Electrostatic coalescer for coalescing a dispersed phase from a continuous phase in an emulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433878-B2
Application number	US-201314068457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An electrostatic coalescer for coalescing of a dispersed phase from a continuous phase in an emulsion is presented. The electrostatic coalescer includes at least one inlet for receiving the emulsion; at least one outlet for discharging the emulsion after coalescing the dispersed phase; and at least one electrode disposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the electrode is configured to receive an AC voltage/current from a power source. The electrostatic coalescer further includes at least one article disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the article includes a plurality of regions disposed on a surface in a predefined pattern, wherein a portion of the plurality of regions is substantially wetting with respect to the dispersed phase, and a portion of the plurality of regions is substantially non-wetting with respect to the dispersed phase.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrostatic coalescer for coalescing of a dispersed phase from a continuous phase in an emulsion, the electrostatic coalescer comprising:
at least one inlet for receiving the emulsion;
at least one outlet for discharging the emulsion after coalescing the dispersed phase;
at least one electrode disposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the electrode is configured to receive an AC voltage/current from a power source; and
at least one article disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the article comprising a plurality of regions disposed on a surface in a predefined pattern, wherein a portion of the plurality of regions is substantially wetting with respect to the dispersed phase, a portion of the plurality of regions is substantially non-wetting with respect to the dispersed phase and the pattern comprises a plurality of inter-connected regions that are substantially wetting or non-wetting with respect to the dispersed phase.

2. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inter-connected regions define at least one flow path for the continuous phase.

3. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the pattern defines at least one flow path for a coalesced dispersed phase to drain from the surface.

4. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the pattern further comprises a plurality of disconnected regions that are substantially wetting with respect to the dispersed phase.

5. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions comprise hydrophobic regions.

6. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 5 , wherein the hydrophobic regions comprise a fluorocarbon.

7. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions comprise superhydrophobic regions.

8. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions comprise textured hydrophilic regions.

9. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of regions comprise textured superhydrophilic regions.

10. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 9 , wherein the textured superhydrophilic regions comprise a ceramic.

11. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the article is further configured to function as an electrode.

12. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a substantially planar surface.

13. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the dispersed phase comprises an organic phase and the continuous phase comprises an aqueous phase.

14. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the dispersed phase comprises an aqueous phase and the continuous phase comprises an organic phase.

15. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of electrodes and the article.

16. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 15 , further comprising the power source configured to supply the AC voltage/current to the plurality of electrodes.

17. The electrostatic coalescer of claim 1 , wherein the coalescer is configured in-line of an emulsion fluid flow.

18. An electrostatic coalescer for coalescing of a dispersed phase from a continuous phase in an emulsion, the electrostatic coalescer comprising:
at least one inlet for receiving the emulsion;
at least one outlet for discharging the emulsion after coalescing the dispersed phase;
a plurality of electrodes disposed between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the plurality of electrodes is configured to receive an AC voltage/current from a power source,
wherein at least one electrode in the plurality of electrodes comprises a plurality of regions disposed on a surface in a predefined pattern, wherein a portion of the plurality of regions is substantially wetting with respect to the dispersed phase, and a portion of the plurality of regions is substantially non-wetting with respect to the dispersed phase.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Sivaramakrishnan Shyam
• Lusted Roderick Mark

Classifications

• C10G2300/1033

  Oil well production fluids · CPC title

• B03C11/00

  Separation by high-voltage electrical fields, not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• B01D17/045

  with coalescers · CPC title

• C10G2300/4037

  In-situ processes · CPC title

• B03C2201/02

  Electrostatic separation of liquids from liquids · CPC title