US3905891A - Electric treater - Google Patents

Electric treater Download PDF

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Publication number
US3905891A
US3905891A US438986A US43898674A US3905891A US 3905891 A US3905891 A US 3905891A US 438986 A US438986 A US 438986A US 43898674 A US43898674 A US 43898674A US 3905891 A US3905891 A US 3905891A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
transformer
emulsion
oil
primary
compartment
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US438986A
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English (en)
Inventor
Floyd L Prestridge
Harry G Wallace
Rex T Meyers
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cameron Solutions Inc
Original Assignee
Combustion Engineering Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Combustion Engineering Inc filed Critical Combustion Engineering Inc
Priority to US438986A priority Critical patent/US3905891A/en
Priority to CA219,752A priority patent/CA1027994A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3905891A publication Critical patent/US3905891A/en
Assigned to NATIONAL TANK COMPANY reassignment NATIONAL TANK COMPANY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: COMBUSTION ENGINEERING, INC., A CORP OF DE.
Assigned to CONTINENTAL BANK N.A., A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION reassignment CONTINENTAL BANK N.A., A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIATION SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: NATIONAL TANK COMPANY, 3810 SOUTH 103RD EAST AVENUE, TULSA, OK. 74146, A CORP. OF DE.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B43/00—Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells
    • E21B43/34—Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D17/00—Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion
    • B01D17/02—Separation of non-miscible liquids
    • B01D17/04—Breaking emulsions
    • B01D17/042—Breaking emulsions by changing the temperature
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D17/00—Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion
    • B01D17/06—Separation of liquids from each other by electricity
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03C9/00—Electrostatic separation not provided for in any single one of the other main groups of this subclass
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
    • C10G33/00—Dewatering or demulsification of hydrocarbon oils
    • C10G33/02—Dewatering or demulsification of hydrocarbon oils with electrical or magnetic means

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A resistance heater element is mounted in the shell of an electric emulsion treater close enough to the interface of collected oil and water bodies to effectively heat material at the interface.
  • the heater is connected in the supply circuit of the transformer 0f the electric system of the treater.
  • the present invention relates to protection of a transformer from overloading and utilization of energy isolated from the transformer in a related process. More specifically, a transformer input is controlled by a resistive element and the conductivity of the circuit connected to the transformer secondary is influenced by the heat of the resistive element.
  • transformers are often provided with a core designed with predetermined saturation or an external reactance which has a saturable core, both limiting the current in the primary of the transformer as the load of the secondary becomes more conductive.
  • the transformer is in a circuit serving a system in which the heat generated by control of the primary current can be used to advantage, it is generally impractical to adapt a reactive device to supply this heat. The heat of reactive devices of these transformers is generally wasted, unavailable for usage in the system served by the circuit.
  • the primary circuit can be controlled by resistance.
  • the effective resistance is more expensive than reactive devices and less efficient.
  • the resistance generates more heat than reactive devices.
  • the resistance unit can be mechanically positioned to effectively deliver its heat to specific locations in the system. Therefore, in many processes, the additional cost of the resistance device, compared to the reactive device, is more than offset by the efficient application of its heat which would otherwise be necessarily wasted by the reactive device.
  • the resistive device connected continuously in series with the transformer primary, the delivery of additional heat becomes automatic as the conductance of the load in creases. Therefore, the transformer is protected from excessive primary current flow while the heat it generates is salvaged for work in the process.
  • a principal object of the invention is to prevent a transformer primary from drawing excessive current from a source as the secondary load circuit increases in conductivity.
  • Another object is to isolate excess energy of a source from a transformer primary and use the heat in a process.
  • Another object is to control energy applied to the transformer of an electric emulsion treater so excessive energy will not be drawn from the line supply as the conductivity of the load circuit of the transformer increases and convert any excess energy from the line supply it had by a resistance unit which is placed so its heat will reduce the conductivity of a segment of the load ciruit.
  • the present invention is embodied in a system which supplies both thermal and electrical energy to a process.
  • the process is carried out under the force of an electrostatic field established between electrodes con nected to the secondary of a transformer.
  • a resistance element is connected between a supply and the trans former primary to limit the current drawn by an increasingly conductive segment of a circuit between the electrodes.
  • the resistance element is placed relative to the circuit segment so the segment will have its temperature raised by the heat output of the element as the element limits the current to the transformer.
  • the drawing is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of an electric emulsion treater embodying the present invention.
  • a cylindrical shell 1 is horizontally extended.
  • An inlet 2 is the conduit into shell 1 for an emulsion of oil and water as produced from an oil well not shown.
  • a heater 3 is mounted in compartment 4 of shell 1 so it will be contacted by the emulsion and raise the temperature of the emulsion as required.
  • the compartment 4 is defined by a baffle 5 which extends vertically across the shell 1.
  • a lower opening 6 in the baffle is a conduit for the emulsion liquids to flow from compartment 4.
  • An upper opening 7 is a conduit for any gas disengaged from the emulsion liquids. Both fluids flow from com partment 4 into the remainder of the shell 1 volume which is designated compartment 8.
  • compartments such as 8 as the treating compartment of electric treaters.
  • an electrode system is mounted in these compartments. Energized, the electrode system establishes an electrostatic field wlhose force coalesces the water droplets of the emulsion with droplets of such size that they will gravitate to the bottom of the compartment.
  • Electrode 9 represents the electrode system. Electrical energy is supplied this electrode through connection to the secondary of a transformer 10. The result is to collect a body of water 11 beneath the electrode while the breaking emulsion body 12 forms above interface 13.
  • Oil of the breaking emulsion flows upward toward outlet 14.
  • the water of body 11 flows downward toward outlet 15. Any gas which continues to evolve collects above the liquid to join that gas flowing from opening 7 and flow out shell 1 through outlet 16. Thus the overall process is completed.
  • the circuit to which transformer 10 is connected includes the path between the electrodes. Considering electrode 9 as one electrode, and the shell 1 as the other electrode, the path between these electrodes includes the breaking emulsion 12, the material at interface 13 and the coalesced water 11. This path is a load circuit of the secondary of transformer 10. If this path becomes sufficiently conductive it can draw so much current from the transformer that it will overheat the transformer and damage it physically. There have been myriads of devices and systems for overload protection of these transformers. The present invention not only protects the transformer but uses the heat generated to specific advantage in the treatment process of compartment 8.
  • transformer 10 is disclosed somewhat diagrammatically as having a secondary winding 20. One end of winding is connected to ground. The other end is connected to electrode 9. As the shell 1 is also grounded, an electrostatic field is developed between the electrode 9 and shell 1 as a load on transformer 10.
  • the energy supplied transformer 10 is applied to primary winding 21 from a source 22.
  • Source 22 is connected to winding 21 through closure of switch 23.
  • a winding 24 is placed on the core of transformer 10 to monitor the output of transformer 10.
  • a light 25 and/or a meter 26 responds to the energy induced into winding 24 so there will be a calculated, readable manifestation of the power transferred through the core of transformer 10 available to personnel operating the system.
  • emulsion As emulsion flows into compartment 8, through opening 6, it may build up in a thickening layer at 13 because of various operating conditions in the process.
  • This unresolved emulsion layer 13 is very conductive because of its high water content. The deeper the layer the more conductive this segment of the path becomes. Heat introduced specifically into layer 13 will be a force for resolving the emulsion, lowering the height of the layer, and, therefore, reducing the conductivity of this segment of the path.
  • Heater 30 represents structures with which heat can be introduced into layer 13 as a resolving force on the emulsion. More than one of these heaters can be mounted in this layer 13 to distribute heat effectively.
  • the single heater 30 disclosed is only representative of any desired number of such structures.
  • heater 30 is essentially an electrical resistance included, as disclosed, in the circuit of source 22 and primary 21. As a resistance, heater 30 is disclosed as simply in series with primary 21 which is connected to source 22 by switch 23. As the energy drawn from source 22 increases, a portion of it is dissipated through heater 30. The results of this arrangement are the benefits of the invention.
  • Heater 30 brings about two beneficial results at the same time. First, as the path between the electrodes becomes more conductive the current drawn by transformer 10 increases. However, heater 30, in series with the primary winding 21, is sized to limit the amount of current so the winding 21 will not overheat and its insulation be damaged. Therefore, transformer 10 is protected against overload.
  • the heater 30 dissipates the energy as heat it raises the temperature of the interface material at 13. This increase in temperature is a force to resolve the emulsion at interface 13 which results in decreasing the conductivity of this segment of the path. Therefore, the invention not only protects the transformer on this type of service but reduces the overload condition which threatens the transformer.
  • a System for supplying thermal and electrical energy for dehydrating oil field emulsions including:
  • a Shell connectable to a supply of produced oil field emulsion and in which the emulsion is treated into oil and water,
  • an increase in conductivity in the electrode system first causes an increase in current flow which is limited by the included resistance heating element while the resulting increase in thermal output from the resistance heating element into the material at the in terface then causes a lowering of the conductivity in the electrode system.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Heat-Pump Type And Storage Water Heaters (AREA)
US438986A 1974-02-19 1974-02-19 Electric treater Expired - Lifetime US3905891A (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US438986A US3905891A (en) 1974-02-19 1974-02-19 Electric treater
CA219,752A CA1027994A (fr) 1974-02-19 1975-02-10 Appareil a transformateur pour la production d'energie thermique et electrique destinee a l'assechement des emulsions de gisements petroliferes

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US438986A US3905891A (en) 1974-02-19 1974-02-19 Electric treater

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3905891A true US3905891A (en) 1975-09-16

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US438986A Expired - Lifetime US3905891A (en) 1974-02-19 1974-02-19 Electric treater

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US3905891A (fr)
CA (1) CA1027994A (fr)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2457888A1 (fr) * 1979-05-29 1980-12-26 Petrolite Corp Procede pour deshydrater et demineraliser des bitumes dilues
FR2457706A1 (fr) * 1979-05-29 1980-12-26 Petrolite Corp Procede et appareil de resolution electrique des emulsions
US5391018A (en) * 1992-04-02 1995-02-21 Toxic Environmental Control Systems, Inc. Process for washing contaminated soil
WO2000045930A1 (fr) * 1999-02-05 2000-08-10 Komistek Stephen M Dispositif incline de traitement d'emulsion
WO2010134822A1 (fr) * 2009-05-22 2010-11-25 Aker Process Systems As Procédé et appareil de dissociation d'une émulsion stable
NO330637B1 (no) * 2009-05-22 2011-05-30 Aker Process Systems As Emulsjonsbehandlingsanordning
US20130075338A1 (en) * 2011-09-22 2013-03-28 Terry C. Murtagh Induced-Gas Flotation Cell with Horizontal Flow
US20190282929A1 (en) * 2018-03-14 2019-09-19 Redhead Services, L.L.C. Electric heater treater

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1299589A (en) * 1917-12-14 1919-04-08 Charles W Mckibben Method of separating associated liquids.
US1304786A (en) * 1919-05-27 Appabatus eob
US1405123A (en) * 1918-08-08 1922-01-31 Petroleum Rectifying Co Apparatus for dehydrating petroleum emulsions
US1442608A (en) * 1921-06-25 1923-01-16 Petroleum Rectifying Co Variable-field dehydrator
US1926013A (en) * 1929-04-22 1933-09-05 Petroleum Rectifying Co Electrical process
US3441496A (en) * 1966-09-15 1969-04-29 Forrest L Murdock Sr Electric treater regulated by a watercontent probe for treating crude oil emulsions
US3476678A (en) * 1966-06-06 1969-11-04 Forrest L Murdock Sr Horizontal electric emulsion treater

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1304786A (en) * 1919-05-27 Appabatus eob
US1299589A (en) * 1917-12-14 1919-04-08 Charles W Mckibben Method of separating associated liquids.
US1405123A (en) * 1918-08-08 1922-01-31 Petroleum Rectifying Co Apparatus for dehydrating petroleum emulsions
US1442608A (en) * 1921-06-25 1923-01-16 Petroleum Rectifying Co Variable-field dehydrator
US1926013A (en) * 1929-04-22 1933-09-05 Petroleum Rectifying Co Electrical process
US3476678A (en) * 1966-06-06 1969-11-04 Forrest L Murdock Sr Horizontal electric emulsion treater
US3441496A (en) * 1966-09-15 1969-04-29 Forrest L Murdock Sr Electric treater regulated by a watercontent probe for treating crude oil emulsions

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2457888A1 (fr) * 1979-05-29 1980-12-26 Petrolite Corp Procede pour deshydrater et demineraliser des bitumes dilues
FR2457706A1 (fr) * 1979-05-29 1980-12-26 Petrolite Corp Procede et appareil de resolution electrique des emulsions
US5391018A (en) * 1992-04-02 1995-02-21 Toxic Environmental Control Systems, Inc. Process for washing contaminated soil
WO2000045930A1 (fr) * 1999-02-05 2000-08-10 Komistek Stephen M Dispositif incline de traitement d'emulsion
WO2010134822A1 (fr) * 2009-05-22 2010-11-25 Aker Process Systems As Procédé et appareil de dissociation d'une émulsion stable
NO330637B1 (no) * 2009-05-22 2011-05-30 Aker Process Systems As Emulsjonsbehandlingsanordning
US20130075338A1 (en) * 2011-09-22 2013-03-28 Terry C. Murtagh Induced-Gas Flotation Cell with Horizontal Flow
US20190282929A1 (en) * 2018-03-14 2019-09-19 Redhead Services, L.L.C. Electric heater treater

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1027994A (fr) 1978-03-14

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: NATIONAL TANK COMPANY, 5330 EAST 31ST STREET, TULS

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:COMBUSTION ENGINEERING, INC., A CORP OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:004561/0890

Effective date: 19860210

Owner name: NATIONAL TANK COMPANY, OKLAHOMA

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:COMBUSTION ENGINEERING, INC., A CORP OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:004561/0890

Effective date: 19860210

AS Assignment

Owner name: CONTINENTAL BANK N.A., A NATIONAL BANKING ASSOCIAT

Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:NATIONAL TANK COMPANY, 3810 SOUTH 103RD EAST AVENUE, TULSA, OK. 74146, ACORP. OF DE.;REEL/FRAME:005277/0584

Effective date: 19890621