This schematic representation illustrates the essential internal components necessary to the efficient and reliable performance of a "heavy" oil treater. A crude oil emulsion enters into a plenum(1) formed by a sealed baffle(9) wherein there is initial gas release. Foam is suppressed by passing the gas through a hot oil wash as it exits the plenum. The emulsion is dispersed via a shroud(2) preventing debris from collecting on the heater (13) and directing free water away from the heater. The emulsion is heated to lower the viscosity of the oil which is directed downward through space(3). A pair of adjustable louvered structures (similar to Venetian blinds) establish plug flow through the space(3). The louvers can be constructed of electrical conductive material with one set of louvers electrically charged and the other grounded thereby establishing an electric field for coalescing the entrained water particles. The oil flow is directed horizontally through an adjustable louvered barrier(4) and the water through a similar barrier(5). Both the oil and water pass through CoSeptor baffles (6)(7) where capillary attraction and forced coalescence extract water from the oil and oil from the water with the clean oil being collected for discharge in an oil box(8). Other pertinent components are anti-skim baffles(11), mist extactor(12) and sand pans(10).
US PATENT 7118670,5458757,5464522,5865992,5902483 and PAT.PEND.
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The main factors that influence the separation of oil and water are: (1) VISCOSITY of the oil, the "thinner" the oil the faster the separation, heating the emulsion thins the oil;in some cases a diluent is mixed with the emulsion to thin the oil. (2) DENSITY DIFFERENTIAL, the closer the density of the oil is to that of the water the slower the separation. The density of the water is more affected by heating than that of the oil with the water getting lighter sooner. This must be considered to optimize the treating temperature. (3) DROPLET SIZE, The separation rate is proportional to the square of the diameter of the droplet. (4) IMPEDING VELOCITY, velocity opposes separation;when the oil is flowing upward and the water drops settling downward there is direct opposition, with horizontal flow the opposing force is reduced by about one half and if the droplet separation is the same direction as the flow there is no velocity impedance.
HOTCO Engineering has developed a large amount of empirical data to assist in the scientific design of Heavy Oil Treaters.
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