In the petrochemical industry, a large amount of water is often contained in crude oil after extraction. If not effectively separated, it will seriously affect the storage, transportation, and subsequent processing of crude oil. The coalescing separators developed and produced by Xinxiang Lifeierte Filter Corp.,LTD, with their high - efficiency dewatering performance and stable and reliable quality, have become a powerful assistant for many petrochemical enterprises to solve the problem of crude oil dewatering. The following takes the crude oil dewatering project of a large - scale petroleum refining enterprise as an example to introduce the application of our company's coalescing separators in detail.
I. Project Background
A large - scale petroleum refining enterprise processes 15 million tons of crude oil annually. The crude oil is extracted from multiple oil fields, and the mixed crude oil generally has a high water content, with an average of 15% - 20%, and there is a serious emulsification situation. The original crude oil dewatering equipment adopted a combination of traditional gravity sedimentation and electro - desalting, which had many problems:
Low Dewatering Efficiency
For highly emulsified crude oil, traditional equipment is difficult to break the oil - water emulsification structure, resulting in the water content of the dewatered crude oil still as high as 5% - 8%, failing to meet the requirements of subsequent processing.
High Equipment Energy Consumption
In order to achieve a certain dewatering effect, the electro - desalting equipment needs to consume a large amount of electric energy. The annual electricity cost of this enterprise in the electro - desalting process alone is as high as 8 million yuan.
High Maintenance Cost
Impurities in emulsified crude oil are likely to deposit inside the equipment, causing problems such as pipeline blockage and electrode damage. The equipment requires frequent maintenance, with an annual maintenance cost of about 3 million yuan.
With the expansion of the enterprise's processing scale and the improvement of product quality requirements, the original dewatering equipment can no longer meet the production needs. In order to improve the crude oil dewatering efficiency and reduce production costs, the enterprise decided to introduce advanced coalescing separators to upgrade the crude oil dewatering process. After comprehensive investigation and technical evaluation, it finally selected the coalescing separator products of our company.
II. Application and Implementation of Our Company's Coalescing Separators
(I) Equipment Selection and Customization
Based on parameters such as the enterprise's crude oil processing capacity (600 tons per hour), crude oil water content, and emulsification degree, the technical team of our company customized a set of coalescing separator systems for it. The system consists of 6 parallel coalescing separators, with a single - unit processing flow rate of 100 tons per hour. The core of the coalescing separator adopts a combination of special coalescing filter elements and separation filter elements. The coalescing filter elements are composed of multiple layers of fiber materials with different pore sizes, and the separation filter elements are made of high - molecular materials with strong hydrophobicity to ensure efficient dewatering.
(II) System Installation and Debugging
Equipment Installation
The coalescing separators were installed in the crude oil pretreatment workshop, and the crude oil inlet pipes, purified oil outlet pipes, and dewatered water discharge pipes were connected. The equipment adopts a modular design, which is convenient for installation and subsequent maintenance. At the same time, necessary accessories such as valves, pressure gauges, and flow meters were equipped to control and monitor the equipment operation status.
Application of Working Principles
When the water - containing crude oil enters the coalescing separator, it first passes through the coalescing filter elements. The fiber materials of the coalescing filter elements have special surface properties, which can make the tiny water droplets in the crude oil collide with each other and coalesce into larger water droplets.
The coalesced large water droplets are separated from the crude oil under the action of gravity and the separation filter elements. The hydrophobicity of the separation filter elements enables the water droplets to slide off quickly on its surface and settle at the bottom of the separator, while the purified crude oil flows out from the upper part, realizing oil - water separation.
Debugging and Optimization
The technical personnel of our company conducted a one - week debugging of the coalescing separator system. Adjusted the inlet flow rate and pressure of the crude oil to ensure stable operation within the equipment design parameters; observed the coalescence and separation effects, and fine - tuned the installation position and combination of the filter elements according to the actual situation; at the same time, provided comprehensive training for the enterprise's operators, including equipment start - up and shutdown operations, filter element replacement methods, and daily equipment maintenance.
III. Application Effects
Effect Category | Specific Performance |
Significant Improvement in Dewatering Efficiency | - The water content of crude oil has been reduced from 15% - 20% to below 0.5%, far exceeding the enterprise's expectations, providing high - quality raw materials for subsequent processing- It has a remarkable effect on treating emulsified crude oil, effectively breaking the oil - water emulsification structure, and the dewatering speed has increased by more than 3 times |
Reduction in Operating Costs | - The power consumption of the electro - desalting equipment has been reduced by 60%, saving about 4.8 million yuan in electricity costs annually- The equipment maintenance cycle has been extended from once a month to once a quarter, saving about 2 million yuan in maintenance costs annually- The coalescing filter elements and separation filter elements have a long service life, with a replacement cycle of up to 2 - 3 years, reducing consumable costs |
Increase in Production Efficiency | - The crude oil processing capacity has increased by 20%, meeting the enterprise's demand for expanding production scale, with an annual increase in crude oil processing volume of about 3 million tons- Reduced the failures of processing equipment caused by excessive water content in crude oil, guaranteed production continuity, and improved the economic benefits of the enterprise |
IV. Summary of Application Experience
Accurate Selection is the Key
The properties of crude oil from different oil fields vary greatly. Our company customizes the appropriate model and configuration of coalescing separators through detailed analysis of the customer's crude oil parameters, ensuring a perfect match between the equipment performance and actual needs.
Core Technology Ensures the Effect
The special design and material selection of the coalescing filter elements and separation filter elements are the core of the high - efficiency dewatering of the coalescing separator. The multi - layer fiber structure of the coalescing filter elements can effectively coalesce tiny water droplets, and the highly hydrophobic separation filter elements can achieve rapid oil - water separation.
Complete Service for Protection
Our company provides comprehensive services for customers, including equipment selection, installation and debugging, personnel training, and regular maintenance. We respond promptly to customer needs, solve problems that occur during the equipment operation process, and ensure the long - term stable operation of the equipment.
The successful application of our company's coalescing separators in this petroleum refining enterprise fully demonstrates the reliability and advancement of the products. In the future, Xinxiang Lifeierte Filter Corp.,LTD will continue to focus on the research and development of separation technology, providing higher - quality and more efficient separation equipment and solutions for the petrochemical industry and more fields.
