US2232948A

US2232948A - Automatic flow treater

Info

Publication number: US2232948A
Application number: US226106A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold K Ihrig; Harlan S Barnes
Original assignee: Black Sivalis & Bryson Inc
Current assignee: Black Sivalis & Bryson Inc
Priority date: 1938-08-22
Filing date: 1938-08-22
Publication date: 1941-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1958-02-25

Description

1941- H. K. IHRIG EI'AL 2,232,943

AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER Filed Aug. 22, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 III TTORNEY Feb. 25, 1941. H. K. IHRIG EIAL 7 AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER Filed Aug. 22, 1938 4 Sheet-Sheetfi 'INV Tols flare/a H. K. IHRIG ETAL Feb. 25,1941.

AUTOMATIC FLOW TREATER Filed Aug. 22, 1938 i 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 0 Wm Y r E m m W 0 N n d n A 0 m w Feb. 25, 1941. H. K. lHRlG ETAL AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTQRS flare/a [II/v9, all? Her/an 5. flaw/16S.

AT 'ORNEY Filed Aug. 22, 1938 13:1 W uu Patented Feb. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES 2,232,948 AUTOMATIC FLOW THEATER Harold K. Ihrig and Harlan 8. Barnes, Oklahoma City, Okla, assignors to Black, Sivalls & Bryson,

Inc., Oklahoma City, Okla., Maine a corporation of Application August 22, 1938, Serial No. 226,106

3 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating liquids such as those discharged from an oil well and usually constituting a mixture of oil, water and gas wherein a part of thewater and oil is in theform of emulsion. To free the oil in the emulsion and water and gas mixture, the well flow is passed through a separating and treating apparatus wherein the flow is subjected to heat in conjunction with a chemical. When the flow contains a great amount of free water the capacity and efflciency of the treating equipment is greatly decreased for the reasori that all of the water is heated and may be chemically treated along with the oil and oil emulsion. Another disadvantage is that gas breaks out of the heated oil during the chemical treatment with the result that the liberated gas rises through the treating solution and produces an agitation that is detrimental to proper treatment, and a further disadvantage is that for some inexplicable reason the oil, on leaving the treating section of the apparatus, travels outwardly through the settling section with a side to side rolling motion to further produce agitation which is detrimental to successful treatment.

Therefore the principal objects of the present invention are to provide a treating apparatus wherein the gas'and free water in the flow are separated prior to chemical and heat treatment; and to provide a separating and treating apparatus constructed to prevent agitation within the chemical treating and settling sections thereof.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a how treating apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the gas separating portion of the apparatus on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar section through the water knock-out portion of the apparatus on the line 3- 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the settling portion of the apparatus on the line 4-4 of Fi 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of the apparatus showing a part of the heater casing broken away to better illustrate the burners and the baffles form- Fig. 8 is a similar section particularly lllusl0 trating the siphon for discharging the water collecting in the knock-out portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a detail section through the oil discharge connection.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line ill-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of the baflles carried in the treating portion of the apparatus.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a flow treating apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, and which includes a substantially elongated tank 2 arranged on end and having a cylindrical wall 3 closed at its ends by crowned

heads

4 and 5. The lower end of the tank has a base ring 6 welded to the lower head 5 and to an anchoring plate I which is adapted for support directly on a foundation (not shown). Partially encircling the lower portion of the tank is a heating chamber and hot gas passageway 8 formed between the wall of the tank and a refractory lined jacket 9.

The chamber 8 is open at its lower end to' provide an inlet ill for combustion supporting .air necessary in supplying a series of burners II which are furnished with fuel such as the gas separated from the flow being treated through a pipe I2. The upper end of-the passageway is closed by a plate l3, having an outlet opening I4 connected with the lower end of a flue or stack I5 extending upwardly alongside the tank 40 wall, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The stack thus forms an outlet for the spent products of combustion and has its upper end covered by a cap Hi. The chamber 8' has a series of bailles i1, spaced apart as at path for the products of combustion on their way to the .stack l5, thereby assuring maximum transfer of heat to the wall 3 of the treating tank. 'The upper portion of the tank has a horizontal diaphragm or partition is extending thereacross to cooperate with the head 4 in forming a gas separating chamber 20. The tank also has a similar partition 2| cooperating with the partition is to form .a water knockout chamber 22 and with the lower head 5 to form a treating 55 is to provide a tortuous and settling compartment 23. Connected with the wall of the tank, substantially midway oi the height. of the gas separating chamber, is a flow inlet 24 that is connected with thesource of fluid to be treated, such as the flow line of an oil well and through which the well flow is directed tangentially for circumvolution about the inner wall of the gas separating chamber by a bailie 25, Figs. 1 and 2.

Extending upwardly from an opening 26 in the partition i9 is a stand pipe 2'1 through which pressures are equalized within the gas separating and water knock-out chambers. The pipe 21 extends to the top of the gas separating chamber, as shown in Fig. 1, to prevent flow of liquid therethrough. The side of the partition i9 is cut away on the side diametrically opposite the inlet to form an outlet 28 for the liquid constituents of the flow from the gas separating chamber to the chamber 22. Connected with the cut away edge of the partition I9 is a plate 29 having its lower edge extending downwardly within the water knock-out chamber, the side edges of the plate being welded to the inner wall of the tank as shown in Fig. 3. The opposite edge of the partition 2| is similarly cut away to connect with a vertical plate 30 having its side edges welded to the inner face of the tank wall as shown in Fig. 4, and which extends from a point slightly below the partition iii to a point near the lower head of the tank to connect with a horizontal plate or bafiie 3|.

The plate 30 cooperates with the wall of the tank to form a vertical flume 32 wherethrough oil and emulsion collecting in the water knockout chamber overflow into the chemical treating chamber as shown in Fig. 1. Attention is directed to the fact that the flume extends through the heat zone of the heater and the liquid delivered Y therethrough passes in direct contact with the heated inner surface of the tank wall. It is therefore apparent that the liquid traveling therethrough is heated-to as high a degree as the liquid passing through the treating chamber. This is an important feature because any of the readily vaporizable liquids are gasifled within the time prior to their admission into the treating chamber. The vapors evolved bubble upwardly through the downwardly flowing liquid and collect in the upper portion of the water knock-out chamber to pass out through the stand pipe 21 into the gas separating chamber where they come in contact with the relatively cold flow being admitted to the apparatus. Contact with the colder fluids efiects condensation of the condensable vapors, which condensates are carried along with the well flow for return through the chemical treating chamber. Some condensation occurs progressively as the rising vapors encounter lower temperatures while ascending the flume and passing through the water knock-out section.

The uncondensable vapors pass out with the separated gas through a spray extractor 33 carried within the gas separating chamber and having an outlet pipe 34 connected with a pipe 35 terminating in a lateral ofitake line 36, the line 36 being provided with a pressure control valve 31 for maintaining a predetermined pressure within the treating apparatus. The pipe 35 is also connected by a branch pipe 38 which in turn is connected with the burner supply pipe i2 previously mentioned.

The pipe 33 is preferably equipped with a hand-operated shut-oil valve 39, a pressure reducing valve 40, and a shut-off valve 4! that is normally retained open as long as the burners are operating, but which is automatically closed when the flames are extinguished. The control is effected by means of a thermostat 42 which extends into the heating chamber and is operatively connected with the valve 4|.

In order to maintain a constant temperature within the chemical treating chamber, the gas supply line has a control valve 43 that is thermostatically operated by means of a thermostat 44 extending into the body of liquid carried in the treating chamber, as shown in Fig. 1.

Supported within the chemical treating chamber is a vertical series of alternately inclined bafiies 45. The baiiies 45 are best illustrated in Fig. 11, and are shown as including plates 46 having depending side flanges 41 and 48 connected at the lower ends of the plates 46 with a'depending flange 49. The opposite edges of theplates are left open to provide weirs whereby liquids ascending through the settled out or wash'liquids pass from a lower baiiie to be intercepted by the next upper baffle, and so on until the treated liquid reaches the settling chamber. The baiiles are supported in the proper spaced relation by means of posts 50 attached to the lower corner thereof, as best shown in Fig. 11.

It is possible that some gas will break out of the oil through its travel up through the baiile section, and this liberated gas would be detrimental to'proper settling out of the oil and water. To avoid this we provide an inverted, panshaped collector 5|, of sufiicient size to intercept any gas bubbles arising from the baffle section, but the depending sides 52 thereof are spaced sufllciently from the walls of the treating chamber to form passageways 53 for the ascending liquids. The gas collector is suspendingly supported in position through attachment to the lower end of a vertical pipe or stack 54 located substantially in the axis of the tank and extending through the partitions l9 and 21 so that the upper end thereof opens into the gas separating chamber. The gas thus collected is returned by way of the stack 54 to the gas separating chamber.

For some reason the liquid, after reaching the top baflie, and in its upward travel through the bodies of liquid collecting in the settling space, has a tendency to roll from side to side, thereby producing agitation in the bodies of liquids. To

overcome this difliculty we install a spaced series of

battles

55 and 55, which may consist of a plurality of closely arranged tubes 51 that are secured together and anchored within the tank, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, to form vertical channels through which the oil rises and through which water drops may fall vertically. The tubes are of small, cross-sectional area and are of sufllcient length to prevent the side to side or cross-roll of the rising liquid. The freed or separated oil collects in a body on top of the free water and is drawn of! through an outlet 53 in the side of the tank and which is protected by an open box-like weir 53. The outlet 58 is connected with a pipe 60, having 9. depending leg 5|, to the lower end of which is connected a valve 52 that is automatically operated responsive to the hydraulic head of oil accumulating in the leg 6!.

Positioned within the outlet 28 is a water discharge siphon 63, including a pipe 64 having its lower end extending to a point adjacent the bottom oi the water knock-out compartment and having its upper end provided with a stuffing box 55 in which is reciprocably mounted an adjustable, tubular weir 56, tclescopingly received within the pipe 64 and having its upper or outlet end projecting into an outlet chamber 61 that is separated from the outlet 28 and has a water outlet 68 in the bottom thereof. The outlet 68'connects with a depending leg of a water pipe 69 which is equipped with an automatic valve 10 operable by a predetermined hydrostatic head of water in the pipe, similar to the oil outlet valve previously described. The tubular weir is adjusted by means of a threaded screw-shaft ll threadedly engaged in a nut 12 carried by the head 4 of the tank and is rotated by a crank 13. The lower end of the rod is connected with a bail-shaped yoke 14 fixed to the upper end of the obvious that rotation of the crank I3, raises and lowers the tubular weir so that the upper :end. thereof may'be located at the desired draw-oi! level to balance the desired hydrostatic head of oil and water in the water knock-out chamber. The threaded shaft H is housed within a tube 15 which extends upwardly within the gas sep-" arating chamber and provides means equalizing pressure on the siphon.

The treating chamber is provided with a similar draw-off siphon including a tube 16 extending from a point adjacent the bottom 01' the tank upwardly within the treating chamber to for the respective ends of connect with an outlet chamber 11. The cham-' ber 11 has a discharge opening 18 in the lower end which is connected by a branch pipe 19 'with the pipe 69. Slidable through a stufling box 80 is a tubular weir Bl, adjustably positioned by means of a threaded shaft 32, similar to the shaft previously prescribed, the shaft 82 extending upwardly through a tubular housing 84 and terminating exteriorly of the tank in an actuating crank 83. The treating chamber portion of the tank is equipped with sight gauges 85 and 86, a pressure gauge 81, and a thermometer 88, as shown in Fig. 1.

In operating an apparatus constructed and assembled as described, the well fluids, to which may have been added a suit-able chemical to aid in breaking up the emulsion, are discharged into the gas separating chamber through the flow inlet 24. Upon inlet into the tank the flow is defiected circumferentially of the inner wall thereof by the baffle 25. This circular movement of the fluids causes the gas to separate from the liquids, the separated gas passing out through the spray extractor and through the pipe 34 to thegas line 36. Upon opening of the valves 39 and II a portion of the gas is supplied to the burners to directly heat the exterior portion of the tank including the treating cham ber. The products of combustion circulate upwardly along the sides of the tank in a devious course due to the bafiles l1 and pass out through the stack IS.

The separated liquids flow from the gas separating chamber through the outlet 28, into thewater knock-out chamber 22 wherein a primary separation of free water from the oil and emulsion occurs, the water settling to the bottom of the chamber and the oil and the top as indicated in Fig. 1. When the oil rises to the top of the flume 32, it overflows through the flume and is delivered to the bottom of the treating chamber under the plate 3|. Elimination of free water from the flow in the tubular weir. It is thus emulsion rising to water'knock-out chamber reduces the fiow volume passed through the flume 32 and reduces the heating load in'the treating chamber. This reduction in volume consequently reduces the velocity of the liquid with the result that the heat and chemical, if used, have ample time to effect breaking of the emulsion. The liquid passing through the time moves in direct contact with the heated surface of the tank so that it is brought to the temperature carried in the treating chamber prior to admission of the liquids therein. The readily vaporized constituents of the liquid are therefore gasifled in the flum and gravitate upwardly therethrough for return to' the water knock-out chamber, from wherethe vapor passes through the equalizing tube 21*into the gas separating chamber and is contacted with the cold incoming flow. The recoverable portions of the vapors are condensed thereby and the uncondensed vapors pass out through free gas.

The liquid, upon entering the treating chamber, passes under the outer edge of' the plate the spray extractor, along with the "3| and mXjiQYeS upwardly under. the first battle to the end thereof,where it rises to the succeeding bailles in a thin, sheet-like formation. The tortuous movement of the liquid prolongs its stay in the heating and chemical treating zone and gives sufficient time for settling out the major part of the water which remains in the bottom of the heating chamber. The freed oil rises to the top of the treating chamber and is drawn oil through the outlet 58 and pipe 60. When a sufiicient amount of oil accumulates in the leg SI of the pipe tooperate the automatic valve 52, the valve opens to discharge the oil. The excess water, accumulating in the treating chamber, rises upwardly through the tube 16 and flows through the tubular weir 8| for 'discharge into the outlet chamber, from which it flows through the branch 19 into the pipe 6:], where the water is discharged upon accumulation of a predetermined hydrostatic head through the valve 10. The tubular weir 8| is adjusted to maintain a definite height of wash water in the treating chamber by actuation of the crank 83. The excess water is being similarly drawn from the knock-out chamber through the tube 54, the tubular weir 66 having been adjusted by manipulation of the crank 13 to maintain the water level at the desired height.

The entrained liquid is separated in the spray extractor 33 and returned to the treating chamber through the stack 54. Any free gas or vapor evolved in the wash section of the treating chamber rises through the liquid therein and is discharged through the outlet 58 and pipe 60 for disposal or storage.

The tubular baiiles eliminate any cross-currents or turbulence which might occur: in the treating chamber so that the settling oil is substantially undisturbed and free of agitation. Removal of gas and vapor evolved in the water section and trapping thereof by the collector t lako prevents agitation of the settling liquid which would result by bubbling of the gas therethrough. 2

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I v

1. Apparatus of the character described including a vessel, a partition dividing the vessel into an upper free water separating chamber and a lower emulsion treating chamber, means for conducting a well ilow containing free water and an oil and water emulsion mixture to the vessel and having an outlet in the lower portion of said upper chamber, means connected with the upper chamber fpr maintaining a predetermined level of separated free water above the inlet of said mixture, a time connecting the free water separating chamber at a point above the free water level with the lower portion of the emulsion treating chamber, means ior heating the emulsion in the emulsion treating chamber to promote gravity separation of the oil and water components of the emulsion, means connected with the emulsion treating chamber for separately removing said oil and water components, a series of baflles supported in the emulsion treating chamber forming a tortuous path for upward movement of the emulsion, a gas collector supported in the emulsion treating chamber above said baflles and below an upper quiescent zone in said chamber in which theoil and water stratify for removing any gas liberated incidental to heating, a gas discharge duct connected with said gas collector, and means supported in said quiescent zone of the emulsion treating chamber for preventing a cross roll of the gravitating oil and water components.

2. Apparatus of the character described including a vessel having a treating chamber, means for heating an emulsion in the treating chamber to promote gravity separation of oil and water components of the emulsion, means connected with said emulsion treating chamber for separately removing said 011 and water components, a series of 'bailles supported in the emulsion treating chamber forming a tortuous path for upward movement of the emulsion, means supported in the emulsion treating chamber for preventing a cross-roll of the gravitating oil and water components, a gas collector supported in the emulsion treating chamber between said baflles and said cross-roll preventing means for collecting any gas liberated incidental to heating of the emulsion, and a gas discharge duct connected with said gas collector.

3. An apparatus of the character described including a vessel having horizontally spaced partitions dividing the vessel into an upper gas separating chamber, a lower emulsion treating chamber, and an intermediate free water separating chamber, means for admitting a well flow to the gas separating chamber, a flume connecting the lower portion of the gas separating chamber with the lower portion of the free water separating chamber. for conducting liquid components of the flow into the free water separating chamber, means connected with the free water separating chamber for discharging water separated in said chamber, a flume having its inlet connected with the upper portion of the free water separating chamber for conducting oil and emulsion components of the flow to the lower portion of the emulsion treating chamber, means for heating the emulsion treating chamber to promote gravity separation of the oil and water components of the emulsion, means separately removing separated oil and water from the emulsion treating chamber, a series of bailles in the emulsion treating chamber forming a tortuous path for the liquids delivered to said chamber, a gas collecting means supported in the emulsion chamber above the baflles and below an upper quiescent zone in said chamber in which the oil and water stratify for collecting gas evolved incidental to heating of-the liquids, a duct connected with the gas collecting means for conducting the gas to the gas separating chamber, and a plurality of vertically arranged tubes supported in the emulsion treating chamber within said quiescent zone to prevent crossroll of the separated oil and water rising toward said oil and water removing means.

HAROLD K. IHRIG. HARLAN S. BARNES.