Modeling electrostatic separation for dehydration and desalination of crude oil in an industrial two-stage desalting plant

Modeling electrostatic separation for dehydration and desalination of crude oil in an industrial two-stage desalting plant

Crude oil

Mixing

Water

Efficiency

Dehydration

Emulsions

Electric fields

Emulsification

Drops

Desalination

The aim of present study is to develop a mathematical model to predict water and salt separation efficiencies in an industrial two stages crude oil desalting process. The considered process consists of mixing valve and electrostatic drums connected in series. The desalting plant is modeled based on the population balance method considering water droplet breakage and coalescence terms to predict droplet size distribution. The class method as a common mathematical technique is selected to solve population balance equation. The accuracy of the developed mathematical model and considered assumption is evaluated using taken data from an industrial desalting plant. Then, the effect of mixing valve pressure drop, flow rate of fresh water and strength of electric field is studied on the desalting and dehydration efficiencies. The simulation result shows that increasing flow rate of fresh water from 3% to 6% decreases salt content in the treated crude oil from 2.06 to 0.71 PTB. 2015 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers.

141-147

58

Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers

2016

Aryafard, E.

Farsi, M.

Rahimpour, M.R.

Raeissi, S.

journalArticle

18761070

10.1016/j.jtice.2015.06.028