Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/10—Devices for removing the material from the surface
  • E02B15/103—Rotary drums
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B15/00—Cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water; Apparatus therefor
  • E02B15/04—Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials
  • E02B15/043—Devices or methods for removing oil by means of freezing
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02A20/00—Water conservation; Efficient water supply; Efficient water use
  • Y02A20/20—Controlling water pollution; Waste water treatment
  • Y02A20/204—Keeping clear the surface of open water from oil spills

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method of recovering oil from water or soil, in which method the oil is cooled by a cryogenic cooling agent and is led into the collecting organs.
• the object of this invention is to create a new sort of method, by which the effectiveness of lifting oil is further advanced especially in difficult circumstances.
• the characteristic features of the invention are presented in the adjoining patent claims.
• the method in accordance with the invention includes the surprising characteristic that the growth of the partial pressure of the cooling agent, e.g. liquid nitrogen, which happens on the surface of the collecting organ, prevents water from getting onto the surface of the collecting organ. Taking the cooling agent, e.g. liquid nitrogen, onto the surface of the oil layer is also otherwise difficult, but by using suction to get it onto the surface of the collecting organ this problem is solved. Further, if the collecting organ is flock coated, lighter oil underneath the heavy oil to be recovered facilitates the loosening of the oil from the collecting organ.
• the cooling agent e.g. liquid nitrogen
• the method in accordance with the invention is superior compared with earlier solutions in that the boiling of the nitrogen or other and the growth of the partial pressure on the collecting surface and the diffusion into the surroundings prevent water and steam from getting condensed and frozen on the surface of the collecting organ.
• the invention is particularly profitable in cold, arctic circumstances.
• Figure 1 shows the use of a flock coated roll in recovering oil.
• Figure 2 shows a wirelike collecting device.
• Figure 3 shows a collecting device equipped with a cooled circular. brush.
• Figure 4 shows the cleaning process which uses cooled pellets.
• reference number 1 shows the rotatable roll, which has a flock coat 2.
• Liquid nitrogen is spread onto it by spreading roll 3 and the recovered oil is removed by rotating steel brush 4.
• the spreading is profitably carried out by spraying. After the spreading, the liquid nitrogen has a slight delay in order for the phase change to start.
• the direction of the rotation and of the movement of roll 1 is marked with corresponding arrows.
• the removal of the oil can be facilitated by moistening the flock coat with supple oil before the roll is used, whereby the heavier oil comes loose from the surface of the roll as a thick layer.
• this oil layer is functionally part of the collecting organ.
• the flock coat stores coldness by storing liquid nitrogen. Its evaporation keeps the nitrogen concentration high on the surface and neither water nor steam has a possibility of freezing onto the surface which also rejects ice.
• the nitrogen layer also works as an insulator, preventing the easily inflammable components from igniting.
• Figure 2 schematically shows a wirelike collecting device.
• roll 6 and the accessory wheels have been surrounded by rotatable wire 7 which collects the oil onto its surface and from where it is removed with the help of appropriate equipment, as here by clamp rolls 8 and suction channel 9.
• Liquid nitrogen is fed onto the inner surface of the wire, from where it is absorbed through the wire so as to cool oil that comes into contact with the wire, whereafter it is freed outwards.
• a continuous mat is used here, the way of collection is in principle the same as in figure 1.
• Figure 3 presents a way of collection that differs from that above.
• a quickly rotating brush is moistened by liquid nitrogen, whereby it gives up its heat so effectively to the incoming oil that solid particles are formed.
• the feeding in of the liquid nitrogen has been marked by the letters N, L.
• the first brush, marked by reference number 10 is the most important. Also other brushes can be used in order for the solid substance to be formed.
• another quickly rotating brush has been marked by reference number 11, and reference number 13 points to a brush that rotates more slowly.
• the solid substance that has been formed is transferred further with the help of these brushing devices 11 and 13.
• reference number 12 shows a channel through which the solid oil particles are taken upwards until they can be dropped onto an appropriate transporter that takes them into a temporary storage.
• Reference number 15 presents a potential roll formed out of dry ice, which presses the oil layer against the brush. The roll is changed every few hours. It stays clean even in hard spots and no oil is attached onto it.
• Figure 4 shows a cleaning process which uses freezable plastic pellets and is particularly used for cleaning bilge water.
• Crushed glass or aluminium grains can also be used.
• substance characteristics and size distribution of the particles can be used to influence the process and to optimize it according to the quality of the oil to be recovered.
• largest dimension of the pellets is 1 - 10 mm.
• the shape, surface quality and other characteristics of the pellets can be changed according to the situation. Especially the freezing capacity of the pellets is set to be such that a sufficient delay will be acquired for the lifting before the oil starts to drip from the pellets.
• the specific weight of the pellets is set according to the specific weight of the oil to be recovered.
• reference number 20 presents the additional cooling of the oily pellets by liquid nitrogen. Due to this, the oil can easily be mechanically separated from the pellets at the separation stage 21. The oil comes loose from the pellets as a powdery phase which makes a simple sieving possible. Naturally the oil can also be defrozen away, but in that case more liquid nitrogen is needed to cool the pellets.
• the cooled, quite clean pellets are led to the actual cleaning process 22, in which the pellets and the oily water have been set to go counter-current.
• the pellets are lifted upwards by an appropriate transporter (not shown) at the same time as the oily water flows downwards.
• the oil is caught onto the surface of the cold pellets and the clean water flows out.
• the oily pellets are led to the additional cooling stage 20 and the process continues in the same manner.
• the method can be modified in many ways.
• the cooling agent e.g. industrial alcohol (melting point
• the method can also be applied when taking samples (molecular layers on the water surface) and to collect oil from wells.
• the batcher of cryogenic gas particularly liquid nitrogen
• the method suits all oil qualities.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8549182

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (19)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1997
  • 1997-07-02 FI FI972834A patent/FI102627B/fi active IP Right Grant
• 1998
  • 1998-07-02 AU AU82176/98A patent/AU8217698A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-07-02 WO PCT/FI1998/000566 patent/WO1999004101A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-07-02 EP EP98932188A patent/EP1030947A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events