Separator for multi-phase slug flow and method of designing same

• US 20060162553A1
• Filed: 11/21/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Zabaras, George John, Esparza, Jose Oscar
• Granted Patent: US 7,540,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/43
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0042 modifying the liquid flow B01D19/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/34 Arrangements for separating materials produced by the well

Abstract

A slug flow separator facilitates the separation of a mixture flow into component parts. The separator includes an upper-tier elongate conduit, a lower-tier elongate conduit and a plurality of spaced apart connectors. Each of the upper and lower-tier elongate conduits has an outlet and at least one of the upper and lower-tier elongate conduits has an inlet for receiving the mixture flow. The upper and lower-tier elongate conduits also each have a plurality of openings such that one connector of the plurality of connectors may interconnect one of the upper-tier elongate conduit openings with a one of the lower-tier elongate conduit openings. The connectors enable communication of at least one of a liquid component and the at least one of another liquid component and a gas component of the mixture flow therebetween.

Claims

1. An apparatus for substantially separating a two-phase flow into a gas component and a liquid component, comprising:

an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the gas component and liquid component therebetween; and

wherein at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits includes an inlet for receiving the two-phase flow, the inlet being positioned opposite the outlet relative to at least one of the plurality of connectors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower-tier elongate conduit extends generally in the same direction as the upper-tier elongate conduit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein both of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits include an inlet for receiving the two-phase flow.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connectors are equally spaced along the length of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of connectors are aligned orthogonally with respect to both of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper-tier elongate conduit comprises a production carrier pipe and the lower-tier elongate conduit comprises a secondary pipe.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit comprise lower openings and upper openings formed on opposing longitudinal sides of the upper-tier elongate conduit, the apparatus further comprising:

a third tier elongate conduit including a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet; and

another plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of upper openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the third tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the gas component and liquid component therebetween.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the third-tier elongate conduit is positioned opposite the lower-tier elongate conduit relative to the upper-tier elongate conduit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the two-phase flow comprises a slug flow.

10. An apparatus for substantially separating a mixture flow into a liquid component and at least one of another liquid component and a gas component, comprising:

an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet, the lower-tier elongate conduit being parallel with the upper-tier elongate conduit;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the liquid component and the at least one of the another liquid component and a gas component therebetween; and

wherein at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits includes an inlet for receiving the mixture flow.

11. An apparatus for substantially separating a mixture flow into a liquid component and at least one of another liquid component and a gas component, comprising:

an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the liquid component and the at least one of the another liquid component and a gas component therebetween;

wherein at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits includes an inlet for receiving the mixture flow; and

wherein the upper-tier elongate conduit is spaced from and above the lower-tier elongate conduit.

12. An apparatus for substantially separating a mixture flow into a liquid component and at least one of another liquid component and a gas component, comprising:

an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the liquid component and the at least one of the another liquid component and a gas component therebetween;

wherein at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits includes an inlet for receiving the mixture flow; and

wherein the plurality of connectors are aligned generally perpendicular to a horizontal reference plane.

13. An apparatus for substantially separating a mixture flow into component parts based on the densities of the component parts, comprising:

an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the component parts therebetween; and

wherein at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits includes an inlet for receiving the mixture flow, the inlet being positioned opposite the outlet relative to at least one of the plurality of connectors.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the lower-tier elongate conduit extends generally in the same direction as the upper-tier elongate conduit.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the mixture flow comprises a slug flow.

16. An apparatus for substantially separating a mixture flow into a liquid component and at least one of another liquid component and a gas component, comprising:

an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet;

a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet, the lower-tier elongate conduit being spaced from and below the upper-tier elongate conduit such that the lower-tier elongate is parallel with the upper-tier elongate conduit;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of at least one of the liquid component and the at least one of the another liquid component and a gas component therebetween;

wherein at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits includes an inlet for receiving the mixture flow, the inlet being positioned opposite the outlet relative to at least one of the plurality of connectors; and

wherein the plurality of connectors are aligned generally perpendicular to a horizontal reference plane.

17. A system for substantially separating a mixture flow into component parts, comprising:

an array of upper-tier elongate conduits laterally spaced apart from one another, each conduit having an upstream end, a downstream end with an outlet, and a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length of the conduit between the upstream and downstream ends thereof;

an array of lower-tier elongate conduits laterally spaced apart from one another, each conduit having an upstream end, a downstream end with an outlet, and a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length of the conduit between the upstream and downstream ends thereof;

a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of one of the upper-tier elongate conduits with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduits to enable communication of at least one of the component parts therebetween; and

wherein at least one of the array of upper-tier elongate conduits and the array of lower-tier elongate conduits includes inlets at the upstream ends thereof for receiving the mixture flow.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the array of lower-tier elongate conduits extend generally in the same direction as the array of upper-tier elongate conduits.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an inlet header connected with the inlets of the upstream ends of the at least one of the array of upper-tier elongate conduits and the array of lower-tier elongate conduits; and

a supply line connected to the inlet header for delivery of the two-phase flow to the system.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

an outlet header connected with the outlets of the downstream ends of at least one of the array of upper-tier elongate conduits and the array of lower-tier elongate conduits; and

a takeoff line connected to the outlet header for delivery of at least one of the gas component and the liquid component substantially separated from one another.

21. A method of substantially separating a slug flow comprising a liquid component and at least one of another liquid component and a gas component, comprising the steps of:

introducing the slug flow into a separator at a predetermined velocity, the separator having an upper-tier elongate conduit and a lower-tier elongate conduit connected to the upper-tier elongate conduit, at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits having an inlet and each of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits having an outlet;

substantially separating the liquid component from the at least one of the another liquid component and the gas component;

substantially expelling the liquid component out through the outlet of one of the upper-tier elongate conduit and the lower-tier elongate conduit; and

substantially expelling the at least one of the another liquid component and the gas component through the outlet of another one of the upper-tier elongate conduit and the lower-tier elongate conduit

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the expelled liquid component has a higher percentage by weight of the liquid component than the slug flow introduced into the separator, and the at least one of the expelled another liquid component and gas component has a higher percentage by weight of the at least one of the another liquid component and gas component than the slug flow introduced into the separator.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the liquid component is expelled out through the outlet of one of the upper-tier elongate conduit and the lower-tier elongate conduit at substantially the predetermined velocity at which the slug flow is introduced into the separator.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of positioning the separator at a downward slope with respect to a horizontal reference plane such that the inlet of the at least one of the upper-tier and lower-tier elongate conduits is at a higher elevation than at least one of the upper-tier elongate conduit outlet and the lower-tier elongate conduit outlet.

25. A method for designing a separator for substantially separating a slug flow comprising a liquid component and at least one of another liquid component and a gas component given a maximum hydrodynamic slug volume to be handled by the separator, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting an upper-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet, the upper-tier elongate conduit having a predetermined inside diameter and length;

selecting a lower-tier elongate conduit having a plurality of openings spaced apart along the length thereof and an outlet, the second tier elongate conduit having a predetermined inside diameter and length;

selecting a plurality of connectors, each connector interconnecting a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the upper-tier elongate conduit with a corresponding one of the plurality of openings of the lower-tier elongate conduit to enable communication of the liquid component and the at least one of the another liquid component and the gas component therebetween, each connector having a predetermined inside diameter and length; and

wherein the total number of connectors selected is based on the predetermined inside diameter and length for the upper-tier elongate conduit, the lower-tier elongate conduit, and each connector such that the total interior volume of the separator is at least about the maximum hydrodynamic slug volume.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of selecting the plurality of connectors comprises selecting at least one of the plurality of connectors to have a length of at least about one of about five times the inside diameter of the at least one of the selected plurality of connectors, and at least about five meters.