Separation system and method for separating a fluid mixture with this separating system

Abstract

A separation system for separating a fluid mixture includes a uniaxial cyclonic separator ( 2 ) having a first inlet ( 16 ) for receiving a fluid mixture, a separation chamber ( 18 ) for separating the fluid mixture by cyclonic action into a dense first fluid and a less dense second fluid, a first outlet ( 22 ) for the first fluid and a second outlet ( 26 ) for the second fluid. The system further includes a reverse flow cyclonic separator ( 32 ) having a second inlet ( 30 ) for receiving the first fluid from the first outlet ( 22 ), a separation chamber for separating the first fluid by cyclonic action into a dense third fluid and a less dense fourth fluid, a third outlet ( 34 ) for the third fluid and a fourth outlet ( 36 ) for the fourth fluid.

1 . A separation system for separating a fluid mixture, the system including a uniaxial cyclonic separator having a first inlet for receiving a fluid mixture, a separation chamber for separating the fluid mixture by cyclonic action into a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being denser than the second fluid, a first outlet for the first fluid and a second outlet for the second fluid, and a reverse flow cyclonic separator having a second inlet for receiving the first fluid from the first outlet, a separation chamber for separating the first fluid by cyclonic action into a third fluid and a fourth fluid, the third fluid being denser than the fourth fluid, a third outlet for the third fluid and a fourth outlet for the fourth fluid. 
     
     
         2 . A separation system according to  claim 1  including a second reverse flow cyclonic separator having a third inlet for receiving the second fluid from the second outlet, a separation chamber for separating the second fluid by cyclonic action into a fifth fluid and a sixth fluid, the fifth fluid being denser than the sixth fluid, a fifth outlet for the fifth fluid and a sixth outlet for the sixth fluid. 
     
     
         3 . A separation system according to  claim 2 , wherein the fourth outlet and the sixth outlet are connected to combine the fourth and sixth fluids. 
     
     
         4 . A separation system according to  claim 2  or  claim 3 , wherein the fifth outlet is connected to the third outlet to combine the fifth and third fluids. 
     
     
         5 . A separation system according to  claim 2 , wherein the fifth outlet is connected to the sixth outlet to combine the fifth and sixth fluids. 
     
     
         6 . A separation system according to  claim 2 , wherein the fifth outlet is connected via flow control means to the third outlet and the sixth outlet to combine the fifth fluid selectably with either the third fluid or the sixth fluid. 
     
     
         7 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , including a flow control device for controlling the flow through the third outlet. 
     
     
         8 . A separation system according to  claim 7 , including a sensor for sensing the composition of the third fluid and a control device for controlling operation of the flow control device according to the sensed composition of the third fluid. 
     
     
         9 . A separation system according to  claim 2 , including a containment vessel for the uniaxial cyclonic separator and the reverse flow cyclonic separators, the containment vessel having an upper chamber connected to the fourth and sixth outlets to receive the fourth and sixth fluids, and a first lower chamber connected to the third outlet to receive the third fluid. 
     
     
         10 . A separation system according to  claim 9 , wherein the first lower chamber connected to the fifth outlet to receive the fifth fluid. 
     
     
         11 . A separation system according to  claim 9 , including a second lower chamber connected to the fifth outlet to receive the fifth fluid. 
     
     
         12 . A separation system according to  claim 11 , wherein the second lower chamber is connected to the upper chamber to receive the fourth and sixth fluids. 
     
     
         13 . A separation system according to  claim 9 , wherein the containment vessel includes an outer chamber containing multiple uniaxial cyclonic separators and an inner chamber containing multiple reverse flow cyclonic separators. 
     
     
         14 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , including a flow conditioning device upstream of the uniaxial cyclonic separator, having an inlet for a precursor fluid, a separation chamber for separating the precursor fluid by gravity into a denser fluid and a less dense fluid, an outlet for the denser fluid and an outlet for the less dense fluid, wherein the outlet for the denser fluid is connected to the first inlet of the uniaxial cyclonic separator. 
     
     
         15 . A separation system according to  claim 14 , wherein the flow conditioning device includes a substantially horizontal separation chamber having an inlet for a precursor fluid at one end, an outlet for the less dense fluid in an opposite end, and an outlet for the denser fluid in a lower part of the separation chamber. 
     
     
         16 . A separation system according to  claim 14 , wherein the separation chamber contains at least one substantially vertical baffle plate. 
     
     
         17 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , including a gas separator device upstream of the uniaxial cyclonic separator, which is constructed and arranged to remove gas at least partially from the liquids fed to the first inlet of the uniaxial cyclonic separator. 
     
     
         18 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the uniaxial cyclonic separator includes a spiral-shaped inlet chamber, and elongate separation chamber and at least one spiral-shaped outlet chamber. 
     
     
         19 . A separation system according to  claim 18 , wherein the elongate separation chamber has a length in the range five to ten times its minimum diameter. 
     
     
         20 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the reverse flow cyclonic separator is substantially conical in shape, having a length in the range ten to twenty times its maximum diameter. 
     
     
         21 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , for separating water from an oil/water mixture. 
     
     
         22 . A separation system according to  claim 21 , wherein the oil/water mixture received at the first inlet of the uniaxial cyclonic separator comprises at least 1% oil, or at least 5% oil, or at least 10% oil, up to approximately 45% oil, by volume. 
     
     
         23 . A separation system according to  claim 21 , wherein the third fluid comprises less than 1% oil, preferably less than 0.5% oil, more preferably less than 0.1% oil, by volume. 
     
     
         24 . A separation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the third fluid comprises by volume 40-70% of the fluid mixture received at the first inlet. 
     
     
         25 . A method of separating a fluid mixture, the method including delivering the fluid mixture to a uniaxial cyclonic separator and separating the fluid mixture by cyclonic action into a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being denser than the second fluid, delivering the first fluid to a reverse flow cyclonic separator, and separating the first fluid by cyclonic action into a third fluid and a fourth fluid, the third fluid being denser than the fourth fluid. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 25  including delivering the second fluid to a second reverse flow cyclonic separator and separating the second fluid by cyclonic action into a fifth fluid and a sixth fluid, the fifth fluid being denser than the sixth fluid. 
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 26 , including combining the fourth and sixth fluids. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 26 , including combining the fifth and third fluids. 
     
     
         29 . A method according to  claim 26 , including combining the fifth and sixth fluids. 
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 25 , including sensing the composition of the third fluid and controlling the flow of the third fluid according to the sensed composition of the third fluid. 
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 25 , including separating a precursor fluid by gravity into a denser fluid and a less dense fluid, and delivering the denser fluid to the uniaxial cyclonic separator. 
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 25 , including removing gas at least partially from the fluids fed to the uniaxial cyclonic separator. 
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 25 , for separating water at least partially from an oil/water mixture. 
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the oil/water mixture received at the inlet of the uniaxial cyclonic separator comprises at least 1% oil, or at least 5% oil, or at least 10% oil, up to approximately 45% oil, by volume. 
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 33 , wherein the third fluid comprises less than 1% oil, preferably less than 0.5% oil, more preferably less than 0.1% oil, by volume. 
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein the third fluid comprises by volume 40-70% of the fluid mixture received at the first inlet.