Coalescencer separator for a mixture of immiscible phases with different specific density

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289700-B2
Application number	US-201113976330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2011
Priority date	Dec 29, 2010
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus ( 1 ) for the coalescence-separation of a mixture comprising two fluid phases mutually immiscible other and with a different specific density, characterized in that it comprises a tubular body ( 2 ) closed at opposite ends, of which, considering the apparatus in the configuration of use, one is higher than the other, at least one inlet mouth ( 5 ) of the mixture to be separated which is defined on the side surface of the tubular body ( 2 ), at least one outlet mouth ( 6 ) of the fluid phase with a lower specific density separated from the mixture which is defined close to the end of the tubular body at an upper height, at least one outlet mouth ( 7 ) of the fluid phase with a greater specific density separated from the mixture which is defined close to the end of the tubular body at a lower height and at least a set of coalescence plates ( 8 ) which is housed inside said tubular body ( 2 ), wherein each of the coalescence plates ( 8 ) has a flow plate ( 9 ) of the mixture which is tilted by an angle a with respect to a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (A) of the tubular body ( 2 ) and which has a lower edge ( 92 ) facing the end of the tubular body ( 2 ) at a lower height and in fluid communication with a distribution channel ( 11 ) of the mixture to be separated, which is defined inside the tubular body ( 2 ) and is in fluid communication with the inlet mouth ( 5 ), and an upper edge ( 93 ) facing the end of the tubular body ( 2 ) at an upper height and in fluid communication with an outflow channel ( 12 ) of at least the fluid phase with a greater specific density, which is defined in the tubular body ( 2 ) and is in fluid communication with at least the outlet mouth ( 7 ) of said fluid phase with a greater specific density, and wherein the coalescence plates ( 8 ) are mutually arranged parallel and on top of each other at a defined reciprocal distance, pairs of coalescence plates ( 8 ) mutually adjacent forming a respective flow and separation channel ( 10 ) of the mixture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for the coalescence-separation of a mixture comprising two fluid phases mutually at least partially immiscible and with a different specific density, comprising:
a tubular body closed at opposite ends, of which, considering the apparatus in the configuration of use, one is higher than the other,
at least one inlet mouth of the mixture to be separated which is defined on the side surface of said tubular body, at least one outlet mouth of the fluid phase with a lower specific density separated from said mixture which is defined close to the end of said tubular body at an upper height, at least one outlet mouth of the fluid phase with a greater specific density separated from said mixture which is defined close to the end of said tubular body at a lower height and
at least one set of coalescence plates which is housed inside said tubular body with said coalescence plates arranged mutually parallel and one upon the other at a defined distance forming a respective flow and separation channel of said mixture,
wherein each of said coalescence plates has a flow plate of said mixture which is tilted by an angle α with respect to a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (A) of said tubular body and which has a lower edge facing the end of said tubular body at a lower height and in fluid communication with a distribution channel of the mixture to be separated, which is defined inside said tubular body and is in fluid communication with said at least one inlet mouth, and an upper edge facing the end of said tubular body at an upper height and in fluid communication with an outflow channel of the fluid phase with a greater specific density, which is defined in said tubular body and is in fluid communication with at least said outlet mouth of said fluid phase with a greater specific density,
above said set of coalescence plates, being defined an accumulation compartment of the fluid phase with a lower density in fluid communication with said respective outlet mouth, and wherein
the upper edge of each of said coalescence plates extends into a lip tilted with respect to said flow plate defining a groove with a concavity facing the end of said tubular body at a lower height, for the accumulation of the fluid phase with a lower density and for favouring the outflow of said fluid phase with a greater density, a plurality of through holes being defined close to the transition area between said lip and said plate of each of said coalescence plates, for the separation of the fluid phase with a lower specific density from the mixture flowing in the flow channel defined between each of said coalescence plates and the coalescence plate immediately below it and its passage in the flow channel defined between said coalescence plate and the coalescence plate immediately above it.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an angle β of 90° is defined between said lip and said flow plate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of said coalescence plates has a truncated-conical form internally hollow and open in correspondence with the larger base and smaller base.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each of said coalescence plates is positioned inside said tubular body with the larger base facing said end of the tubular body at a lower height and the smaller base facing said end of the tubular body at an upper height, said flow plate being defined by the side surface of said truncated-cone and said upper edge and lower edge being defined by the edge of said smaller base and the edge of said larger base respectively.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said coalescence plates are positioned substantially coaxially with respect to said tubular body with the lower edge at a distance from the internal side surface of said tubular body, the space delimited by the upper edges of said coalescence plates defining said outflow channel and the annular space delimited by the internal side surface of said tubular body and the lower edge of said coalescence plates defining said distribution channel.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising an outflow duct which is positioned inside said outflow channel coaxially with respect to said tubular body and that it is open at opposite ends, of which one end faces the end of said tubular body at an upper height and is in fluid communication with said outlet mouth of the fluid phase with a lower specific density and the other end faces the end of said tubular body at a lower height and is in fluid communication with said outlet mouth of the fluid phase with a greater specific density, wherein at least one upper hole is defined close to said end of the outflow duct facing the end of said tubular body at an upper height, which puts said accumulation compartment in fluid communication with the interior of said outflow duct and wherein at least one lower hole is defined close to said end of the outflow duct facing the end of said tubular body at a lower height, which puts said outlet channel in fluid communication with the interior of said outflow duct.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of said coalescences plates has a flow plate with a substantially planar form.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between two subsequent coalescence plates ranges from 2 mm to 5 mm.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a containment tank in whose interior there is a chamber in which at least one of said tubular bodies is housed, wherein the at least one inlet mouth of said tubular body is in fluid communication with said chamber and wherein said tank comprises at least one inlet opening into said chamber of the mixture to be separated which, under conditions of use, is positioned at a lower height with respect to the outlet mouth of said tubular body of the fluid phase with a lower specific density, at least a first discharge opening which is in fluid communication with the outlet mouth of said tubular body of the fluid phase with a greater specific density separated from said mixture and at least a second discharge opening of the fluid phase with a lower specific density which is in fluid communication with said chamber, and which is positioned at an upper height with respect to said inlet opening, the outlet mouth of said tubular body of said fluid phase with a lower specific density resulting in said chamber.

10. An apparatus for the coalescence-separation of a mixture comprising two fluid phases mutually at least partially immiscible and with a different specific density, comprising:
a tubular body closed at opposite ends, of which, considering the apparatus in the configuration of use, one is higher than the other,
at least one inlet mouth of the mixture to be separated which is defined on the side surface of said tubular body, at least one outlet mouth of the fluid phase with a lower specific density separated from said mixture which is defined close to the end of said tubular body at an upper height, at least one outlet mouth of the fluid phase with a greater specific density separated from said mixture which is defined close to the end of said tubular body at a lower height and
at least one set of coalescence plates which is housed inside said tubular body with said coalescence plates mutually arranged parallel and one upon the other at a defined distance forming a respective flow and separation channel of said mixture,
wherein each of said coalescence plates has a flow plate of said mixture which is tilted by an angle α with respect to a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (A) of said tubular body and which has a lower edge facing the end of said tubular body at a lower

Assignees

• Andreussi Paolo
• Direnzo Domenico Antonio
• Eni Spa

Inventors

• Andreussi Paolo
• Direnzo Domenico Antonio

Classifications

• B01D17/045 Primary

  with coalescers · CPC title

• B01D17/0211

  with baffles · CPC title

• C10G33/06

  with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration · CPC title

• E21B43/385

  by reinjecting the separated materials into an earth formation in the same well · CPC title