| CPC C10G 33/06 (2013.01) [B01F 23/451 (2022.01); B01F 25/31423 (2022.01); B01F 35/2217 (2022.01); B01F 2215/0422 (2013.01); B01F 2215/0431 (2013.01); B01F 2215/0468 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
|
1. An apparatus for mixing crude oil and wash water, the apparatus comprising a crude oil pipe, a wash water manifold, a plurality of conduits, a flow controller, and a pressure differential valve, where:
the wash water manifold comprises a wash water pipe fluidly coupled to a branched piping structure;
the crude oil pipe comprises a wall having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a plurality of wash water injectors, wherein the crude oil pipe is directly connected to the wash water pipe, and wherein the wash water pipe is directly connected to the crude oil pipe at a supplemental wash water injector;
the plurality of wash water injectors are angularly distributed on a circumferential band of the wall of the crude oil pipe relative to a central axis of the crude oil pipe, where a length of the circumferential band of the crude oil pipe is less than or equal to 7 cm;
the flow controller is operable to regulate wash water flow through the plurality of conduits;
each of the plurality of wash water injectors is fluidly coupled to the wash water manifold by one of the plurality of conduits;
each of the plurality of wash water injectors is operable to inject wash water into the crude oil pipe toward the central axis of the crude oil pipe and to contact the injected wash water with the crude oil at an injection interface aligned with the interior surface of the wall of the crude oil pipe;
each of the plurality of wash water injectors is oriented to define a wash water injection direction that is within 90 degrees of a radial line that extends outward from a central axis of the crude oil pipe;
the flow controller is operable to inject wash water through the plurality of wash water injectors such that a collective volumetric flow rate of wash water injected through all of the wash water injectors is less than or equal to 20% of a volumetric flow rate of crude oil in the crude oil pipe;
the flow controller is operable to inject wash water through the plurality of wash water injectors at an average velocity from 10% to 40% greater than an average velocity of the crude oil in the crude oil pipe;
the plurality of wash water injectors are arranged to provide mixing of the wash water and the crude oil when the wash water is injected into the crude oil pipe through the plurality of wash water injectors;
the pressure differential valve is positioned in the crude oil pipe downstream of the wash water injectors; and
the pressure differential valve is operable to provide further mixing of a mixed stream comprising the combination of the crude oil and the wash water.
|