Sand cleaning and disposal system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11819784-B2
Application number	US-201816630764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2018
Priority date	Jul 14, 2017
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A system for sand cleaning including: a cleaning unit arranged to receive oil impregnated sand; the unit including a chamber having an impeller, said impeller arranged to agitate the oil impregnated sand in a base of the unit; an aperture in the base of the unit arranged to discharge the treated sand; an oil outlet adjacent to a top of the unit arranged to discharge the separated oil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for sand cleaning, comprising:
a cleaning unit including:
a chamber having a first inlet to receive oil-impregnated sand, a second inlet to receive a separation compound that facilitates a separation process of oil from the oil-impregnated sand, a third inlet to receive inflowing water that lifts the separated oil, a first outlet to discharge the separated oil from the chamber, a second outlet to remove a separated liquid resulting from the separation process, and an aperture at a base of the chamber to discharge separated sand resulting from the separation process;
an impeller, located adjacent to the base of the chamber, to be rotated to mix the separation compound with the oil-impregnated sand; and
an oil trap, located inside the chamber and including the first outlet where the separated oil is discharged,
wherein the oil trap includes a plate in a shape of a frusto-conical weir forming a base of the oil trap, and the oil trap is arranged to trap the separated oil entering an opening at a top of the frusto-conical weir and prevent the separated oil from returning to the chamber;

a first filter connected to the first outlet; and
a second filter connected to the second outlet.

2. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a water pump, connected to the first inlet of the cleaning unit, to add fluid to the oil-impregnated sand prior to the oil-impregnated sand entering the cleaning unit.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber of the cleaning unit further includes:
a first sampling point, adjacent to the second outlet, for determining measurements of the separated liquid, and
a second sampling point, adjacent to the aperture, for determining a contaminant content of the separated sand at the aperture.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning unit further includes a heating element to elevate a temperature inside the cleaning unit.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the third inlet for receiving the inflowing water includes an eductor to introduce air or gas bubbles into the inflowing water.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the third inlet for receiving the inflowing water includes a heating unit to heat the inflowing water.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the base of the chamber of the cleaning unit is in a conical shape that includes an inclined surface, the inclined surface arranged to direct the separated sand towards the aperture.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the impeller includes a paddle that is shaped to rotate proximate to the inclined surface of the base of the chamber.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cage that encases the cleaning unit.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber is elongate and arranged vertically.

Assignees

• Petroliam Nasional Berhad Petronas

Inventors

• Che Daud Mohammad Faizal Bin
• Feroz Sultan Maung Maung Myo Thant @

Classifications

• B01D21/26 Primary

  Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force {or centripetal force}(centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C) · CPC title

• B01D17/0205

  by gas bubbles or moving solids · CPC title

• B01D21/009

  Heating or cooling mechanisms specially adapted for settling tanks · CPC title

• B01D21/2411

  having a tangential inlet · CPC title

• B01D21/2444

  Discharge mechanisms for the classified liquid · CPC title