Numerical Simulation And Experimental Study Of High Efficiency Electrostatic Coalescence Separation For Crude Oil Dehydration

As oilfield development turns to deep water and ultra-deep water,the efficient and compact crude oil dehydration technology will attract more attention.Western oil companies developed the third generation of Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer(VIEC),which shows many advantages in experimental research and engineering application.Based on this,it is necessary for us to carry out basic research and engineering application in China.First of all,using COMSOL MULTIPHYSICSTM software,the kinetics behavior of dispersed phase water particles was studied numerically in this paper.The effects of flow rate,voltage and particle size on the deformation and coalescence of water particles were obtained,which provided theoretical guidance for the subsequent VIEC demulsification experiment.In order to master the influence of VIEC module on the flow field of the separator,the influence of VIEC structure and position on the flow rate in the separator was studied by the FLUENT software.The results show that the optimal flow width of VIEC is 15 mm and the optimal flow number is 4,which provided reference for subsequent VIEC experimental research.Based on understanding of the VIEC structure and key technologies,the experimental device was built and the electrostatic demulsification experiment was studied.The results show that,when the condition is 0.3m3/h,6k V and 2.4k Hz,the emulsion with 15% water content has the optimal electrostatic demulsification effect.When the condition is 0.3m3/h,5k V and 2.2k Hz,the emulsion with 30% water content has the optimal electrostatic demulsification effect.Based on the summary of VIEC numerical and experimental results,two kinds of VIEC modules were designed.The insulation device and process of the high-voltage access electrode were studied.In addition,the installation of VIEC components used in the field experiment was designed and studied.In this paper,research results of electrostatic coalescence numerical simulation and electrostatic demulsification experiment has been shown,which lay a solid foundation for the research of new VIEC products and technology in China.It provides technical support for optimization of the crude oil process.