DESALTER OPERATION OPTIMIZATION

Desalter is used to eliminate salts, water, sediment, and suspended solid. We need to
have desalter for some reasons, as follows :
1. To avoid corrosion (effected by salts) it is usually main target of desalter
operation.
2. To avoid fouling and coking (effected by salts, sediment, and suspended
solid).
3. To avoid erosion inside piping/equipment (effected by sediment).
4. To avoid high energy consumption (effected by salts, water, sediment, and
suspended solid).
5. To avoid catalyst poisoning (effected by salts).
6. To avoid high cost of chemical used for handling fouling and corrosion
(effected by salts, sediment, and suspended solid).

As my experience, there are some factors influencing emulsion stability of liquid

inside of the desalter, as follows :
1. Crude density ,Emulsion between crude and water can be broken by density
by following Stoke formulae : V = K*(rhow-rhoo)*G*d^2/no (which are :
V = water droplet fall down velocity ; K = constant; rhow = water density;
rhoo = oil density; G = gravity acceleration; d = water droplet diameter; no =
oil bulk viscosity). Eventhough crude density gives big impact to the emulsion
stability, but it is not a operating variable.
2. . Crude inlet temperature , Crude viscosity dereases with increasing
temperature, so that water droplet can be easier to be separated. Higher
desalter temperature can also increase water droplet combination efficiency by
: a) Increasing the dilution of natural emulsion stabilizer, such as naphthenic
acid. b) Increasing crashing frequency between water droplets.c) Accelerating
the diffusion of demulsifier into oil-water interface.Higher desalter
temperature can also influence crude density. Crude density decreases with
increasing temperature, so that it can increase efficiency (see Stroke
formulae). Yet, there is a maximum limitation for desalter temperature. Too
 high desalter temperature can evaporate light ends which can make turbulence.
This turbulence can increase can decrease desalter efficiency.
3. Electrical grid of desalter (if the type of desalter is bielectric) , electrical grid
operation is usually trouble-free (eventhough there is a possibility of short
circuit). Problems can be anticipated by having voltage and ampere indicators.
In normal operation, these indicators should not be fluctuated.
4. Wash water injection rate, Wash water injection rate should be moderate, not
too low or too high. Too low wash water injection rate can decrease desalter
efficiency, because water droplets in emulsion established by mixing valve can
be too far to combine each other in the electrical field. Yet, too high wash
water injection rate can make emulsion to be too conductive which can
increase electrical current and decrease voltage, so that it can decrease driving
force for polarizing droplets, combining each other in electrical field, and
decreasing desalter efficiency. Wash water injection rate varies depending on
crude properties, usually 4 to 6 % volume of crude (for crude having high
specific gravity, wash water injection rate can be increased to 6 9 % volume
of crude). The influence of water droplet population/density in the process of
water droplet combination in electrical field can be described by formulae as
follows : F = K*E^2*a^6/d^4 (which are : F = pulling force among droplets
in electrical field; K = constant; E = voltage gradient among grids; a = radius
of nearest water droplets; d = distance among droplets in electrical field). If
wash water injection rate is low, the water droplet population/density is also
low. If the distance among droplets in electrical field is wider, the driving
force for polarizing droplets in electrical field will decrease, so that desalter
efficiency will also decrease.
5. pH of Wash water injection , Optimum pH of wash water injection is between
5.5 to 7.5. If pH is less than 5.5, it will cause corrosion in desalter. If pH is
over then 7.5, it will stabilize emulsion, much oil will breakthrough as effluent
water. In high pH environment, naphthenic acid contained in crude will be
ionized and make sodium soap or potassium naphthenate which is a powerful
emulsifier. If water in emulsion contains calcium and magnesium carbonate or
sulfate, high pH of wash water can make sludge in desalter and scale in
effluent water piping or downstream heat exchanger. For this reason wash
water is sometimes injected by acid to control wash water pH.
6. dP of mixing valve, Energy of water-oil mixing is controlled by pressure drop
of mixing valve. This pressure drop is used to disperse wash water to be small
droplets into the oil. If pressure drop is too low, the efficiency will be low. If
pressure drop is too big, emulsion which is made will be too stable to be
broken. Generally, crude having high specific gravity will need pressure drop
5-12 psi and crude having low specific gravity will need pressure drop 10-20
psi.
7. Interface level of desalter, Interface level of desalter is usually based on
experience. For howe-desalter, water level should be maintained to be 6-12
under inlet distributor header. For Petreco low-velocity desalter, water level
should be maintained to be 6 above header. For Petreco Cylectric and
bilectric desalter, water level should be maintained to be 12-24 under lower
electrical grid.
8. Desalter pressure, Desalter operating pressure is usually between 50 to 250
psig depending on discharge pressure of feed pump and desalter location in the
preheater system. Desalter operating pressure should be enough to avoid crude
evaporation within normal operation temperature. Howe suggested to have
desalter operating pressure at least 20 psi above vapor pressure of oil-water
compound at desalter normal operating pressure. High evaporation can cause
vapor space in the upper side of desalter which can automatically cut electric
current supply to electrical grid.
9. Demulsifier, The objective of introducing demulsifier is to decrease oil content
of desalter effluent water and to decrease salts and solids. By having
demulsifier, pressure drop of mixing valve can be set higher, so that salt
removal efficiency can be increased. The usual type of demulsifier is
alkoxylated alkyl-phenol/formaldehyde resin. Demulsifier can increase
desalter performance in some ways as follows :

Surface active components will replace emulsifying agent in oil-water

interface which results in the combination of water droplets.
Wetting agent makes the solid particle surface wet, so that the solid can be
removed from oil phase or from oil-water interface and it will disperse into
water phase. This will decrease solid contained in desalted crude and results in
water droplet combination.
 Floculant combines droplets and particles to make bigger droplets. Floculant
also decreases emulsion layer volume at oil-water interface.
Some demulsifier components help breaking the oil out from wash water, so
that cleaner effluent water will be produced.
Some demulsifier components help removing water from oil.