Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23D—BURNERS
  • F23D11/00—Burners using a direct spraying action of liquid droplets or vaporised liquid into the combustion space
  • F23D11/10—Burners using a direct spraying action of liquid droplets or vaporised liquid into the combustion space the spraying being induced by a gaseous medium, e.g. water vapour
  • F23D11/101—Burners using a direct spraying action of liquid droplets or vaporised liquid into the combustion space the spraying being induced by a gaseous medium, e.g. water vapour medium and fuel meeting before the burner outlet
  • F23D11/104—Burners using a direct spraying action of liquid droplets or vaporised liquid into the combustion space the spraying being induced by a gaseous medium, e.g. water vapour medium and fuel meeting before the burner outlet intersecting at a sharp angle, e.g. Y-jet atomiser
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23C—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR COMBUSTION USING FLUID FUEL OR SOLID FUEL SUSPENDED IN  A CARRIER GAS OR AIR 
  • F23C5/00—Disposition of burners with respect to the combustion chamber or to one another; Mounting of burners in combustion apparatus
  • F23C5/02—Structural details of mounting
  • F23C5/06—Provision for adjustment of burner position during operation
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
  • F23L—SUPPLYING AIR OR NON-COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS OR GASES TO COMBUSTION APPARATUS IN GENERAL ; VALVES OR DAMPERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CONTROLLING AIR SUPPLY OR DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; INDUCING DRAUGHT IN COMBUSTION APPARATUS; TOPS FOR CHIMNEYS OR VENTILATING SHAFTS; TERMINALS FOR FLUES
  • F23L7/00—Supplying non-combustible liquids or gases, other than air, to the fire, e.g. oxygen, steam
  • F23L7/002—Supplying water

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the combustion of crude oil at, for example, the drilling site. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the improved combustion of crude oil using an atomizing burner in which the Burner assembly is adjustably movable from a remote location, and improvements enhance combustion, providing a smokeless burn to limit pollution and complete disposal.
• Oil may be preliminarily stored in tanks upon the drill site, but eventually the oil must be either transmitted to a point of desired location, or disposed of in some manner which is of minimal impact to the environment.
• the untreated disposal of unwanted crude oil upon the earth's surface or into the ocean causes intolerable environmental damage and such a practice is generally prohibited.
• Crude oil used for testing the well may additionally be mixed with drilling mud, sand, or otherwise be impure or unusable.
• Weather conditions may bear on the ability to transmit such oil from a remote drilling site until piping can be set up, especially in very remote areas as the arctic regions of the earth, and in Alaska in the United States. In these frigid and arctic regions, the disposal of oil can be particularly acute in view of the fragileness of such ecological regions. To dispose of oil by combustion in arctic regions requires a clean, complete combustion burn which is substantially smokeless.
• Patent 3,153,438 issued to W. B. Brzozowsk ⁇ .
• Lucich discloses a "Burner for Heavy Liquid Fuels" in U.S. Patent 2,003,181.
• the Zink Patent 2,274,818 discloses a "Combination Gas and Oil Burner”. Thompson shows in U.S. Patent 3,120,260 a "Waste
• Gas Disposal Flare having an adjustable boom.
• U.S. Patent 3,852,022 discloses a "Liquid Fuel Burner Head" issued to Medeot, et al.
• U.S. Patent 3,758,259 issued to Voorheis discloses a "Method for Preparing Fuels and also for Thereafter Feeding Them Into Furnaces and Burning Them Therein".
• the Guerin Patent 3,533,717 provides an "Emulsifier Burner for Hydrocarbons and Water with Mechanical Spraying A Controlled Flame and Having An Anti- Atmospheric Pollution Effect".
• Raulins discloses in U.S. Patent 4,072,190 a "Motion Compensator".
• the Zink Patent 3,814,567 provides a "Smokeless Flare Using Liquid Water Particles". Charpentier discloses in U.S. Patent 3,875,998 an
• OMPI Kubasta in U.S. Patent 3,666,395 discloses an "Offshore Gas Flare Apparatus".
• the boom itself may be threatened in the event of a wind change or the like and thus it would be desirable that the boom be adjustable with regard to direction.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved burrver apparatus which burns a variety of oily waste product, crude oil, oil phase mud, and the like at high rates and in a clean smokeless fashion.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a burner apparatus having improved mixture prior to atomization of the oil being burned in combination with air and/or oil.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved burner apparatus for use in disposing of oil, oil phase mud, and like waste products during well testing operations In fragile environments such as the arctic regions of the earth.
• Figure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention
• Figure 2 is a partially broken elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention
• Figure 3 is a sectional fragmentary view of the swivel mount portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention
• Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the swivel and burner portions of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
• Figure 5 is a partial sectional view of the nozzle portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
• Figure 6 is a fragmentary front view of the nozzle portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
• Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7- 7 of Figure 5;
• Figure 8 is a sectional view of the swivel portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.
• Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along lines 9- 9 of figure 8.
• FIG. 1 best illustrates the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 10.
• a boom 20 supported on a drilling platform 16, for example, at one end portion thereof by a boom support assembly bracket 15 which can be pivotally connected to
• OMPI support 15 by means of a pin connection.
• burner assembly 25 At the extreme end portion of boom 20 opposite support 15 is supported burner assembly 25 which would be movably attached to boom 20 in a pivotal fashion by means described hereinafter.
• burner mount plate 30 Mounted upon boom 20 is burner mount plate 30 supporting swivel assembly 40 thereupon.
• Burner assembly 25 would be desirably rotatably movable with respect to boom 20 (and preferably from a remote location) responsive to rotation of a portion of swivel assembly 40 to which burner assembly 25 is attached and supported at least in part. Rotation of burner assembly 25 could be by means of a motor 70 and gearing arrangement as best seen in figure 2.
• Figure 2 shows swivel assembly 40 receiving thereto a plurality of flow lines 21-23 which would convey respectively oil, water, and a gaseous atomizing medium such as air. It should be understood, however, that instead of oil or crude oil any other material which is to be burned could be supplied such as hazardous waste, or a mud and oil combination.
• Burner mount plate 30 is shown in fragmentary in figure 2 with an annular burner flange 64 being supported thereupon and allowed to rotate with respect to mounting plate 30.
• a detail of the connection of flange 64 and mount plate 30 is seen in figure 2 in sectional view with a bearing surface 65 which could be of any desirable substantially frictionless or low friction material or the like or a polished metallic substance.
• a retaining collar 67 provides an annular overlapping shoulder 68 which would retain flange 64 in a vertical direction against movement. Sufficient clearance would be provided to allow flange 64 to slide freely with respect to bearing surface 65 and collar 67.
• Set screws 69 as desired would be provided to firmly affix flange 64 with respect to mounting plate 30 if so desired.
• motor 70 supported by bracket 73 which motor 70 could be a hydraulic or electric motor, for example, and extend therefrom shaft 71 and at its distal end pinion gear 72.
• a toothed rack 68 would be annular and would be provided in a substantially 360° degree circular fashion about the edges of flange 64. Rotation of motor 70 would thus produce a rotation of shaft 71 and pinion 72 to rotate burner assembly 25 in a desired direction.
• Motor 70 would thus preferably be bidirectional in nature allowing rotation of shaft 71 in either of the two rotational directions.
• Figure 2 further shows a plurality of risers 26- 28 which would convey respectively water, oil, and air. Each riser would communicate with piping provided upon burner assembly 25 and convey fluid to nozzle 35. Water would also be conveyed through line 29 to water ring 32 and to the plurality of nozzles 33 disposed thereabout in a radial fashion.
• Swivel 40 provides a housing 41 having an inner bore 42 which during operation will house swivel element 50. Swivel element 50 will rotate within housing as described more fully hereinafter.
• a plurality of annular seals 46-49 isolate therebetween three fluid retaining annular groove 51-53, each having communication with the exterior of housing 40 through ports 43-45 which would respectively connect to inflow lines 21-23.
• ports 43-45 would separately receive air, oil, water, or other desirable products to be used in the combustion process and to be mixed and atomized at the nozzle 35 portion of burner assembly 25.
• a lowermost plate 55 would be equipped, for example, with a plurality of openings 56 through which suitable fasteners such as bolts B, for example, could be passed and attached to swivel 50.
• Swivel element 50 as best seen in figure 3 provides three annular grooves 56- 58. The combination of annular grooves 51-53 of housing
• O MPI 50 and the annular grooves 56-58 of swivel element 50 provide liquid retaining reservoirs through which liquid or fluid could be transmitted from ports 43-45 to the three risers 75-77.
• Each annular groove 56-58 provides communication with its corresponding port 59-61 and further communicates with risers 75-77 which are shown in phantom lines in figure 8. From the above it can be seen that fluid supplied to ports 43-45 respectively would be co ⁇ municated through swivel 50 and upwardly to risers 65- 67 and piping 26-28 connected thereto, thus supplying fluid as desired to burner assembly 25.
• the uppermost portion of swivel 50 shows bearing plate 64, and upper annular plate 63 which provides the annular toothed rack 68 which will communicate during operation with pinion gear 72.
• Baffles 106 would be linearly adjustable by means of sliding engagement with nozzle assembly 80 responsive to expansion and contraction of pushrod 105 as urged by hudraulic cylinder 104.
• Hydraulic cylinder 104 would be mounted upon brackets which would be attached by welding or like suitable means to venturi cone V, and would be supported thereby.
• Venturi cone V would be supported by nozzle assembly 80 by welding thereto, with nozzle assembly 80 being supported by piping 26-.28 which is in turn supported by swivel element 50, swivel housing 41, skirt S, flange 64, plate 30 and then by boom 20. This would allow linear relative motion of baffle 22 with respect to venturi cones V and would increase or decrease the flow of air into venturi cones V from a remote location as would be desirable. Hydraulic lines (not
• OM shown would be attached to cylinder 104 and be routed to a remote location by attaching hydraulic lines (not shown) to boom 20 and thence to a desired point of operation.
• a water ring 32 would be affixed to the extreme end portion of venturi cones V and would be provided with a plurality of nozzles 29 through which water could be sprayed for engagement with the combustion area.
• FIG. 5 illustrates nozzle assembly 80 which provides a disk shaped plate 84 which forms the downstream end of nozzle assembly 80.
• a tubular member 86 is connected to conduit 87 and is threadably connected to disk 84, although tubular member 86 and the other members described hereinafter, may be connected in any suitable manner such as welding, or the like.
• a first sleeve 92 encircles the forward portion of the tubular member 86 and conduit 87.
• Sleeve 92 is threadably connected to plate 84.
• the upstream end portion of sleeve 87 joins the perimeter of conduit 87.
• Sleeve 92 is of a greater diameter than tubular member 86 and conduit 87, and an annular space 99 is provided around the periphery of tubular member 86. Piping would be connected to sleeve 92 for the purpose of admitting crude oil in the annular space 99.
• Plate 84 is forced against second and outermost sleeve 91 by assembly collar 89 which is threadably attached to sleeve 91.
• the upstream end portion of sleeve 91 joins the perimeter of first sleeve 92.
• Sleeve 91 is of a greater diameter than sleeve 92 and an annular space 98 is provided therebetween. Connected to annular space 98 would be piping for the purpose of admitting water thereto.
• a plurality of ports 93 are formed in plate 84 through which gaseous atomizing medium (such as air) may escape, providing primary air for atomization. These ports 93 preferably have their axes aligned with the axes of discharge openings 95. The openings 95 are of a larger
• Apertures or channels 102 which are equal in number to discharge openings 95, provide co ⁇ mun ⁇ cation between the annular space 99 at 103 and the discharge openings 95.
• Similar aperatures or channels 96 connect space 98 with discharge openings 95.
• the gaseous atomizing medium escaping through the openings 95 serves to draw oil from the annular space 99 and water from the annular space 98 into mixing channels between ports 93 and openings 95 to break the crude oil and water mixture into small droplets and propel it through the openings 95.
• annular conduits or channels Secondary air through annular conduits or channels would be provided at discharge openings 95, also prior to atomization and combustion. These annular conduits or channels are seen as 97 in figure 5. The secondary air improves atomization and combustion.
• the above construction provides an apparatus which produces an essentially smokeless burn and an adjustable apparatus which allows adjustment of burner assembly 25 position with respect to boom position, as well as the enhancement of a smokeless burn by using air flow control for controlling air to the nozzle and burner area both prior to and during combustion.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=23279349

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• 1982
  • 1982-12-06 AU AU11096/83A patent/AU1109683A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1982-12-06 EP EP19830900370 patent/EP0095507A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1982-12-06 WO PCT/US1982/001686 patent/WO1983002147A1/en unknown
  • 1982-12-07 GB GB08234889A patent/GB2112920B/en not_active Expired
  • 1982-12-07 CA CA000417135A patent/CA1195915A/en not_active Expired

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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