Interface and mud control system and method for refinery desalters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751027-B2
Application number	US-201615047361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A method and system for controlling an interface emulsion layer within an oil treatment vessel includes injecting a water flow through a plurality of radial eductors arranged about a radial eductor manifold located in the brine water layer. Each radial eductor is oriented vertically to the radial eductor manifold and the horizontal axis of the oil treatment vessel. The water flow through the plurality of radial eductors causes a swirling flow pattern in a volume of water around each radial eductor that is effective for promoting a collapse of the interface emulsion layer. The water flow through each radial eductor, which may be a recycled water flow, may be in a range of about 1 to 5 feet per minute.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an interface emulsion layer within an oil treatment vessel, the method comprising:
injecting a water flow from a brine water layer of the oil treatment vessel through a plurality of radial eductors arranged about a radial eductor manifold oriented in a horizontal plane and located in the brine water layer;
wherein the water flow causes a swirling flow pattern of a volume of water in the brine water layer around each radial eductor, the swirling flow pattern agitating a lower surface of the interface emulsion layer residing above the brine water layer.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising of recycling a volume of water from the oil treatment vessel, wherein the water flow includes the recycled water.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising of adjusting a water flow rate in response to a level of the interface emulsion layer.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said adjusting causes the interface emulsion layer to destabilize.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the water flow through each radial eductor is in a range of 1 to 5 feet per minute.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the radial eductor manifold is located in a horizontal plane situated in an upper two-thirds portion of the volume of water.

7. A system for controlling an interface emulsion layer forming within an oil treatment vessel, the system comprising:
a radial eductor manifold including a plurality of radial eductors and being located in a brine water layer residing within the oil treatment vessel;
means for recycling a volume of the brine water layer to the radial eductor manifold;
each radial eductor being oriented perpendicular to a center line of said radial eductor manifold and comprising an outer eductor shell and a tubular eductor stem with a plurality of tangential exit slots.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein water flowing through the radial eductors creates a swirling flow pattern to agitate a lower surface of an interface emulsion layer residing between the brine water layer and an oil layer.

9. A system according to claim 7 wherein the means for recycling a volume of the brine water layer to the radial eductor manifold comprises a recirculating pump and recycle piping.

10. A system according to claim 7 wherein a water velocity through each radial eductor is in a range of 1 to 5 feet per minute.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Khan Rafiqul
• Lee Joseph Min-Hsiun
• Sams Gary W

Classifications

• B01J4/004

  Sparger-type elements · CPC title

• B01J2219/182

  horizontal · CPC title

• B01D21/2472

  Means for fluidising the sediments, e.g. by jets or mechanical agitators · CPC title

• C10G2300/4081

  Recycling aspects · CPC title

• B01D17/0214

  with removal of one of the phases · CPC title