Crude oil storage tank with electrostatic internals to dehydrate crude oil within a process train of a floating production storage and offloading installation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914073-B2
Application number	US-201514977880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A process train for a floating production storage and offloading installation includes a crude oil storage tank that is equipped with at least one set of electrostatic internals arranged to provide a treatment flow path isolated from a surrounding volume of the electrostatic separator section of the tank. An oil-and-water stream or mixture entering the set of electrostatic internals travels along the treatment flow path and is subjected to an electric field. The treatment flow path is in an upwardly direction toward the oil outlet section and in a downwardly opposite direction toward the water outlet section of the tank. Employing electrostatic internals within the tank permits an allowable inlet water content into the tank of up to 80%, significantly reducing the required topside processing equipment.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A crude oil storage tank comprising:
an electrostatic separator section including at least one set of electrostatic internals arranged to provide a treatment flow path oblique to a longitudinal centerline of the crude oil storage tank,
the set of electrostatic internals housed in a first leg and a second leg and arranged for communication with an oil-and-water inlet section of the crude oil storage tank, a water outlet section of the crude oil storage tank, and an oil outlet section of the crude oil storage tank;
wherein the first leg has an inlet connected to an outlet of the oil-and-water inlet section; and
wherein an oil-and-water stream entering the set of electrostatic internals travels along the treatment flow path and is subjected to an electric field.

2. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 further comprising the treatment flow path being in an upwardly direction toward the oil outlet section and in a downwardly opposite direction toward the water outlet section.

3. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 further comprising the first leg and the second leg being cylindrical in shape and elongated.

4. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising the first leg including a closed top end and an open bottom end.

5. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 4 further comprising the open bottom end being located in the water outlet section of the crude oil storage tank.

6. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 further comprising the inlet being located toward a bottom end of the first leg.

7. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising the second leg including an open bottom end.

8. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 7 further comprising the open bottom end being located in the water outlet section of the crude oil storage tank.

9. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising the second leg having an open top end.

10. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising an outlet of the first leg being an inlet to the second leg.

11. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 10 further comprising the inlet being located along a downflow portion of the second leg.

12. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising the first and second legs being arranged parallel to one another.

13. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising the second leg being located downstream of the first leg.

14. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 3 further comprising a bottom end of at least one of the first and second legs lying closer to the oil-and-water inlet section of the crude oil storage tank than does a top end of the leg.

15. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 further comprising a partition located between the oil-and-water inlet section and the electrostatic separator section.

16. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 15 further comprising the partition being located between the oil-and-water inlet section and the water outlet section.

17. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 further comprising a baffle located between the electrostatic separator section and the oil outlet section.

18. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 further comprising a baffle located in the water outlet section.

19. A crude oil storage tank according to claim 1 wherein the treatment flow path is isolated from a surrounding volume of the electrostatic separator section.

Assignees

• Cameron Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Sprenkel Marcus D
• Sams Gary W
• Mandewalkar S Pavankumar B
• Caires Fernandez Luis Eduardo

Classifications

• B01D17/045 Primary

  with coalescers · CPC title

• B65D90/52

  Anti-slosh devices (vehicle fuel tanks with means modifying or controlling distribution or motion of fuel, e.g. to prevent noise, surge, splash or fuel starvation B60K15/077) · CPC title

• B03C11/00

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

• B01D17/0211

  with baffles · CPC title

• B03C2201/02

  Electrostatic separation of liquids from liquids · CPC title