Gas separation – Means within gas stream for conducting concentrate to collector
Patent
1989-12-20
1990-12-18
Hart, Charles
Gas separation
Means within gas stream for conducting concentrate to collector
55172000, 55174000, 55356000, B01D 1900
Patent
active
049783734
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a fluid separation apparatus and is particularly concerned with the control of surges of liquids such as oil or water in such apparatus on floating and moving vessels or vehicles.
The invention is principally directed to floating oil production platforms where oil flows from an underground oil reservoir via a well to the production platform where the oil is separated from associated gas and water present in the reservoir fluid. The gas is normally separated and used as fuel and the remainder is either flared, exported or reinjected into the reservoir. The water is separated and treated to remove entrained oil and then discharged. The crude oil is exported by subsea pipeline to either a tanker or to shore by pipeline.
The reservoir fluid is normally separated in two separate phases, in situ, because the transfer of a multi-phase fluid through a pipeline to shore is difficult because of the high. pressure drop in the pipeline caused by "slugging" of the liquids in the liquid/gas mixture. Multi-phase transfer is possible in relatively short pipelines or flowlines but is uneconomic in longer pipelines.
Existing separators used on floating vessels to separate gas, oil and water from reservoir fluids, consist of a cylindrical tank with the oil/gas interface along the length of the tank. During movement of the vessel, due to motion of the vessel because of wave and/or wind action in inclement weather, the tank is inclined in all planes to varying degrees to the horizontal resulting in the liquid level moving in relation to the tank causing waves and "sloshing" of liquids within the tank. Existing tanks are fitted with baffle plates and liquid non-return devices in an attempt to minimize the effect of the problem of the liquid movement and the consequent reduction in efficiency of the gas/oil and oil/water separation. Thus existing designs attempt to find a solution to the effect of the problem.
The present invention aims to overcome the problem itself by limiting the liquid movement and maintaining efficient separation.
According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for moving vessel or vehicle for separating gases and liquids, said apparatus comprising a container adapted to receive a mixture of gas and liquid and consisting of at least two tanks which are connected by a plurality of tubes, each tube being located in the upper wall of a first tank which is located at a lower level than a second tank and said tubes being spaced apart, and means to maintain the liquid/ gas interface at a substantially constant level within each tube so as to reduce agitation of the liquid/gas interface during movement of the vessel or vehicle.
Preferably the tubes comprise a first tube and at least one second tube located on each side of said first tube and spaced therefrom.
The second tubes are desirably equi-spaced from the first tube on either side thereof in which case they are preferably of equal cross-section or diameter.
Preferably, said means to maintain the liquid/gas interface at a substantially constant level within each tube are located at least in the first tube. These means may comprise a standpipe in the centre of the first tube having liquid level control connections to ensure that the level remains constant no matter to what degree of movement to which the vessel is subjected.
The second tank may be arranged horizontally parallel to and above the first tank or it may extend vertically above said first tank.
The first tank may be larger, the same size or smaller than the second tank although the first, lower, tank should desirably be the larger of the two.
In a preferred construction, the connecting tubes extend into the tanks and terminate in the interiors thereof. This arrangement minimizes the distance between the tanks thereby reducing the total height of the apparatus and retaining sufficient hold up time for variations in level for adequate control combined with the maximum angle of the apparatus to the horizontal.
The invention will now be described, by way of examp
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patent: 3435595 (1969-04-01), Skelton
patent: 4254626 (1981-03-01), Anderson
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 11, No. 89 (C-411) (2536), Mar. 19, 1987 & JP, A, 61242683 (Hitachi Ltd.), Oct. 28, 1986, see abstract.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 7, No. 46 (C-153)(1191), Feb. 23, 1983 & JP, A, 571972002 (Tokyo Shibaura Denki K.K.), Dec. 3, 1982, see abstract.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 4, No. 77 (c-13)(559), Jun. 4, 1980 & JP, A, 5544347 (Tokyo Shibaura Dekni K.K.), Mar. 28, 1980.
Brown Laurence R.
Hart Charles
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