Method for resolving crude-water emulsions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017321131-A1
Application number	US-201715497505-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2017
Priority date	May 4, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electro-kinetic agglomerator for resolving crude oil and water emulsions containing charged particles by the application of a direct current voltage potential. The electro-kinetic agglomerator comprises a shaftless auger with a charged conductive rod positioned in the center of the shaftless auger and a charged porous drum surrounding wherein the electro-kinetic agglomerator has a DC voltage gradient such that the charged particles are attracted to the conductive rod.

First claim

1 . An electro-kinetic agglomerator for resolving crude oil and water emulsions, the emulsion containing charged particles, the electro-kinetic agglomerator comprising:
a shaftless auger with an opening along the length of the auger; a conductive rod positioned in the center of the shaftless auger, having a charge to attract the charged particles; a porous drum at least partially surrounding the auger, having a charge to repel the charged particles; and wherein the electro-kinetic agglomerator has a DC voltage gradient such that the charged particles are attracted to the conductive rod.

2 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 1 , wherein the conductive rod is positively charged.

3 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 2 , wherein the conductive rod is at least partially covered by a corrosion-resistant coating.

4 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 3 , wherein the conductive rod comprises titanium and the corrosion-resistant coating is a mixed metal coating consisting of IrO 2 and Ta 2 O 5 .

5 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 2 , wherein the conductive rod comprises at least one of titanium, a titanium alloy, conductive carbon, gold, silver or platinum.

6 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 2 , wherein the shaftless auger comprises flights having constant or varying pitches.

7 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 2 , wherein the porous drum comprises a screen tube supported by at least one mesh tube.

8 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 7 , wherein the screen tube has a nominal pore size of between 10 to 40 μm.

9 . The electro-kinetic agglomerator of claim 7 , wherein the at least one mesh tube has a mesh number of between 60 to 400.

10 . A method of resolving a crude oil and water emulsion, the emulsion containing charged particles, the method comprising:
providing a crude oil and water emulsion comprising charged particles; and contacting the emulsion with an electro-kinetic agglomerator having a DC voltage gradient to remove the charged particles from the emulsion.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the electro-kinetic agglomerator comprises:
a shaftless auger with an opening along the length of the auger; a conductive rod positioned in the center of the shaftless auger, having a charge to attract the charged particles; a porous drum at least partially surrounding the auger, having a charge to repel the charged particles; and wherein the electro-kinetic agglomerator has a DC voltage gradient such that the charged particles are attracted to the conductive rod.

12 . An electro-kinetic agglomerator for resolving crude oil and water emulsions, the emulsion containing charged particles, the electro-kinetic agglomerator comprising:
a positive electrode; a ground electrode; a crude oil and water emulsion positioned between the positive and ground electrodes; wherein the electro-kinetic agglomerator has a DC voltage gradient such that the charged particles are attracted to the positive electrode and the emulsion is in direct contact with the positive and ground electrodes.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Uppal Ashok
• Jajuee Babak A
• Elsolh Tarek A
• Mcmullan Jason M

Classifications

• B01D17/06

  Separation of liquids from each other by electricity · CPC title

• C10G33/02 Primary

  with electrical or magnetic means · CPC title

• C02F1/48

  with magnetic or electric fields (C02F1/46 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C02F1/4696

  electrophoresis · CPC title

• C02F2201/4617

  DC only · CPC title