Flotation performance enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021237100-A1
Application number	US-202117239924-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Aug 5, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Flotation separation apparatus and methods are described herein, comprising a vessel having a plurality of flow guides oriented vertically in the vessel, a liquid inlet at a lower part of the vessel, a gas inlet at the lower part of the vessel, a first liquid outlet at an upper part of the vessel, a second liquid outlet at the lower part of the vessel, and a gas outlet at the upper part of the vessel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A separator vessel, comprising:
a plurality of flow guides oriented vertically in the vessel; a fluid inlet at a lower part of the vessel; a gas inlet at the lower part of the vessel; a first fluid outlet at an upper part of the vessel; a second fluid outlet at the lower part of the vessel; and a gas outlet at the upper part of the vessel.

2 . The separator vessel of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the flow guides are curved.

3 . The separator vessel of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the flow guides are corrugated.

4 . The separator vessel of claim 1 , wherein the liquid inlet includes a flow distributor.

5 . The separator vessel of claim 1 , wherein the gas inlet includes a sparger.

6 . The separator vessel of claim 5 , wherein the gas inlet includes a sparger for each adjacent pair of plates.

7 . The separator vessel of claim 6 , wherein each plate has a lower edge and each sparger is oriented parallel to the lower edge of one plate.

8 . The separator vessel of claim 7 , wherein the fluid inlet includes one flow distributor for each sparger.

9 . The separator vessel of claim 1 , wherein the separator vessel separates solids from liquids.

10 . A method of separating phases of a separable liquids mixture, the method comprising:
flowing a separable liquids mixture between vertically oriented flow guides in a vessel; bubbling a gas through the separable liquids mixture between the vertically oriented flow guides; removing a first separated liquid phase and a second separated liquid phase from the vessel; and removing the gas from the vessel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the flow guides is corrugated.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a quiescent zone above the vertically oriented flow guides.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first separated liquid phase is removed from the quiescent zone.

14 . The method of claim 10 further comprising exposing the separable liquids mixture to ultraviolet (UV) light between the plates.

15 . The method of claim 10 further comprising exposing the separable liquids mixture to an electric field between the plates.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the separable liquids mixture contains solids, and the solids are removed with the second separated liquid phase.

17 . A method of separating liquid phases of a separable liquids mixture, the method comprising:
flowing a separable liquids mixture between one or more vertically oriented flow guides in a vessel; bubbling a gas through the separable liquids mixture through the one or more vertically oriented flow guides; providing a quiescent zone above the vertically oriented flow guides; removing a first separated liquid phase from the quiescent zone; removing a second separated liquid phase from the vessel; and removing the gas from the vessel.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a flow guide of the one or more flow guides is curved.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a flow guide of the one or more flow guides is corrugated.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the separable liquids mixture includes solids, and the solids are removed with the second separated liquid phase.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Caires-Fernandez Luis Eduardo
• Shannon Daniel E

Classifications

• B03D1/1443

  Feed or discharge mechanisms for flotation tanks · CPC title

• B03D1/145

  Feed mechanisms for reagents (devices for feeding measured quantities of reagents B01J4/02) · CPC title

• B03D1/1412 Primary

  with baffles, e.g. at the wall for redirecting settling solids · CPC title

• B03D1/1481 Primary

  with a plurality of parallel plates · CPC title

• B03D2203/006

  Oil well fluids, oil sands, bitumen · CPC title