Controlling flow of black powder in hydrocarbon pipelines

• US 11,007,536 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2020
• Issued: 05/18/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Hassell, James Clyde
• Primary Examiner(s): Holecek, Cabrena
• Application Number:
  US16/987,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20200360932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 47/06 Spray cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/40 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D47/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 51/02 Amassing the particles, e.g. by flocculation amassing by electric fields B03C3/0175
• CPC Class Codes: B03C 1/30 Combinations with other devices, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/54 Specific separation steps for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/545 Washing, scrubbing, stripping, scavenging for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/101 Removal of contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/088 for solids or suspensions of solids in liquids, e.g. slurries F17D1/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/16 Facilitating the conveyance of liquids or effecting the conveyance of viscous products by modification of their viscosity changing the flow or the viscosity by adding a chemical agent C09K3/00, C10M
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/12 for injecting a composition into the line
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/16 for eliminating particles in suspension from liquids by sedimentation B01D21/00; separation by filtration or otherwise B01D24/00 - B01D51/00; centrifugal apparatus B04

Abstract

Black powder flowing with hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon pipeline is converted into a magnetorheological slurry by implementing wet scrubbing in the hydrocarbon pipeline. A flow of the magnetorheological slurry through the hydrocarbon pipeline is controlled.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wet scrubber system configured to be connected to a hydrocarbon pipeline flowing hydrocarbons and black powder, the wet scrubber system configured to convert black powder flowing with hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon pipeline into a magnetorheological slurry by implementing a wet scrubbing in the hydrocarbon pipeline;

a flow controller configured to be connected to the hydrocarbon pipeline and to control a flow of the magnetorheological slurry through the hydrocarbon pipeline; and

a vortex chamber configured to receive the hydrocarbons and the magnetorheological slurry, the vortex chamber configured to be connected to the hydrocarbon pipeline to rotationally flow the hydrocarbons through the vortex chamber, wherein the rotational flowing separates the hydrocarbons from the magnetorheological slurry.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wet scrubber system comprises:

a carrier fluid storage tank configured to store a carrier fluid and to be connected to the hydrocarbon pipeline; and

a thixotropic agent storage tank configured to store a thixotropic agent and to be connected to the hydrocarbon pipeline.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the flow controller is configured to control the quantity of the carrier fluid and the quantity of the thixotropic agent to be flowed into the hydrocarbon pipeline.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the quantity of the carrier fluid and the quantity of the thixotropic agent are mixed with the hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon pipeline utilizing a turbulence of the hydrocarbons flowing in the hydrocarbon pipeline.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the vortex chamber comprises:

a first outlet through which the separated hydrocarbons are flowed into the hydrocarbon pipeline; and

a second outlet through which the separated magnetorheological slurry is flowed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the black powder comprises magnetic particles, and wherein the flow controller comprises a magnetic flow controller configured to apply a magnetic field to the magnetorheological slurry.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the magnetic flow controller comprises at least one of a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, or a series of variable magnetic inductance coils.