Patent Grant
12070704
Petroleum producers, refiners, construction de-watering systems, gas processors (including onshore and offshore), and chemical manufacturers utilize separation systems to filter, process, and recover chemical products, such as particulates, hydrocarbons, etc., from a variety of raw material process streams. Separation systems of this nature generally have an inlet stream that can comprise a complex heterogeneous mixture of solids, liquids, and gaseous materials that require processing to achieve separation of one or more components with a predetermined efficiency. Developers of separation systems are always looking for ways to increase the efficiency and output and decrease the overall operating costs of such systems.
Some embodiments provide a particle separation system including a vessel having at least one side wall and a bottom wall forming an internal chamber within the vessel, a filtration unit positioned within the vessel and including a first filtration pack including a first plurality of filter elements, an inlet for moving pre-separated fluid into the vessel, and an outlet in fluid communication with the filtration pack for moving processed fluid out of the vessel. A rate of pre-separated fluid flow into the vessel and a rate of processed fluid flow out of the vessel is between about 10 and about 1000 gallons per minute (GPM) and a flux within the filtration unit is less than or equal to about 0.05 gallons per minute per square foot (GPM/ft2).
Other embodiments provide a particle separation system comprising a vessel having at least one side wall and a bottom wall forming an internal chamber within the vessel, a filtration unit positioned within the vessel and comprising a first filtration pack comprising a first plurality of filter elements having a first plurality of outlets, a first hollow manifold having a first plurality of inlets, a number of the first plurality of inlets being equal to a number of the first plurality of outlets, and the first plurality of outlets and the first plurality of inlets being capable of coupling such that a flow through each of the first plurality of filter elements enters the first manifold. The first hollow manifold including a first outlet channel for flow from the first manifold to a processed fluid conduit, a second filtration pack comprising a second plurality of filter elements having a second plurality of outlets, and a second hollow manifold having a second plurality of inlets. A number of the second plurality of inlets is equal to a number of the second plurality of outlets. The second plurality of outlets and the second plurality of inlets are capable of coupling such that a flow through each of the second plurality of filter elements enters the second manifold. The second hollow manifold including a second outlet channel for flow from the second manifold to the processed fluid conduit.
Still other embodiments provide a method of separating particles from a fluid. The method comprises the steps of providing fluid through an inlet into a vessel. The vessel is provided at atmospheric pressure and has at least one side wall and a bottom wall forming an internal chamber within the vessel. The method further includes passing the fluid into and through a filtration unit utilizing a downstream pump, the filtration unit creating a flux of less than or equal to about 0.05 gallons per minute per square foot (GPM/ft2), and moving the fluid processed by the filtration unit to an outlet and out of the vessel. The method further includes moving the fluid through one or more of a coalescer and an absorption bed after moving the fluid out of the vessel. In some embodiments, the fluid is moved into the vessel at a rate of between about 10 and about 1000 gallons per minute (GPM). Some embodiments further include simultaneously fluidly coupling a first plurality of filter elements of a first filtration pack in a filtration unit to a manifold.
Other embodiments provide a method of separating particles from a fluid. The method comprises the steps of providing fluid through an inlet into a vessel at atmospheric pressure and passing the fluid through a filtration unit utilizing a downstream pump. The filtration unit may have a filtration pack comprising a plurality of filter elements having a plurality of outlets on a first end of the plurality of filter elements, a single manifold having a plurality of inlets, and a frame for holding the filtration pack. The frame may include an end cap structure comprising a plurality of alignment structures to align the plurality of outlets with the plurality of inlets. The method also may include moving the fluid through the plurality of outlets into the single manifold.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
Referring now to
Pre-separated fluid is transferred into the source tank(s) 22, for example, by trucks 28. In the depicted embodiment, the trucks 28 are filled with pre-separated fluid at a remote location and transported to the location of the particle separation system 20. The pre-separated fluid can be transferred from the trucks 28 to the source tank(s) 22 in any suitable manner. In other illustrative embodiments, the pre-separated fluid can be transferred to the source tank(s) 22 is other manners, for example, through a pressurized flow from another location. Alternatively, the pre-separated fluid can be transferred by any suitable vehicle, vessel, or fluid transfer system. Still further, while the fluid in the source tank(s) 22 is referred to herein as being pre-separated fluid, the fluid can be any pre-separated fluid capable of separation into solids and fluids. More particularly, pre-separated fluid refers to any fluid, for example, water, an amine, or any other fluid, that is contaminated by dirt or other debris, hydrocarbons, chemicals, and/or any other contaminants regardless of the form (e.g., solid, liquid, etc.). In some embodiments, the pre-separated fluid is produced water, which is a by-product of hydrocarbon extraction methods and consists of water mixed with oil and particulate of various concentrations. In some embodiments, the pre-separated fluid is waste water, for example, from a refinery, chemical plant, gas plant, or other similar location. In still other embodiments, the pre-separated fluid is industrial waste water, run-off, or construction de-watering. Produced and waste water are both by-products of chemical processes that must be treated before reuse or disposal.
Referring to
While a single source tank 22, a single pump system 24, and a single separation vessel 26 are depicted in
The pump system 24 and the separation vessel 26 are shown in more detail in
The separation vessel 26 generally includes a top wall or covering 100 (optional), a bottom wall 102, and one or more side walls 104 forming an internal or main filtration chamber 105 within the separation vessel 26, as seen in
As seen in
Each filtration pack 122 can include any suitable number of filter elements 124, for example, between about 10 and about 1000, between about 100 and about 800, between about 200 and about 600, between about 300 and 500, or about 450 filter elements 124. In an illustrative embodiments, multiple filtration packs 122 each having 25 filter elements 124, can be utilized. In one such embodiment, 18 filtration packs 112 each having 25 filter elements 124 (with a total of 450 filter elements) can be utilized.
While the filter elements 124 are depicted as being vertical, the filter elements 124 can optionally be horizontal or one or more filtration packs 122 can include filter elements 124 that are vertical and one or more filtration packs 122 can include filter elements 124 that are horizontal. In illustrative embodiments, each of the filter elements 124 in the filtration pack 122 can be parallel to one another. Additionally, while the filter elements 124 are shown as being nested in a square-shape with parallel rows and columns of filter elements 124, as seen in the top elevational view of
As best seen in
Pre-separated fluid moves from an outside of the filter media 140, through the filter media 140, into the central hollow core 142, and out the filter element outlet tube 154, as shown by arrows 155a-155c, as seen in
In illustrative embodiments, the filtration unit 120 includes at least two filtration packs 122. In illustrative embodiments, the filtration unit 120 includes two filtration packs 122, each including 64 filter elements 124, as seen in
While the separation vessel 26 is shown as being generally rectangular in shape, one skilled in the art will understand that the separation vessel 26 can have any suitable shape, for example, square-shaped, cylindrical, or any other suitable geometric shape. In illustrative embodiments, the separation vessel 26 can include sloped inner surfaces 157 (
The filtration unit 120, including the filtration packs 122 and the individual filter elements 124 of the filtration packs 122, in combination with the rate of flow through the separation vessel 26 create a low flux through the filtration unit 120. More particularly, by increasing the number of overall filter elements 124 (e.g., by including a number of filtration packs 122 or a single filtration pack 122 with multiple filter elements 124), a total square footage of filter media is increased or maximized. In illustrative embodiments, the flux through the filter elements 124 can be less between about 0.001 gallons per minute per square foot (GPM/ft2) and about 0.05 GPM/ft2. In other illustrative embodiments, the flux through the filter elements 124 can be less than or equal to about 0.01 GPM/ft2. In still other illustrative embodiments, the flux through the filter elements 124 can be less than or equal to about 0.008 GPM/ft2). In yet other illustrative embodiments, the flux through the filter elements 124 can be less than or equal to about 0.005 GPM/ft2. In some embodiments, the flux through the filter elements 124 can be between about 0.001 GPM/ft2 and about 0.01 GPM/ft2, or about 0.005 GPM/ft2. To achieve the desired flux, the flow of pre-separated fluid into the separation vessel 26 and processed fluid out of the separation vessel 26 can be the same. In some illustrative embodiments, the flow of pre-separated fluid into the separation vessel 26 and the flow of processed fluid out of the separation vessel 26 can be between about 10 gallons per minute (GPM) and about 1000 GPM. In other embodiments, both flows can be between about 10 GPM and about 600 GPM or between about 50 GPM and about 400 GPM. In yet other illustrative embodiments, the flow can be about 300 or about 350 GPM. The flow rate can vary, so an overall surface area of the filter elements 124 can be varied to achieve a flux within the ranges desired herein. In some illustrative embodiments, the flow of pre-separated fluid into the separation vessel 26 and processed fluid out of the separation vessel 26 can be different.
In some embodiments, the flow rate through the vessel 26 (and thus, through the filtration unit 120) is variable (per the ranges discussed above). In such embodiments, the filter element surface area can be varied in order to achieve the target flux rates discussed above. In this manner, the number of filtration packs 122 and/or the dimensions of the filter elements 124 within a filtration pack 122 can be varied to achieve the target flux rates for a particular flow rate. In this manner, the filtration packs 122 are modular, as will be discussed in greater detail below, in that each pack can be individually inserted and removed from the vessel 26.
An increased square footage of filter media minimizes the flow rate per media area (or flux). At very low flux rates per unit of media area, the dirt or particle holding capacity of the filtration unit 120, the filtration packs 122, and the individual filter elements 124 increases exponentially, which leads to longer operation time before the filtration unit 120, the filtration pack(s) 122, and/or the individual filter elements 124 need to be changed due to limited differential pressure. The mechanism of ultra-low flux theory is that particles do not have a large enough face velocity to penetrate or clog pores in the filter media 140 of the filter elements 124. More particularly, solid particles hit the filter media 140 and fall to the bottom of the separation vessel 26, rather than collecting in the filter media 140. Conversely, at a higher flux, the particles would have a large enough face velocity to penetrate and clog the pores in the filter media 140 of the filter elements 124. The systems described herein capitalize on the ultra-low flux theory by increasing the number of filter elements 124 through which the pre-separated fluid flows, thereby decreasing the flux to a low enough number that filter element 124 life (and, thus, filtration unit 120 and filtration pack 122 life) is lengthened from several days to months. This increased life decreases operational expenditures dramatically, as will be discussed in more detail herein.
The particle separation system 20 can include a control system 168 for controlling operation of the system 20. In some embodiments, as seen in
Referring now to
The separation vessel 226 includes a plurality of walls 230 forming the separation vessel 226 that form an internal or main filtration chamber 232. The filtration packs 222 of the filtration unit 220 occupy at least a portion of the internal chamber 232. Referring to
First ends 234 of the filter elements 224 can be positioned in a frame 236 and second ends 238 of the filter elements 224 can be connected to a manifold 240. The frame 236, which can be made of steel or another suitable material, can include a plurality of slots (not shown) for insertion of a second end 238 of each filter element 224 in each of the slots to retain the filter elements 224 within the frame 236 and in relation to one another. In other embodiments, the filter elements 224 can be retained within the frame 236 in any suitable manner. The manifold 240, as seen in
As further seen in
As best seen in
Referring back to
When the filtration packs 222 are first inserted into the separation vessel 226, the filter elements 224 are clean and dry and, thus, create an upward buoyant force. In order to retain the filtration packs 222 in place within the separation vessel 226 (in a vertical direction), retention straps 280 can be attached, for example by brackets or any other suitable mechanism, to opposing walls 230 of the separation vessel 226. In some embodiments, the retention straps 280 are positioned immediately above the manifolds 240 when the frame 236 is positioned on a bottom wall of the separation vessel 26. In other embodiments, the retention straps 280 can be located at any suitable position. While the retention straps 280 are shown as being made of a flexible material, the straps 280 may alternatively be made of a rigid material or a combination of flexible and rigid materials.
Still referring to
In some embodiments, as seen in
In any of the embodiments discloses herein, one or more aerators or bubblers can be disposed, for example, on the bottom wall 102, one or more side walls 104, or at any other suitable location within the separation vessel 26. The aerator or bubbler would act to inject air (or possibly a fluid, such as water) into the separation vessel 26 to create a disturbance, which may assist in moving fluid through the separation vessel 26 and/or in the filtration process.
In any of the embodiments discloses herein, a back-pulsing operation may be implemented within any of the systems. More particularly, the flow through the separation vessel may be reversed to remove solids from the filter elements of one or more filtration packs, and then may be returned to the original flow direction. The back-pulsing operation may improve the life of the individual filter elements.
As can be seen from the foregoing figures, the separation vessels 26, 226 of the particle separation system can be portable and replaceable. More particularly, the separation vessel 26, 226 can be on wheels or can be capable of being placed on a trailer or other structure for moving the separation vessel 26, 226. The separation vessel 26, 226 can be connected and unconnected from the source tank(s) 22 (or other location) and the pump system 24 and can be removed from the particle separation system 20 and a new separation vessel 26, 226 can replace the original separation vessel 26, 226. Use of the separation vessel 26, 226 causes buildup and soiling of the filter elements 124, 224 within the separation vessel 26, 226. In current systems, the system must be stopped and the filter elements must be cleaned, which takes a long time, thereby resulting in significant downtime, which leads to higher costs. In the present particle separation system 20, the separation vessel 26, 226 can be disconnected from the source tank(s) 22 (or other location) and the pump system 24, 224 and immediately replaced with a new separation vessel 26, 226, resulting in very little downtime. The old separation vessel 26, 226 can then be transported to a facility for cleaning of the filter elements 124, 224 and other components within the separation vessel 26, 226. The separation vessel 26, 226 is, therefore, also portable. More specifically, the vessel can be transferred to, for example, a flatbed truck or another vehicle for transport thereof and/or can include wheels or other mobilizer for moving the separation vessel 26, 226 short distances.
In some embodiments, the separation vessel 26, 226 can be modular. More specifically, the separation vessel 26, 226 can be equipped to hold any suitable number of outlet manifolds 156, 240 for accommodating a number of slots X for up to X filtration packs 122, 222. The separation vessel 26, 226 can also be equipped with appropriate shutoff valves or other equipment to deactivate one or more of the outlet manifolds 156, 240. In this manner, dependent upon a particular application, any number of the slots X can include filtration packs 122, 222. For example, if the separation vessel 26, 226 includes six slots to accommodate up to six filtration packs and the separation vessel 26, 226 is utilized for a first application, filtration packs 122, 222 can be installed in each of the six slots and all six filtration packs 122, 222 may be active. In another application, filtration packs 122, 222 may be installed in each of the 6 slots, but less than six of the filtration packs 122, 222 may be active. In yet another application, filtration packs 122, 222 may be installed in less than all six slots (for example, three). In situations where filtration packs 122, 222 are installed and not utilized or not installed at all, the respective manifolds may be deactivated. The above-described modular system allows for customization of a system by installing a suitable number of filtration packs 122, 222 and by further allowing for selective activation and deactivation of filtration packs 122, 222 dependent upon the particular application.
In some embodiments, the systems disclosed herein can be offered as a rental model. In this manner, site personnel do not need to remove and replace hundreds of filter elements at once. Rather, the entire separation vessel may be removed from a particular site and replace with a new separation vessel. This model also greatly reduces downtime, as it takes significant time to remove and replace hundreds of filtration elements.
While the various embodiments of the particle separation system 20 described herein have been described as a standalone system, the particle separation system 20 may optionally be used in combination with any other filtration, separation, or any other suitable systems. In illustrative embodiments, one or more particle separation systems 20 may be utilized in combination with one or more of hydrocarbon recovery technology, liquid-liquid separation technology, solids removal technology, or any other technologies for processing, filtering, and/or cleaning fluids.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the invention has been described above in connection with particular embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications and departures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/301,270, filed Mar. 30, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/806,245, filed Nov. 7, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62,419,296, filed Nov. 8, 2016, and entitled “Particle Separation System and Method,” all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230264124 A1 | Aug 2023 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 62419296 | Nov 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17301270 | Mar 2021 | US |
| Child | 18311185 | US | |
| Parent | 15806245 | Nov 2017 | US |
| Child | 17301270 | US |
