Other

B.w.n. Vortoil Rights Co. Pty. Ltd.

National Research Development Corporation

Conoco Specialty Products Inc.

The British Petroleum Company, P.l.c.

Natural Resources Canada

Martin T Thew

Derek A Colman

Derek Alan Colman

Ian C Smyth

Noel Carroll

Hassan A Hamza

Kanti Lal Kar

Khalid A Hashmi

Wally I Friesen

The invention relates to a cyclone separator for separating oil and water and removing suspended solids. It comprises a generally cylindrical first portion with an open end and a closed end. A generally axial overflow outlet is provided in the closed end and a moveable member is associated with this closed end having a plurality of orifices of progressively smaller diameter than the overflow outlet. This moveable member may be moved such that any selected one of the plurality of orifices may be axially aligned with the overflow outlet. The separator includes at least two radially balanced feed injection ports in the cylindrical first portion adjacent to the closed end thereof. A converging tapered second section with open ends is axially flow connected to the open end of the cylindrical first portion and a converging tapered third portion with open ends is axially flow connected to the tapered second portion. A fourth generally cylindrical portion is axially flow connected to the third tapered portion. This separation is of particular value in heavy oil production.

Hydrocyclone for separating immiscible fluids and removing suspended

Cyclone separator

A cyclone separator comprises (a) an inlet portion having generally the form of a volume of revolution, and one or more inlet channels, (b) a vortex finder outlet coaxial with the inlet portion and projecting into the inlet portion, (c) a generally axially symmetrical converging separation portion adjacent to the inlet portion and on the opposite side from the vortex finder outlet, and, optionally (d) a downstream portion into which the separation portion converges. The geometry of each section is defined by a series of mathematical relationships.

A cyclone separator for removing oil from seawater, the oil being up to a few percent of the volume, is proportioned as follows, symbols having the meaning shown on the Figure, a notable feature being the smallness of d.sub.o, the overflow: 10.ltoreq.1.sub.2 /d.sub.2 .ltoreq.25; 0.04&lt;4A.sub.i /.pi.d.sub.1.sup.2 .ltoreq.0.10; d.sub.o /d.sub.2 &lt;0.1; d.sub.1 &gt;d.sub.2 ; d.sub.2 &gt;d.sub.3. The half-angle of the convergence of the taper T.sub.2 is from 20' to 2.degree..

A cyclone separator for the separation of lighter material (i.e. discontinuous or dispersed phase) can cope with fluctuating proportions of lighter material in the feed stream. A retractable plug 15 at the place where the cyclone overflow outlet meets the cyclone body has a bore 16 forming the effective overflow outlet. The plug is retracted while the cyclone separator is in operation, in response to sensors, to offer a larger outlet 12 as the need arises.

A cyclone separator for removing oil from seawater, the oil being up to a few percent of the volume, is proportioned as follows, symbols having the meaning shown on the FIGURE, a notable feature being the smallness of d.sub.o, the overflow: 10.ltoreq.1.sub.2 /d.sub.2 .ltoreq.25; 0.04&lt;4A.sub.i /.pi.d.sub.1.sup.2 .ltoreq.0.10; d.sub.o /d.sub.2 &lt;0.1; d.sub.1 &gt;d.sub.2 ; d.sub.2 &gt;d.sub.3. The half-angle of the convergence of the taper T.sub.2 is from 20' to 2.degree..

A cyclone separator having a generally cylindrical first portion with a plurality of substantially equally circumferentially spaced tangentially directed feeds, and, adjacent to the first portion and coaxial therewith, a generally cylindrical second portion open at its far end, the first portion having an axial overflow outlet opposite the second portion, the internal diameter of the first portion being d.sub.1, and of the second portion being d.sub.2, and of which the internal length of the first portion is L.sub.1 and of the second portion is L.sub.2, the total cross-sectional area of all the feeds measured at the point of entry normal to the inlet flow being A.sub.i, the shape of the separator being governed by the following relationships:

A cyclone separator having a generally cylindrical first portion with a plurality of tangentially directed feeds, and, adjacent to the first portion and coaxial therewith, a generally cylindrical second portion open at its far end, the first portion having an axial overflow outlet opposite the second portion, the second portion opening at its far end into a coaxial generally cylindrical third portion, the internal diameter of the axial overflow outlet being d.sub.0, of the first portion being d.sub.1, of the second portion being d.sub.2 and of the third portion being d.sub.3, the internal length of the first portion being l.sub.1 and of the second portion being l.sub.2, wherein the total cross-sectional area of all the feeds measured at the points of entry normal to the inlet flow is A.sub.i and wherein the shape of the separator is governed by the following relationships:

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Bitterne, United Kingdom

Martin T Thew