Microwave demulsification of hydrocarbon emulsion

• US 7,486,248 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2003
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Integrity Development, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Integrity Development, Inc.
• Inventors: Ferri, Robert, Harris, Philip Aaron, Halek, James Michael, Thompson, Richard, Squires, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Wimer; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US10/619,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• Field of Search: 343/770, 343/719, 343/771, 343/872, 422/186, 204/157.15, 210/748
• US Class Current: 343/770
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/04 Adaptation for subterranean or subaqueous use
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/12 Longitudinally slotted cylinder antennas; Equivalent structures

Abstract

Recovery of hydrocarbons, such as petroleum products, from a liquid or solid substrate is facilitated by the use of microwave energy to energize and separate molecular bonds between the hydrocarbons and the substrate. A radio frequency (RF) applicator delivers microwave energy to a treatment volume containing an emulsion of a hydrocarbon and a substrate. Delivering the microwave energy to the emulsion facilitates separation of the hydrocarbon and substrate molecules into layers. Hydrocarbons and other products can then be recovered from their respective layers. The treatment volume may be located either above or below ground. The RF applicator may include an antenna body with slots formed substantially parallel to one another in a substantially horizontal orientation. The RF applicator efficiently delivers microwave energy into the treatment volume. Substantially all of the power supplied to the RF applicator is radiated, with very little power reflected internally within the RF applicator.

Claims

1. A demulsification arrangement usable with a power source to remove a microwave-absorptive material from a substrate, the demulsification arrangement comprising:

a containment structure defining a treatment volume and adaptable to receive an emulsion comprising the microwave-absorptive material and the substrate;

outside the containment structure, a radio frequency (RF) generator connectable to the power source and configured to generate an RF signal; and

inside the containment structure and surrounded by the emulsion within the treatment volume, an RF applicator operatively coupled to the RF generator to deliver microwave energy outwardly from the RF applicator into the treatment volume, the RF applicator comprising

an antenna body having a longitudinal axis, the antenna body being tapered in width perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a length and an outer surface defining a plurality of slots of continuously varying slot width that are substantially parallel to each other, the slots being distributed evenly along and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and

an RF transparent antenna enclosure, not in contact with the containment structure, formed around the antenna body to substantially seal the antenna body from the entire treatment volume external to the RF applicator;

whereby, when the containment structure contains the emulsion and the RF applicator, and the RF applicator delivers the microwave energy into the treatment volume, the microwave-absorptive material and the substrate are demulsified.

2. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the antenna body comprises a plurality of walls forming a rectangular cross-section.

3. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the slots are defined by each of two parallel walls.

4. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the antenna body comprises two walls formed from an RF opaque material.

5. The demulsification arrangement of claim 4, wherein the walls are formed from aluminum.

6. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the RF applicator further comprises an RF transparent window arrangement disposed proximate the outer surface of the antenna body and arranged to cover the plurality of slots.

7. The demulsification arrangement of claim 6, wherein the RF transparent window arrangement comprises a plurality of RF transparent windows formed from a material having a low dielectric constant.

8. The demulsification arrangement of claim 7, wherein the RF transparent windows are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of fiberglass and TEFLON®

polytetrafluoroethylene.

9. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the antenna enclosure is formed from a material having a low dielectric constant.

10. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least some of the slots have sizes that increase with increasing distance from the RF generator.

11. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the antenna enclosure is formed from fiberglass.

12. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the RF applicator further comprises a cap coupled to an end of the antenna body located distally from the RF generator.

13. The demulsification arrangement of claim 12, wherein the cap is arranged to reflect an RF signal propagated within the antenna body to generate constructive interference.

14. The demulsification arrangement of claim 12, wherein the cap is formed from aluminum.

15. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the antenna body comprises first and second faces that are spaced apart from one another and in which the slots are formed, the slots being arranged so as to radiate the microwave energy over substantially less than a 360°

arc outward from the RF applicator.

16. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a control arrangement operatively coupled to the RF generator.

17. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, further comprising an outlet port formed on the container.

18. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the microwave-absorptive material comprises a hydrocarbon.

19. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises water.

20. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a tube into which the RF applicator is inserted.

21. The demulsification arrangement of claim 1, in which the treatment volume is a geologic formation containing oil shale, tar sand, or ground water contamination.

22. A demulsification arrangement usable with a power source, the demulsification arrangement comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) generator connectable to the power source and configured to generate an RF signal;

a control arrangement configured to be operatively coupled to the RF generator to control generation of the RF signal; and

a radio frequency (RF) applicator operatively coupled to the RF generator, the RF applicator being positionable within a treatment volume containing an emulsion comprising a microwave-absorptive material and a substrate, the RF applicator comprising

an antenna body having a longitudinal axis, the antenna body being tapered in width perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a length and an outer surface defining a plurality of slots of continuously varying slot width that are substantially parallel to each other, the slots being distributed evenly along and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and

an RF transparent antenna enclosure formed around the antenna body to substantially seal the antenna body from the entire treatment volume external to the RF applicator;

whereby, when the control arrangement, the RF applicator, and the RF generator are operatively coupled and the RF applicator transmits the RF signal into the treatment volume, the microwave-absorptive material and the substrate are demulsified.

23. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the antenna body comprises a plurality of walls forming a rectangular cross-section.

24. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the slots are defined by each of two parallel walls.

25. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the antenna body comprises two walls formed from an RF opaque material.

26. The demulsification arrangement of claim 25, wherein the walls are formed from aluminum.

27. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the RF applicator further comprises an RF transparent window arrangement disposed proximate the outer surface of the antenna body and arranged to cover the plurality of slots.

28. The demulsification arrangement of claim 27, wherein the RF transparent window arrangement comprises a plurality of RF transparent windows formed from a material having a low dielectric constant.

29. The demulsification arrangement of claim 28, wherein the RF transparent windows are formed from a material selected from the group consisting of fiberglass and TEFLON®

polytetrafluoroethylene.

30. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the antenna enclosure is formed from a material having a low dielectric constant.

31. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein at least some of the slots have sizes that increase with increasing distance from the RF generator.

32. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the antenna enclosure is formed from fiberglass.

33. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the RF applicator further comprises a cap coupled to an end of the antenna body located distally from the RF generator.

34. The demulsification arrangement of claim 33, wherein the cap is arranged to reflect an RF signal propagated within the antenna body to generate constructive interference.

35. The demulsification arrangement of claim 34, wherein the cap is formed from aluminum.

36. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the microwave-absorptive material comprises a hydrocarbon.

37. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the substrate comprises water.

38. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the treatment volume comprises one of an underground treatment volume and an above-ground contained treatment volume.

39. The demulsification arrangement of claim 38, wherein the above-ground contained treatment volume comprises a container to receive the emulsion, the container having at least one outlet port defined by a wall of the container.

40. The demulsification arrangement of claim 39, wherein the outlet port is configurable between an untapped configuration while the RF applicator delivers the microwave energy into the treatment volume and a tapped configuration after the emulsion is demulsified.

41. The demulsification arrangement of claim 39, wherein the outlet port is configurable between an untapped configuration while the RF applicator delivers the microwave energy into the treatment volume and a tapped configuration after the emulsion is demulsified.

42. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, wherein the antenna body comprises first and second faces that are spaced apart from one another and in which the slots are formed, the slots being arranged so as to radiate the microwave energy over substantially less than a 360°

arc outward from the RF applicator.

43. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, further comprising a tube into which the RF applicator is inserted.

44. The demulsification arrangement of claim 22, in which the treatment volume is a geologic formation containing oil shale, tar sand, or ground water contamination.

45. A demulsification arrangement usable with a power source to remove a microwave-absorptive material from a substrate, the demulsification arrangement consisting essentially of:

a radio frequency (RF) generator connectable to the power source and configured to generate an RF signal; and

an RF applicator operatively coupled to the RF generator and positionable wholly within and surrounded by a treatment volume containing an emulsion comprising the microwave-absorptive material and the substrate to deliver microwave energy outwardly from the RF applicator into the treatment volume, the RF applicator comprising

an antenna body having a longitudinal axis, the antenna body being tapered in width perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and a length and an outer surface defining a plurality of slots of continuously varying slot width that are substantially parallel to each other and substantially uniformly spaced apart from one another along the length of the antenna body, and

an RF transparent antenna enclosure formed around the antenna body to substantially seal the antenna body from the treatment volume surrounding and external to the RF applicator;

whereby, when the containment structure contains the emulsion and the RF applicator delivers the microwave energy into the treatment volume, the microwave-absorptive material and the substrate are demulsified.

46. The demulsification arrangement of claim 45, wherein the slots are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

47. The demulsification arrangement of claim 45, wherein at least some of the slots have slot widths that increase with increasing distance from the RF generator.

48. The demulsification arrangement of claim 45, further comprising a tube into which the RF applicator is inserted.

49. The demulsification arrangement of claim 45, in which the treatment volume is a geologic formation containing oil shale, tar sand, or ground water contamination.