Liquid purification or separation – Constituent mixture variation responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-09
2001-11-13
Hruskoci, Peter A. (Department: 1724)
Liquid purification or separation
Constituent mixture variation responsive
C175S206000, C210S143000, C210S199000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315894
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related to effluence treatment apparatus, and, more particularly, relates to liquid polymer conditioning and treatment apparatus for aqueous effluence.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cleaning and recycling of aqueous based effluence from various mining, manufacturing and/or municipal facilities is handled in a variety of ways. For example, outflow from oil well drilling (as well as other mining processes) is directed to shallow settling ponds. This approach is unsightly, potentially hazardous, and involves usage of large amounts of water.
In response to such concerns, closed loop drilling systems are used which process the outflow on site using polymer flocculants and other chemical substances. Constant monitoring of these operations, in addition to personnel for operating the systems, is required however, thus adding to the costs associated with extraction. Close attention to monitoring is required (and thus skilled system attendants) to assure proper dosages of polymer flocculant to avoid incomplete removal of solids (under dosage) or the waste, expense and potential for solids restablization effect (and return to active drilling fluids jeopardizing mud chemistry and the drilling operation and tools themselves) inherent in over dosage.
While composition monitors, as well as closed loop drilling fluid processing apparatus, are knowing (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,103,181, 5,145,256 and 5,171,090), further improvement could thus be utilized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides apparatus and methods for automated effluence conditioning and treatment. The apparatus is particularly well adapted for processing drilling fluids (mud), for example in closed loop (pitless) drilling systems, to facilitate recovery and recycling of water in the effluence (for reuse in the system) and the suspended solids therein (for storage, transport, disposal or resale). The automation of process monitoring and effluence conditioning and treatment provides reliable on-site effluence processing at little added labor cost.
The apparatus includes a conduit for conducting flow of the effluence and a sensing mechanism at the conduit providing an output indicative of mass flow rate of the drilling fluid conducted through the conduit. An injection pump injects polymer material into the flow of drilling fluid under the control of a microprocessor or other controller connected with the sensing mechanism and the pump. The rate of injection is calculated at the controller to provide a preselected polymer conditioning of the fluid output from the apparatus at the sensed mass flow rate.
The rate of polymer injection is self adjustable by provision of a second sensing mechanism downstream of the injection pump providing an output indicative of injection rate of the liquid polymer by the injection pump. The controller is connected to receive this output and, responsive thereto, provide a control signal to the injection pump to adjust pumping rate and thereby rate of injection of the liquid polymer into the conduit based on mass flow rate of the suspended solids in the effluence flowing through the conduit and actual injection rate of the pump.
The method of this invention includes the steps of conducting a flow of an aqueous effluence having solids suspended therein, monitoring the conducted flow and indicating mass flow rate of the conducted flow of the aqueous effluence, and determining likely mass flow rate of the suspended solids in the conducted flow from the indicated mass flow rate of the conducted flow of the aqueous effluence. A control signal indicative of a desired rate of liquid polymer injection into the conducted flow based at least in part on the determined likely mass flow rate of the suspended solids is generated and utilized to drive a mechanism for injecting liquid polymer into the conducted flow at the desired injection rate.
Further conditioning and treatment apparatus and method steps are provided by this invention to control and optimize pH of the effluence, effluence conditioning rate and weight control, and coagulant insertion into the flow of the effluence.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods for automated process monitoring, conditioning and treatment of effluence such as drilling fluids.
It is another object of this invention to provide automated injection control and on the fly adjustment for injecting polymer material at selected treatment rates into an aqueous effluence having varying amounts of suspended solids therein.
It is still another object of this invention to provide automated process control and drilling fluid conditioning apparatus and methods for closed loop drilling operations.
It is still another object of this invention to provide reliable, low cost apparatus and methods for automated process monitoring, conditioning and treatment of effluence to facilitate recovery and recycling of water in the effluence (for reuse in the system) and suspended solids therein (for storage, transport, disposal or resale).
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for automated treatment of drilling fluid with polymer material to provide a preselected polymer conditioning of the fluid output from the apparatus, the apparatus including a conduit for conducting flow of the drilling fluid, sensing means at the conduit providing an output indicative of mass flow rate of the drilling fluid conducted through the conduit, injecting means at the conduit including a pump for injecting the polymer material into the flow of drilling fluid, and control means connected with the sensing means and the pump of the injecting means for receiving the output from the sensing means and, responsive thereto, operating the pump to cause injection of an amount of the polymer material into the flow of drilling fluid calculated at the control means to provide the preselected polymer conditioning of the fluid output from the apparatus.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a self adjusting apparatus for automated liquid polymer conditioning of an aqueous effluence having varying amounts of suspended solids therein to prepare the effluence for treatment to remove the solids, the apparatus including a conduit for conducting a flow of the aqueous effluence, a supply line connected with the conduit for conducting a flow of the liquid polymer, first sensing means at the conduit providing an output indicative of flow rate of the aqueous effluence and density of the aqueous effluence, a controllable injection pump connected at the supply line, second sensing means downstream of the controllable injection pump providing an output indicative of injection rate of the liquid polymer from the supply line into the conduit by the controllable injection pump, and control means connected with the first and second sensing means and the controllable injection pump for receiving the outputs from the first and second sensing means and, responsive thereto, providing a control signal output to the controllable injection pump to adjust pumping rate and thereby rate of injection of the liquid polymer into the conduit based on mass flow rate of the suspended solids in the aqueous effluence flowing through the conduit and sensed injection rate of the injection pump.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a method for liquid polymer conditioning of an aqueous effluence having varying amounts of suspended solids therein to prepare the effluence for treatment to remove the solids including the steps of conducting a flow of the aqueous effluence, monitoring the conducted flow and indicating mass flow rate of the conducted flow of the aqueous effluence, determining likely mass flow rate of the suspended solids in the conducted flow from the indicated mass flow rate of the conducted flow of the aqueous effluence, generating a control signal indicative of a desired rate of liquid polymer injection into the conducted flow based at least in part on the determined likely mass flow rate of the sus
Costello Michael J. R.
Sealey Gerald L.
Simmons Alfred R.
Wiemers Reginald A.
Burdick Harold A.
Hruskoci Peter A.
Ultra Fine, Inc.
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