fluid to convert to aqueous vapor in response to the heating.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein removing the first portion and second portion of the oil vapor comprises applying a negative pressure to the desorption vessel using the first eductor and the second eductor.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Kapila Mukesh

Classifications

• B01D1/223

  containing a rotor · CPC title

• E21B21/066 Primary

  with further treatment of the solids, e.g. for disposal · CPC title

• C10B47/44

  with conveyor-screws · CPC title

• B01D5/0069

  with degasification or deaeration · CPC title

• B01D3/105

  with the use of an ejector for creating the vacuum, the ejector being placed between evaporator or distillation devices · CPC title