SEPARATION VESSEL AND BUOYANT THERMAL ENERGY TRANSFER DEVICE FOR USE THEREIN
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
공개
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B01D-017/04
B01D-017/02
출원번호
16738494
(2020-01-09)
공개번호
20210213375
(2021-07-15)
발명자
/ 주소
Shariff, Maher Maqbool
Mohammed, Murtala Ahmed
출원인 / 주소
Saudi Arabian Oil Company
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
0
초록▼
A separation vessel containing a multi-phase mixture comprising oil and water comprises a buoyant thermal energy transfer device. The buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises a thermally conductive body and an internal heating element. The buoyant thermal energy transfer device defin
A separation vessel containing a multi-phase mixture comprising oil and water comprises a buoyant thermal energy transfer device. The buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises a thermally conductive body and an internal heating element. The buoyant thermal energy transfer device defines a collective specific gravity between about 0.7 and about 1.2, which may be accomplished by adding positioning floats to the buoyant thermal energy transfer device. With such a collective specific gravity, the buoyant thermal energy transfer device is situated in the emulsion layer of the multi-phase mixture, with the internal heating element applying heat to emulsion layer, aiding in the breakage of emulsions. Demulsified oil and water may then be removed from the separation vessel.
대표청구항▼
1. A separation vessel containing a multi-phase mixture comprising oil and water, the separation vessel comprising a vessel body,a water outlet,an oil outlet, anda buoyant thermal energy transfer device, wherein:the multi-phase mixture comprises an emulsion layer comprising emulsified oil and water,
1. A separation vessel containing a multi-phase mixture comprising oil and water, the separation vessel comprising a vessel body,a water outlet,an oil outlet, anda buoyant thermal energy transfer device, wherein:the multi-phase mixture comprises an emulsion layer comprising emulsified oil and water, separated oil above the emulsion layer, and separated water below the emulsion layer;the water outlet is in fluidic communication with the separated water below the emulsion layer;the oil outlet is in fluidic communication with the separated oil above the emulsion layer;the buoyant thermal energy transfer device comprises a thermally conductive body and an internal heating element;the thermally conductive body comprises an upper face, a lower face, and a thermally conductive heat transfer medium comprising a thickness dimension separating the upper and lower faces;the upper face of the thermally conductive body comprises an upper active surface area and the lower face of the thermally conductive body comprises a lower active surface area;the thermally conductive body resides within the emulsion layer and the upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body are in contact with material of the emulsion layer;the internal heating element defines a heat source zone spaced from the active surface areas of the upper and lower faces of the thermally conductive heat transfer medium, within the thermal energy transfer device thickness dimension;the thermally conductive heat transfer medium forms a heat transfer path extending from the heat source zone to the upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body; andthe buoyant thermal energy transfer device defines a collective specific gravity of between about 0.7 and about 1.2. 2. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the buoyant thermal energy transfer device defines a collective specific gravity of between about 0.88 and about 0.95. 3. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the emulsion layer comprises a contained cross-sectional area of the emulsion layer in the vessel body; andthe upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body are at least about 10% as large as the contained cross-sectional area of the emulsion layer. 4. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the emulsion layer comprises a contained cross-sectional area of the emulsion layer in the vessel body; andthe upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body are at least about 50% of the contained cross-sectional area of the emulsion layer. 5. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the separation vessel comprises a plurality of buoyant thermal energy transfer devices; andthe upper and lower active surface areas of the plurality of buoyant thermal energy transfer devices collectively occupy at least about 50% of the contained cross-sectional area of the emulsion layer. 6. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the thermally conductive heat transfer medium comprises a foam substrate embedded with a thermally conductive filler. 7. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 6 wherein: the foam substrate comprises polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, silicone rubber, or combinations thereof; andthe thermally conductive filler comprises carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene, graphite, boron nitride, or combinations thereof. 8. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 the heat transfer medium thickness dimension is less than about 50 cm. 9. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the thermally conductive heat transfer medium comprises a compressible foam substrate; andthe thermally conductive body comprises a plurality of separator passages extending across the thermally conductive body between the upper face and the lower face of the thermally conductive body. 10. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 9 wherein the buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises a plurality of compression clamps positioned in alignment with respective ones of the separator passages to form depressions in the compressible foam substrate in alignment with the separator passages. 11. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 10 wherein the buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises positioning floats coupled to the compression clamps in alignment with respective ones of the separator passages. 12. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises positioning floats mechanically coupled to the thermally conductive body at contact points that are distributed across the upper face of the thermally conductive body to uniformly decrease the collective specific gravity of the buoyant thermal energy transfer device. 13. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 12 wherein: the positioning floats comprise respective upper float body portions and a lower float body portions;the upper and lower float body portions are positioned on opposite sides of the thermally conductive body. 14. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 13 wherein the upper float body portions have a lower specific gravity than the lower float body portions. 15. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 12 wherein the buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises level sensors affixed to the positioning floats. 16. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 12 wherein: the thermally conductive heat transfer medium comprises a compressible foam substrate;the thermally conductive body comprises a plurality of separator passages extending across the thermally conductive body between the upper face and the lower face of the thermally conductive body; andthe positioning floats comprise compression clamps positioned in alignment with respective ones of the separator passages to form depressions in the compressible foam substrate in alignment with the separator passages. 17. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the buoyant thermal energy transfer device further comprises level sensors that are positioned to provide information indicative of vertical positions of select portions of the buoyant thermal energy transfer device within the separation vessel. 18. The separation vessel as claimed in claim 1 wherein: the thermally conductive heat transfer medium comprises a compressible foam substrate, a plurality of compression clamps, a plurality of positioning floats, and a plurality of level sensors;the compressible foam substrate is embedded with a thermally conductive filler;the plurality of compression clamps are positioned in alignment with respective ones of a plurality of separator passages extending across the thermally conductive body to form depressions in the compressible foam substrate in alignment with the separator passages;the positioning floats are mechanically coupled to the thermally conductive body at contact points that are distributed across the upper face of the thermally conductive body by the compression clamps;the level sensors are affixed to the positioning floats;the heat transfer medium thickness dimension is less than about 100 cm; andthe buoyant thermal energy transfer device defines a collective specific gravity of between about 0.88 and about 0.95. 19. A buoyant thermal energy transfer device comprising a thermally conductive body, andan internal heating element, wherein:the thermally conductive body comprises an upper face, a lower face, and a thermally conductive heat transfer medium comprising a thickness dimension separating the upper and lower faces;the upper face of the thermally conductive body comprises an upper active surface area and the lower face of the thermally conductive body comprises a lower active surface area;the thermally conductive body resides within the emulsion layer and the upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body are in contact with material of the emulsion layer;the internal heating element defines a heat source zone spaced from the active surface areas of the upper and lower faces of the thermally conductive heat transfer medium, within the thermal energy transfer device thickness dimension;the thermally conductive heat transfer medium forms a heat transfer path extending from the heat source zone to the upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body; andthe buoyant thermal energy transfer device defines a collective specific gravity of between about 0.88 and about 0.95. 20. A separation vessel containing a multi-phase mixture comprising oil and water, the separation vessel comprising a buoyant thermal energy transfer device, wherein: the multi-phase mixture comprises an emulsion layer comprising emulsified oil and water, separated oil above the emulsion layer, and separated water below the emulsion layer;the buoyant thermal energy transfer device comprises a thermally conductive body and an internal heating element;the thermally conductive body comprises an upper active surface area and a lower active surface area;the thermally conductive body resides within the emulsion layer and the upper and lower active surface areas of the thermally conductive body are in contact with material of the emulsion layer; andthe buoyant thermal energy transfer device defines a collective specific gravity of between about 0.88 and about 0.95.
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