5 replies to this topic

[Charlz]

Please, can anybody here help me with the right method to increase the temperature of a crude oil emulsion heater treater?

[kkala]

Can you please give more details on your query, e.g. simplified sketch of crude oil treater (indicating the heater too), content of water in crude, present operating temperature, etc? I am not expert, yet help from knowledgeable persons could be more effective with such data.
http://www.cheresour...ydratordesalter '> http://www.cheresour...ydratordesalter can be of interest. Exchangers upstream desalter are tubular (preheating train). Probably you mean something different; and temperature limits may be related to boil over.
Meanwhile, introductory material could be found by googling e.g. "breaking crude water emulsion by heating", or similar. Please confirm exclusion of "microwave" heating too.

[Charlz]

The treater has a capacity of 40000bpd, and it is currently operating at a temperature of 64degC, which is not enough to break the crude emulsion with a water cut of 30-80%.

[kkala]

Unfortunately I have no experience on this treater (feed water 30-80%), having seen crude desalter only (http://www.cheresour...ing-tempriture'> http://www.cheresources.com/invision/topic/16397-de-salter-operating-tempriture), as previously said. Hopefully someone with expertise could help specifically.
Note: Fluid has probably no contact to atmosphere, which means no risk for boil over.

[Art Montemayor]

Chartz:

What is your problem?

Has your heater-treater previously handled the same capacity at a higher temperature?
Is your heater-treater designed to yield only a 64 oC product?
Is your heater-treater a direct, gas-fired heater? If so, can you add more firetubes?
Of the two examples I am attaching here, which type are you operating?

 Horizontal Heater Treater Drawing.pdf   54.02KB   674 downloads
 Vertical Heater Treater Drawing.pdf   57.14KB   757 downloads

[Charlz]

It is a horizontal treater designed to handle the same capacity at a temperature of upto 80oC.