System and method of delivering dilution water droplets within an oil-and-water stream

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932528-B2
Application number	US-201615362263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 18, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A system for desalting a crude oil stream includes vessel that has an interior piping structure that releases wash water into a crude oil flow within the vessel. The piping structure, which may have more than one level, has a plurality of spray nozzles for dispersing or releasing the wash water into the flowing crude oil stream. The spray nozzles may be located on a same side or opposite sides of the piping structure. Where multiple levels are used, the number of spray nozzles on each level may be the same as or different than the number of spray nozzles on other levels. The pressure drop through each spray nozzle is no greater than 300 psi and the nozzles deliver a dilution water droplet no larger than 300 microns in diameter. A mixing valve, static mixer, or both can be placed downstream of the vessel.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for use in a crude oil desalting operation, the system comprising an elongated vessel including a crude oil inlet located toward a top end of the vessel, an oil-and-water outlet, and at least one wash water inlet, the system comprising:
a piping arrangement located within an interior space of the vessel and including a plurality of spray nozzles arranged to receive wash water from the at least one wash water inlet and release the wash water into a crude oil flow flowing within the vessel.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the piping arrangement includes two or more levels of piping.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein one level of the piping arrangement is connected to the at least one wash water inlet and another level is connected to a different wash water inlet of the vessel.

4. A system according to claim 2 wherein the number of spray nozzles in the plurality of spray nozzles differs between the two or more levels of piping.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein each spray nozzle in the plurality of spray nozzles delivers a dilution water droplet in a range of 10 to 300 microns in diameter.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein a pressure drop through each spray nozzle in the plurality of spray nozzles is in a range of 50 to 300 psi.

7. A system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one of a mixing valve and a static mixer located downstream of the vessel.

8. A system according to claim 1 further comprising at least a portion of the plurality of spray nozzles being angled toward a bottom end of the vessel.

9. A system according to claim 1 further comprising at least a portion of the plurality of spray nozzles being angled toward a sidewall of the vessel.

10. A system according to claim 1 further comprising the oil-and-water outlet being located toward a bottom end of the vessel.

11. A system according to claim 1 further comprising the piping arrangement is arranged concentric to a longitudinal axis of the vessel.

12. A system according to claim 1 further comprising the vessel being vertically oriented.

13. A method of desalting a crude oil stream, the method comprising the steps of:
routing a crude oil stream into an elongated vessel, the vessel including an oil inlet located toward a top end of the vessel, an oil-and-water outlet, and at least one wash water inlet;
routing a wash water stream into a piping arrangement located within an interior space of the vessel and including a plurality of spray nozzles arranged to receive wash water from the at least one wash water inlet; and
releasing the wash water stream through the plurality of spray nozzles and into the crude oil stream.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the piping arrangement includes two or more levels of piping.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein one level of the piping arrangement is connected to the at least one wash water inlet and another level is connected to a different wash water inlet of the vessel.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the number of spray nozzles in the plurality of spray nozzles differs between the two or more levels of piping.

17. A method according to claim 13 wherein each spray nozzle in the plurality of spray nozzles delivers a dilution water droplet in a range of 10 to 300 microns in diameter.

18. A method according to claim 13 wherein a pressure drop through each spray nozzle in the plurality of spray nozzles is in a range of 50 to 300 psi.

19. A method according to claim 13 further comprising at least one of a mixing valve and a static mixer located downstream of the vessel.

20. A vessel for desalting a crude oil stream, the vessel comprising:
a multi-level piping structure located within an interior space of the vessel, each level of the piping structure including a plurality of spray nozzles arranged to receive wash water from a wash water inlet connected to the level and release the wash water into a crude oil stream flowing within the vessel.

Assignees

• Cameron Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Sams Gary W
• Lee Joseph Min-Hsiun

Classifications

• B01F5/0456

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/0865

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/0807

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0466

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0463

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic