Sludge management system for crude oil storage tanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016263633-A1
Application number	US-201615066925-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A crude oil storage tank includes a bottom wall, a peripheral wall and a top wall that collectively define a storage volume. A first nozzle is arranged at the peripheral wall. The first nozzle is configured to selectively rotate between a first position and a second position to direct a first stream of fluid into the storage volume. A second nozzle is arranged at the peripheral wall. The second nozzle is configured to selectively rotate between a first position and a second position to direct a second stream of fluid into the storage volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A crude oil storage tank comprising:
a bottom wall, a peripheral wall and a top wall that collectively define a storage volume; a first nozzle arranged at the peripheral wall, the first nozzle being configured to selectively rotate between a first position and a second position to direct a first stream of fluid into the storage volume; and a second nozzle arranged at the peripheral wall, the second nozzle being configured to selectively rotate between a first position and a second position to direct a second stream of fluid into the storage volume.

2 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first position of the first nozzle is about 60° relative to a tangent of the storage tank and the second position of the second nozzle is about 75° relative to a tangent of the storage tank.

3 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first position of the second nozzle is about 75° relative to a tangent of the storage tank and the second position of the first nozzle is about 60° relative to a tangent of the storage tank.

4 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 , wherein the first nozzle is configured direct the first stream of fluid from the first position when the second nozzle directs the second stream of fluid from the first position.

5 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second nozzles is configured to direct a stream of fluid along a radius of the storage tank for a selected period.

6 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 5 , wherein the first nozzle is configured to direct the first stream of fluid along the radius of the storage tank for a first selected period and the second nozzle is configured to direct the second stream of fluid along the radius of the storage tank for a second selected period.

7 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second nozzles are configured to direct a corresponding first and second steam of fluid along the radius of the storage tank substantially simultaneously.

8 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first nozzle is spaced about 120° from the second nozzle along the peripheral wall.

9 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second nozzles includes an outlet of about 4-inches (10.16-cm).

10 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second streams of fluid includes a velocity of about 15 m/s up to a velocity of about 27.4 m/s.

11 . The crude oil storage tank according to claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second streams of fluid includes a velocity of about 15 m/s up to a velocity of about 27.4 m/s.

12 . A method of reducing sludge deposition in a crude oil storage tank comprising:
directing a first stream of fluid into a storage volume of the crude oil storage tank at a first angle; and directing a second stream of fluid into the storage volume at a second angle, the first and second streams of fluid inducing a rotational flow of fluidized sludge in the crude oil storage tank.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising: rotating the first nozzle between a first position and a second position.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein rotating the first nozzle between a first position and a second position includes rotating the first nozzle between an angle of about 60° relative to a tangent of the storage tank and an angle of about 75° relative to a tangent of the storage tank.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising: rotating the second nozzle between a first position and a second position.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the second nozzle between a first position and a second position includes rotating the second nozzle between an angle of about 75° relative to a tangent of the storage tank and an angle of about 60° relative to a tangent of the storage tank.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising: directing at least one of the first and second streams of fluid along a radius of the storage tank for a selected period of time.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein directing the at least one of the first and second nozzles along the radius includes substantially simultaneously directing each of the first and second streams of fluid along the radius of the storage tank.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein directing the first and second streams of fluid into the storage volume includes introducing at least one of the first and second streams of fluid into the storage volume at a velocity of about 15 m/s up to a velocity of about 27.4 m/s.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein introducing at least one of the first and second streams of fluid into the storage volume at a velocity of at least about 15 m/s up to a velocity of about 27.4 m/s includes introducing each of the first and second streams of fluid into the storage volume at a velocity of at least about 15 m/s up to a velocity of about 27.4 m/s.

Assignees

• Conocophillips Co

Inventors

• Das Sandipan Kumar
• Thomas Sally Ann

Classifications

• B08B9/0933 Primary

  Removing sludge or the like from tank bottoms · CPC title

• B08B9/0936

  using rotating jets · CPC title