Device for separating multi-phase fluids

• US 7,278,543 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Statoil Petroleum As (Asa Equinor)
• Original Assignee: Norsk Hydro Asa (Norsk Hydro)
• Inventors: Gramme, Per Eivind, Sagatun, Svein Ivar
• Primary Examiner(s): Upton; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/524,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20060102559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 210/519, 210/537, 210/532.1, 210/538, 210/539, 210/540, 961/82, 961/83, 961/84
• US Class Current: 96/184
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/00 Separation of liquids, not provided for elsewhere, e.g. by thermal diffusion devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water, or sewage C02F1/40; cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; arrangements for separating lubricants from refrigerants F25B43/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0208 by sedimentation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0211 with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 17/0214 with removal of one of the phases

Abstract

A device in connection with a separator for separation of a multiphase fluid, including a preferably cylindrical container (1) with an inlet (2), a first outlet (3) for liquid with a higher gravity (for example water), a second outlet (4) for liquid with a lower gravity (for example oil) and a third outlet (5) for gas. A pipe separator (6) is connected to the inlet (2) of the container (1). The pipe separator (6) constitutes a continuation of a supply pipe (7) for supplying the fluid to be separated and extends partially into the container (1).

Claims

1. A device for separating of a multiphase fluid, the device comprising:

a substantially horizontally oriented cylindrical container having an inlet at one end, a first outlet for liquid with a higher specific gravity, a second outlet for liquid with a lower specific gravity relative to the first liquid, and a third outlet for gas;

a substantially horizontally oriented pipe separator disposed upstream of the container and connected to the inlet of the container; and

a supply pipe disposed upstream of the pipe separator for supplying the multiphase fluid to the pipe separator, wherein the supply pipe is connected to an inlet end of the pipe separator wherein the pipe separator has a greater diameter than the supply pipe and the container has a greater diameter than the pipe separator.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a source of multiphase fluid including oil, water and gas, and the container inlet is arranged, for water-continuous inflow, at a level in the container that is equivalent to the level of an expected water phase in the container.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a source of multiphase fluid including oil, water and gas, and the container inlet is arranged, for oil-continuous inflow, at a level in the container equivalent to the level of an expected oil phase in the container.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pipe separator extends partially into the container.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the container includes a partition and the first outlet is located on one side of the partition, and the second outlet is located on a second side of the partition.