ELECTROSTATIC HEATER TREATERS

Proven and robust pac k a g e s Electrostatic pac kages supp l i e d currently treating over 2 0 0 million barrels of oil per ye a r Global netwo rk o f fa brication par t n e r s

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OV E RV I E W
DPS Delta is a process package technology company with a wealth of experience in the oil and gas industry, offering a significant amount of specialised knowledge in the design, fabrication and operation of a range of process technology packages.
An extensive reference list and operational flexibility enables us to offer either complete packages, or process designs and guarantees to international partners who wish to undertake the fabrication themselves. Other process packages offered by DPS Delta include: Electrostatic dehydration and desalting Glycol dehydration & regeneration Separators Free water knock out Inlet manifolds Amine units Scrubbers Specialist internals (cyclonic inlets, vane and coalescing packs) Our aim is to maintain our high quality, specialised service that provides high efficiency engineering studies, services and manufacturing, with a continued emphasis on meeting our clients aims and objectives at the lowest possible cost.

DE S I G N F E AT U R E S
The DPS Delta electrostatic heater treater is a horizontal unit designed and built to meet the requirements of international codes and standards, performing the following functions:i) Inlet Degassing ii) Free Water removal iii) Heating iv) Electrostatic coalescing of water droplets v) Controlled discharge of Gas, Oil and Water The treater is skid mounted and complete with control valves, instruments and accessories to ensure safe and reliable unattended operation. The heating section of the treater comprises of a U Type firetube which is available with a gas or oil fired burner system and associated local control panel. The heater treater has an innovative coalescing section utilising both AC and DC voltage to enhance the coalescence of water droplets. The DC field between the electrode plates allows a uniform migration of water droplets towards the opposite charged electrode while maintaining an AC field between the water interface and the electrode plates to coalesce the larger droplets near the oil/ water interface. The droplets passing between the two differently charged electrode plates collide, coalesce and then fall back into the water phase under gravity. An externally mounted transformer with internal diodes provides a secondary output voltage of 16.5/23.0/ 35 Kv DC to the electrode plates. The transformer has a 100% reactance which will allow, in the event of a water slug in the crude causing a short circuit, for the unit to be kept on line until normal conditions are reinstated.

Electrostatic Heater Treater s

BA S I C P RO C E S S
1. Initial Gas Separation Produced fluid enters the vessel above the fire-tube in the inlet degassing section. Free gas is liberated from the flow stream and is equalised across the entire degassing and heating area of the treater. The inlet degassing section is separated from the heating section by a hood type baffle. The fluid travels downward from the degassing area and enters the heating section under the fire-tubes. Any free water associated with the crude oil is released in this area. 2. Free Water Removal The water level in the heating section is maintained by a float operated control which operates a water discharge valve. 3. Heating & Final Degassing The oil and entrained water flow around the fire-tube, where the desired operating temperature is obtained. The increase in temperature of the oil will release some additional gas. 5. Coalescing Section The oil and entrained water enter the coalescing section from the differential oil control chamber through distributors. The distributor is of open bottom design and water sealed to force the oil and entrained water upward The heat released gas then joins the free gas from the inlet through the metered orifices; and at the same time section and is discharged from the treater through a gas allows any free water and solids to fall out and join with back pressure valve. the water in this section of the treater. The water level is The fluid level is maintained in this section by a fixed maintained by an interface control which operates a water height weir. The oil and entrained water must spill over discharge valve. The oil and entrained water flow upward, this weir to the differential oil control chamber. and are uniformly distributed to utilise the full crosssectional coalescing area. As the oil and entrained water 4. Differential Oil Control Section This section is located between the heating and coalescing come into contact with the electrical field in the grid area, final coalescing of the water takes place. The water falls sections of the treater. The heated fluids enter the chamber over the fixed weir baffle of the heating section. back into the water phase and the clean oil continues to rise to the top of the vessel, where it is collected and is This area contains the oil level control which is activated discharged through the clean oil outlet valve. by the rising level of the incoming fluid. The control operates the clean oil discharge valve. The fluid then travels downward to near the bottom of the differential oil control chamber where the openings to the coalescing section distributor is located.
For further information, or to discuss a specific problem, please contact: DPS (Bristol) Ltd Serbert Road, Portishead Bristol BS20 7GF United Kingdom t +44 (0) 1275 841 300 f +44 (0) 1275 841 301 www.dps-global.com
DPSHEATER-DELTA-04.11