WO2004060814A1

WO2004060814A1 - Apparatus for preliminary separation of oil from water

Info

Publication number: WO2004060814A1
Application number: PCT/BG2003/000016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sergei Skryabin; Viktor Lobanov
Original assignee: Resourse Plus Ltd
Priority date: 2003-01-03
Filing date: 2003-04-14
Publication date: 2004-07-22
Also published as: AU2003227134A1; BG107433A

Abstract

An apparatus for the preliminary separation of oil from water which includes a cylindrical body (1), equipped with an orifice (5) for the charge of the emulsion of water and oil. The body (1) is located horizontally on the supports (2), so that under the orifice (5) for the charge of the emulsion a separation device (3) is mounted, shaped as an outfall, at a certain distance for the bottom of which a perforated plate (4) is located, and under the outfall (3) in the zone of the orifice (5), an overflow barrier (6) is located, behind which an orifice (7) is located for the discharge of the hydrocarbons and in the front of in - the orifice (10) for the charge/discharge of water.

Description

Apparatus for Preliminary Separation of Oil from Water

Field of Technique

The present invention refers to an apparatus for preliminary separation of oil from water, applicable in the fields of oil processing and oil chemistry.

Prior art

Different types of devices and mechanisms for the separation of heterogeneous systems, such as separation under the influence of weight and of the sudden change in the direction of movement, sedimentation in an electric field (electro cleaning) and in a centrifugal field and others, are known. In "Technology of Oil and Gas", Gurevich, J.L., Sofia, 1973, Tehnika publishing house, p. 183-185 describes an apparatus for separation of oil from water that represents a vertical reservoir in the lower part of which, a gas torch is located, connected to an automatic temperature regulator. The emulsion of oil and waters is charged in the upper part of the reservoir and is led through a discharge channel to the bottom of the reservoir in the zone heated by the gas torch. The oil is discharged from the middle zone of the reservoir and the remaining water is discharged from the bottom of the reservoir. The shortcomings of this known apparatus lay in the low speed of separation of water from oil, because the process takes place in the entire volume of the emulsion. Besides, the heating of the emulsion in the inner space of the reservoir increases the risk of explosion.

Summary of the Invention

The purpose of the present invention is to propose an apparatus for separating oil from water, which assures an increased speed of separation of water from oil, at a high level of explosion safety.

The aim is achieved by the creation of an apparatus for the preliminary separation of oil from water, which has a cylindrical body, equipped with an orifice for the charge of the emulsion of water and oil. Characteristic for the apparatus is that the body lays horizontally on supports and a separation device, shaped as an outfall, for charge of the emulsion is located under the orifice, and a perforated plate is located at a certain distance form the outfall and an overflow barrier is located under the orifice, behind which an orifice for the discharge of hydrocarbons is located, while under the barrier an orifice for the charge/discharge is located.

In one variant of accomplishment of the apparatus the plate is perforated so that the walls of the passing openings are located at an angle to the plane of the plate.

It is especially beneficial in this variant of accomplishment for the walls of the passing opening tp have a S-shaped geometry.

The advantages of the apparatus for preliminary separation of oil from water consist in the noticeable intensification of the process of separation due to the special construction of the separation design allowing the lamination of the emulsion current. Besides, because of the lamination of this current, there is no need for direct heating of the emulsion in the volume of the reservoir, which increases the explosion safety of the construction.

Description of attached drawings

Figure 1 is a cross-section of the apparatus for the preliminary separation of oil and water according to the invention.

Examples for particular realization The apparatus for the preliminary separation of oil from water consists of the horizontal cylindrical body 1 , located on standard supports 2. A separation device 3 is located in the inner space of the cylindrical body 1 , shaped as an outfall, under the lower wall of which a perforated plate 4 is located at a certain distance along the length of the outfall 3. The shape of the perforated plate 4 can vary but the S-like shape is especially suitable, because it assures the most effective lamination of the emulsion current. It is important that the perforation is performed so that wall 8 of the passing opening 9, formed during the perforation, is located at an angle to plane A of plate 4. On the bottom of the cylindrical body 1 , the orifice 10 is located in front of the overflow barrier 6, for the charge/discharge of water in the space under the outfall 3, and the orifice 7 for the discharge of the concentrated hydrocarbons is located behind this barrier. The orifices for the discharge of the resulting gasses 11 and 12 are located in the upper part of the cylindrical body 1, and a lock for monitoring the processes taking place in the inner space of the cylinder 1. The apparatus functions as follows:

The emulsion of hydrocarbons and water is charged through the orifice 5, at which it flows through the outfall of the separating device 3, the turbulent movement of the emulsion changes to laminar, while during the flow from the outfall the two phases pass through a layer of water, located on the bottom of the cylindrical body 1 , from where the concentrated hydrocarbons are removed and pass over the overflow barrier 6 and are led through the orifice 7 for further processing. The lamination of the emulsion current is chiefly due to the special perforated plate 4. The emulsion current is divided into small streams, while passing through the passing openings 9 of the plate 4. Because of the special shape of the walls 8 of the passing openings 9, an effective laminated current is obtained; as a result, the separation of the oil from the water phase takes place in a layer instead of the entire volume of the emulsion. The water accompanying the oil, having solved the salts in it, is passing through the lower layer of water, which is located on the bottom of the cylindrical body 1 , is separated from the oil and remains in the lower layer. The gasses that are obtained in the process of the separation of oil from water are discharged through the orifice 11 , 12 and the entire process can be monitored through lock 13. As a result of the described process, the separation of water and oil is obtained so that the remaining water in it is in the 2% range.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. An apparatus for the preliminary separation of oil from water which includes a cylindrical body, equipped with an orifice for the charge of the emulsion of water and oil, characterized in that the body (1) is located horizontally on the supports (2), so that a separation device (3), shaped as an outfall, for charge of the emulsion is mounted under the orifice (5), at a certain distance for the bottom of which a perforated plate (4) is located, and under the outfall (3) in the zone of the orifice (5), an overflow barrier (6) is located, behind which an orifice (7) is located for the discharge of the hydrocarbons and in the front of in - the orifice (10) for the charge/discharge of water.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the plate (4) is perforated so that the passing openings (9) are shaped, with their walls (8) aligned at an angle to the plane (A) of the plate (4).

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the shape of the passing openings (9) and the wall (8) have a S-type shape.