WO2014058468A1 - Centrifugeuse assistée par champs électriques - Google Patents

Centrifugeuse assistée par champs électriques Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014058468A1
WO2014058468A1 PCT/US2013/031843 US2013031843W WO2014058468A1 WO 2014058468 A1 WO2014058468 A1 WO 2014058468A1 US 2013031843 W US2013031843 W US 2013031843W WO 2014058468 A1 WO2014058468 A1 WO 2014058468A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
electrodes
chosen
oil
axis
electric field
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2013/031843
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Alp T. Findikoglu
Robert N. TROTTER
Original Assignee
Los Alamos National Security, Llc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Los Alamos National Security, Llc filed Critical Los Alamos National Security, Llc
Publication of WO2014058468A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014058468A1/fr

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/26—Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal force
    • B01D21/262—Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal force by using a centrifuge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D21/00—Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation
    • B01D21/0009—Settling tanks making use of electricity or magnetism
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B03—SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03C—MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS
    • B03C5/00—Separating dispersed particles from liquids by electrostatic effect
    • B03C5/02—Separators
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D2221/00—Applications of separation devices
    • B01D2221/04—Separation devices for treating liquids from earth drilling, mining

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the separation of oil from solid materials removed from oil wells and oil sands and, more particularly, to the use of a combination of electric fields at specific amplitudes, gradients and frequencies, with centrifugal forces in a single electrical/physical processing system to separate oil from solid particles.
  • the apparatus for separating oil from solid materials coated therewith dispersed in a fluid hereof includes: a first circular electrically insulating support member having a first axis and a circumference; a plurality of equally spaced-apart elongated electrodes disposed parallel to the first axis within the circumference of the first support member and equally distant therefrom, and supported thereby, wherein alternate electrodes are grounded; a second circular electrically insulating support member, spaced-apart from the first support member having a second axis collinear with the first axis, and a second circumference equal to the first circumference for supporting the plurality of electrodes; a cylindrical electrically conducting grounded mesh structure effective for capturing the solid materials, having a second axis collinear with the first axis and a third circumference equal to the first circumference, and supported by the first support member and the second support member
  • the method for separating oil from solid materials coated therewith dispersed in a fluid hereof includes: applying a selected voltage having a chosen frequency to alternate electrodes in a plurality of equally spaced-apart, elongated parallel electrodes in contact with the fluid, and disposed in a circular pattern having a first axis and a first circumference, wherein the adjacent electrodes are grounded, the plurality of electrodes being surrounded by a cylindrical electrically conducting grounded mesh structure effective for capturing the solid materials having a second axis collinear with the first axis and a second circumference larger than the first circumference, the plurality of electrodes and the mesh structure forming a centrifuge cage having an axis collinear with the first axis; whereby a chosen electric field distribution and a chosen electric field gradient distribution are established between adjacent electrodes in the plurality of electrodes and between those electrodes of the plurality of electrodes which are not grounded and the cage effective for producing dielectric
  • Benefits and advantages of embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, providing an apparatus for separating fluids from solid materials coated therewith, wherein the degree of separation for the simultaneous application of physical forces and electrical forces is greater than that for either force by itself, or for the sequential application of these forces in either order.
  • FIGURE 1 is a schematic representation of a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating electric fields combined with a centrifuge (shown without a containment vessel); where FIG. 1A illustrates an array of parallel, alternate polarity electrodes circumferentially disposed on a nonconducting plate, FIG. 1 B illustrates a second nonconducting plate for supporting the electrodes, and a metallic screen mesh circumferentially disposed between the nonconducting plates, and FIG. 1C illustrates drill cuttings in a suspension of oil and water being poured through a hole in the second nonconducting plate into the rotating electrode/mesh apparatus shown in FIG. 1B, hereof, with solely DC or RF electric fields, or simultaneous RF and DC electric fields being applied to parallel electrodes as the drill cuttings migrate to and are trapped in the mesh.
  • FIG. 1A illustrates an array of parallel, alternate polarity electrodes circumferentially disposed on a nonconducting plate
  • FIG. 1 B illustrates a second nonconducting plate for supporting
  • FIGURE 2 is a schematic representation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 C hereof, illustrating an apparatus for supplying the electric fields, and a motor for rotating the centrifuge cage (again shown without a containment vessel), the drill cuttings being dried after the separated water and oil have been removed from the apparatus.
  • FIGURE 3 is a graph of the average oil content of the drill cuttings when processed using the centrifuge only, the centrifuge with DC, the centrifuge with RF, and the centrifuge with both DC and RF simultaneously, as a function of time.
  • FIGURE 4 is a graph of the average oil content of the drill cuttings when processed using the centrifuge with both RF and DC voltages applied, as a function of RF voltage, for 1 min. and 3 min.
  • embodiments of the present invention include apparatus and method for combining centrifugal forces with electric field and electric field gradient induced forces for improving the separation of oil from materials coated therewith.
  • the technique is termed Electric Field Assisted Centrifuge (EFAC), and combines electric field induced forces with physical separation forces such as centrifugation in a single electrical/physical processing system.
  • EFAC Electric Field Assisted Centrifuge
  • the simultaneous application of both types of forces achieves separations that are not possible by either one alone, or by both in series.
  • the electric field As the electric field is applied to the mixture, it separates the fluid component (oil and/or water for oil well-related materials) from the solid components, the centrifuge, being operated with between 25 g and 3,000 g, removes the fluid component from the mixture resulting in a solid discharge from the centrifuge which has less fluid thereon than would derive from simple centrifugation for a similar time period. In the situation where the solid material has been exposed to an oil/water mixture, the same type of processing provides similar results. As the oil/water mixture is introduced into the centrifuge, the electric field is applied and separates the oil and water from the solid material. The oil component can then be separated from the oil and water mixture by further processing with electric fields or other separation techniques known in the industry, and cleaner water may be discharged from the centrifuge.
  • Base oil/drilling mud may be separated from drill cuttings, colloidal, low specific-gravity solids may be reduced in both aqueous and non-aqueous drilling fluids, produced sand may be separated from a crude oil production stream, and slop water (weak oil/water emulsions or mixtures) may be separated.
  • the reduction in oil concentration in accordance with the teaching of embodiments of the present invention would allow oil companies to reduce drilling and completion wastes, reduce residual synthetic base oil on drill cuttings discharged overboard into receiving waters on offshore drilling operations, recover reusable non-aqueous base fluids, reduce the cost of reconditioning drilling fluids, specifically, non-aqueous fluids, reduce the processing and disposal cost of slop water, and reduce the cost of maintaining and conditioning drilling fluids during drilling operations.
  • oil as used herein, therefore, includes natural oil from wells, and natural and synthetic oils employed in drilling mud.
  • fluid includes liquids comprising oil or oil/water emulsions, and the term “solid materials”, as used herein, includes drill cuttings and sand.
  • any electrical force such as electrostatic, DC, AC, dual frequency, pulsed DC, RF, microwave, EFIS, etc., in cooperation with any physical force, including centrifugal, cyclonic, high velocity air, pressure differential, etc., is expected by the present inventors to be effective.
  • FIGURE 1 shown is a schematic representation of a perspective view of an embodiment, 10, of the present invention illustrating electric fields combined with a centrifuge.
  • FIGURE 1A illustrates an array of parallel, alternately powered and grounded electrodes, 12, circumferentially disposed on nonconducting plate, 14, such as one constructed from polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
  • PEEK polyether ether ketone
  • FIGURE 1 B illustrates second nonconducting plate, 16, similar to plate 14 for supporting electrodes 12, the assembly being enclosed by metallic mesh or screen, 18, circumferentially disposed between the nonconducting plates, and forming thereby rigid, cylindrical centrifuge basket or cage, 20, having axis, 22.
  • FIGURE 1 C illustrates drill cuttings in a suspension of oil and water, 24, being poured into hole, 26, in plate 16 for processing. RF and DC electric fields may simultaneously be applied to parallel electrodes 12 as the drill cuttings migrate to and are trapped in the mesh.
  • Apparatus 28 may include tunable RF signal generator, 32, amplifier, 34, voltage step-up circuit, 36, RF transmission line, 38, DC bias, 40, voltage step-up circuit, 42, inductance matching circuit, 44, and diagnostic current and voltage probes, whereby electrical shorts can be detected, temperature probes, etc., 46.
  • Mesh 18 is shown grounded in FIG. 2, but may be negatively biased in some situations.
  • Chosen frequency may be between approximately 100 Hz and approximately 1 GHz
  • chosen electric field distributions may be between about 0.01 kV/cm and about 100 kV/cm
  • chosen electric field gradient distributions may be between approximately 0.01 kV/cm 2 and approximately 10 3 kV/cm 2 .
  • the electrodes have alternating polarities leading to largely circumferential electric fields in the basket; however, the mesh allows radial electric fields/forces (i.e., parallel to the g-Force) to be applied in the centrifuge.
  • radial electric fields/forces i.e., parallel to the g-Force
  • oil content drops
  • a negative (-) bias to the mesh screen leads to increased oil content with respect to centrifuge only results. Additionally, the oil content does not saturate within 12 min. (as is the situation for the centrifuge only), but continues to change with applied bias beyond 12 min.
  • RF bias has also been found to enhance oil separation; an approximately megahertz frequency range is the most promising range because of a combination of limited heating effects and increased separation efficiency.
  • RF + DC bias does not yield further enhanced separation; rather, RF + DC bias may lead to processing difficulties because of electrode shorting.
  • TABLE 2 provides retort analyses for the drill cuttings.
  • FIGURE 3 is a graph of the average oil content of the drill cuttings when processed using the centrifuge only, the centrifuge with DC, the centrifuge with RF, and the centrifuge with both DC and RF simultaneously, as a function of time.
  • FIGURE 4 is a graph of the average oil content of the drill cuttings when processed using the centrifuge with both RF and DC voltages applied, as a function of RF voltage, for 1 min. and 3 min.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Centrifugal Separators (AREA)

Abstract

Appareil et procédé pour appliquer des forces induites par des champs électriques (28), à des amplitudes, des gradients et des fréquences spécifiques, aux contenus d'une centrifugeuse en rotation (20) dans un système de traitement physique/électrique unique, pour séparer de l'huile à partir de matières solides (24) extraites de puits de pétrole, à titre d'exemple. Une meilleure séparation d'huile a été observée à la fois dans un système synthétique d'agents de soutènement en céramique recouverts de boue de forage synthétique, et dans un échantillon de déblais de forage lorsque la séparation centrifuge était assistée par des champs électriques CC ou RF appliqués individuellement ou des champs électriques CC et RF appliqués simultanément.
PCT/US2013/031843 2012-10-08 2013-03-15 Centrifugeuse assistée par champs électriques WO2014058468A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201261710945P 2012-10-08 2012-10-08
US201261710910P 2012-10-08 2012-10-08
US61/710,945 2012-10-08
US61/710,910 2012-10-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2014058468A1 true WO2014058468A1 (fr) 2014-04-17

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4116790A (en) * 1977-07-18 1978-09-26 Combustion Engineering, Inc. Method and apparatus for separation of fluids with an electric field and centrifuge
US5352343A (en) * 1990-10-06 1994-10-04 The University Of Bradford Separation of the components of liquid dispersions
US20110287920A1 (en) * 2010-05-20 2011-11-24 Kayden Industries Inc. Vertical axis centrifugal separator

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4116790A (en) * 1977-07-18 1978-09-26 Combustion Engineering, Inc. Method and apparatus for separation of fluids with an electric field and centrifuge
US5352343A (en) * 1990-10-06 1994-10-04 The University Of Bradford Separation of the components of liquid dispersions
US20110287920A1 (en) * 2010-05-20 2011-11-24 Kayden Industries Inc. Vertical axis centrifugal separator

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