Application of Electric Mixing Method to Increase Industrial Crude Oil Dehydration Efficiency

Abstract

The salt can reason severe difficulties like fouling, corrosion using salt deposition, and catalyst poisoning in the downstream parts. This study presents a modification process for improving the efficiency of dehydration in a desalting unit. The main purpose of this investigation is to substitute the mixing valve with an electrical mixing system. Process configuration was modeled in addition to the electrostatic desalting drum. Based on this model, it is affirmed that modification is capable to increase the efficiency of dehydration. The models are designed according to the population balance technique to predict water cut in treated crude oil. To improve the considered model accuracy, the consequences are compared to industrial data of the mixing valve. The comparison between the results gained by the mixing valve and the electric mixing system proves the superiority of the suggested tool. Furthermore, the results indicate the electric field strength optimum value in the mixing step to attaining minimum water cut in treated crude oil.

Keywords

• crude oil
• method of class
• mixing method
• oil/water emulsions
• psd