DRILLING MUD DEGASSER

• US 3,676,984 A
• Filed: 10/22/1970
• Issued: 07/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph Edwin Clark
• Original Assignee: Joseph Edwin Clark
• Inventors: Clark, Joseph Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Reuben
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burks, R. W.
• Application Number:
  US05/083,093
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 55/41,43,55,57,192,193,202,206 165/115 261/112
• US Class Current: 96/198
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0021 by bringing the liquid in a thin layer
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/067 Separating gases from drilling fluids

Abstract

A novel inlet and baffle structure for a drilling and degasser is provided. Gas-cut mud is fed into the degasser vacuum chamber through a horizontal inlet pipe having a long slot cut in its bottom wall. The mud flow is formed into a thin curtain as it passes through this slot. At the same time, its rate of movement is accelerated, with a consequent increase in shear and drop in viscosity. The mud immediately contacts a generally horizontal baffle. The flow is divided into two turbulent, thin layers. It is then conducted through a system of baffles. Due to the change in mud viscosity, induced turbulence and the forming of the mud flow into thin layers of large area, the vacuum within the chamber is able to effectively separate the entrained gas from the mud.

Claims

1. In a drilling mud degasser having a vacuum housing defining a chamber, an inlet pipe for admitting gas-cut mud into the upper part of the chamber, an outlet structure for removing degassified mud from the bottom part of the chamber, and a baffle means between the inlet pipe and outlet structure for dividing the flow of gas-cut mud into thin layers and maintaining the mud in that state for a period of time to permit entrapped gas to be removed by vacuum, the improved inlet pipe and baffle means comprising:

a substantially horizontal inlet pipe extending into the upper part of the chamber, said pipe defining a downwardly opening aperture in its wall for admitting gas-cut mud into the chamber, said aperture having an area which is less than the transverse cross sectional area of the pipe whereby the mud flow is accelerated and subjected to shear as it passes through the aperture; and

an elongate baffle mounted in the chamber in transverse relation to the chamber'"'"''"'"'s vertical axis, said baffle being coextensive with the aperture and being disposed adjacent to and beneath it whereby the gas-cut mud entering the chamber through the aperture is divided into at least two thin, turbulent layers supported by the baffle.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the aperture defined by the pipe is an elongate, downwardly-opening slot whereby the gas-cut mud is admitted into the chamber in the form of a long, thin curtain.