Advanced Separation Technology
ASCOM is currently working on a set of new innovative solutions for compact inline separation. The cyclone based inventions are all based on a new way of introducing a swirl flow into the separation chamber of the cyclone.
Contrary to tangential or axial cyclones, the MixedFlow Cyclone uses a mixed flow principle which results in a stabilizing and coalescing effect on the oil-water flow. All available pressure energy is converted in the rotating motion responsible for separation. Negative effects usually emerging in conventional cyclones, like boundary layer disturbances and flow-destabilization, do not occur. Aero-engine fluid mechanics is used for designing the swirl element. The shape of the swirl is such that coalescence of light phase droplets is achieved in the first section of the swirl-element. In the second section of the swirl, stabilizing means assure that the flow maintains stable without re-mixing the pre-separated flow. Finally, in the third section of the element the G-force is increased, avoiding boundary layer separation and other losses, in the specially designed tapered section. The total result is a cyclone which results in the highest efficiency possible in combination with the lowest pressure drop.
ASCOM has a number of development projects scheduled for the next 2 years. Priority has been given to the following projects that already have been started up.
1. Twinline
The Twinline is a compact inline separator designed for removing gas from liquid or liquid from gas. Typical usage will be conditioning upstream of liquid-liquid separation units like bulk de-oilers or for reducing the liquid load on conventional separators and scrubbers.
2. Bulk de-oiling
Three different designs are currently being developed for bulk de-oiling. The main target for the project is to perform the de-oiling in a single pipe such that the overall process can be designed according to governing piping code.
3. Bulk de-watering
Two different designs are being evaluated for testing.
4. Inline Desanding
Well streams in mature oil and gas fields have the tendency to produce more sand over the years. In order to prevent the downstream equipment, including choke valves, separators, hydrocyclones and pumps, from sand accumulation and erosion and to assure continuous operation of the oil and gas facility it is important to remove the sand, preferably as early as possible in the separation process. ASCOM provides tailor-made solutions for handling produced sand in various areas of the process.
5. Degassing of viscous liquids
One of the units being developed for bulk de-oiling shows promising theoretical potential for also being highly suitable for degassing.
6. Pressure recovery unit
In order to further reduce the well known limitation of compact cyclonic separation, being high required differential pressures, some of the cyclonic units will be equipped with a newly developed pressure recovery unit.
7. Cyclonic Dissolved Gas Flotation
A cyclone only can separate phases which have a difference in density (e.g. oil and gas). However, there are a lot of situations where neutrally buoyant particles are present. These can be used as a substrate to grow micro gas bubbles and consequentially change the density of the phase that will allow separation.
