Acoustically aided coalescence of water droplets and dehydration of crude oil emulsion

Wei Xie; Rui Li; Xiaoping Lu; Pingfang Han; Shanlong Gu

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.32, No.4, 643-649, April, 2015

DOI10.1007/s11814-014-0253-6 Export Citation

Acoustically aided coalescence of water droplets and dehydration of crude oil emulsion

Wei Xie^{1, 2, †}, Rui Li², Xiaoping Lu¹, Pingfang Han¹, and Shanlong Gu¹

¹Institute of Sonochemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, P. R. China
²Yangzhou Polytechnic Institute, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, P. R. China

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We studied the use of acoustics for coalescence of water droplets and dehydration of crude oil emulsion. Experimental studies were conducted using acoustic standing waves in a resonant cavity to trap water droplets and enhance oil separation. The focus was on the effect of ultrasound irradiation on crude oil emulsion properties, such as viscosity, water drop radius, shear strength of oil-water interfacial films, and flocculation size of asphaltene. These properties are important to the coalescence of water drops in water-oil (W/O) emulsion in the process of oil separation with ultrasound. Ultrasound irradiation is able to decrease the emulsion stability, which provides a new insight into the acoustics-aided demulsification mechanism. It can be considered as a supplement of traditional acoustics-aided demulsification mechanism (ultrasound-induced motion of water droplets). Furthermore, the effects of ultrasonic parameters such as the type of ultrasonic field, irradiation time, frequency, and acoustic intensity on dewatering the W/O emulsion are discussed. These results provide guidance for setting the optimum conditions for the separation of W/O emulsion with ultrasound. Under the optimum conditions, water content in crude oil emulsion can be decreased from 40% to 3.8%, which satisfies the requirement of dehydration for refinery.

Keywords:Acoustics;Ultrasonic Parameters;Dehydration

[References]

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Talor SE, Chem. Ind., 19, 770 (1992)
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Mohammed RA, Bailey AI, Luckham PF, Taylor SE, ColColloids Surf., A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 80, 237 (1993)
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Eley DD, Hey MJ, Symonds JD, Colloids Surf., 32, 87 (1988)
Yosioka K, Kawasima G, Acustica, 5, 167 (1955)
Weiser MAH, Apfel RE, Acustica, 56, 114 (1984)
Zheng X, Apfel RE, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 97, 2218 (1995)
Crum LA, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 57, 1363 (1975)
Pangu GD, Feke DL, Ultrasonics, 46, 289 (2007)
Wang J, Dual J, Ultrasonics, 52, 325 (2012)
Mclean JD, Kilpatrick PK, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 189(2), 242 (1997)
Abe Y, Kawaji M, Watanabe T, Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci., 26, 817 (2002)
Xi X, Cegla FB, Lowe M, Thiemann A, Ultrasonics, 51, 1014 (2011)

[Referenced By]

[1] Eow JS, Ghadiri M, Chem. Eng. J., 85(2-3), 357 (2002)

[2] Check GR, Chem. Eng. Process., 81, 72 (2014)

[3] Zhang G, Zhang P, Chen Y, Tsinghua Science Technology, 11, 374 (2006)

[4] Stack LJ, Carney PA, Malone HB, Ultrason. Sonochem., 12, 153 (2005)

[5] Pangu GD, Feke DL, Chem. Eng. Sci., 59(15), 3183 (2004)

[6] Crum LA, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 50, 157 (1972)

[7] Jiao JJ, He Y, Leong T, Kentish SE, Ashokkumar M, Manasseh R, Lee J, J. Phys. Chem. B, 117(41), 12549 (2013)

[8] Browne C, Tabor RF, Chan DYC, Dagastine RR, Ashokkumar M, Grieser F, Langmuir, 27(19), 12025 (2011)

[9] Zhang J, Li J, Thring RW, Hu X, Song X, J. Hazard. Mater., 203-204, 195 (2012)

[10] Jin YQ, Zheng XY, Chu XL, Chi Y, Yan JH, Cen KF, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 51(27), 9213 (2012)

[11] Check GR, Mowla D, Ultrason. Sonochem., 20, 378 (2013)

[12] Nii S, Kikumoto S, Tokuyama H, Ultrason. Sonochem., 16, 145 (2009)

[13] Talor SE, Chem. Ind., 19, 770 (1992)

[14] Sunartio D, Ashokkumar M, Grieser F, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 129(18), 6031 (2007)

[15] Mohammed RA, Bailey AI, Luckham PF, Taylor SE, ColColloids Surf., A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 80, 237 (1993)

[16] Mclean JD, Kilpatrick PK, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 189(2), 242 (1997)

[17] Aveyard R, Binks BP, Fletcher PDI, Lu JR, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 139, 128 (1990)

[18] Isaacs EE, Huang H, Babchin AJ, Chow RS, Colloids Surf., 46, 177 (1990)

[19] Eley DD, Hey MJ, Symonds JD, Colloids Surf., 32, 87 (1988)

[20] Yosioka K, Kawasima G, Acustica, 5, 167 (1955)

[21] Weiser MAH, Apfel RE, Acustica, 56, 114 (1984)

[22] Zheng X, Apfel RE, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 97, 2218 (1995)

[23] Crum LA, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 57, 1363 (1975)

[24] Pangu GD, Feke DL, Ultrasonics, 46, 289 (2007)

[25] Wang J, Dual J, Ultrasonics, 52, 325 (2012)

[26] Mclean JD, Kilpatrick PK, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 189(2), 242 (1997)

[27] Abe Y, Kawaji M, Watanabe T, Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci., 26, 817 (2002)

[28] Xi X, Cegla FB, Lowe M, Thiemann A, Ultrasonics, 51, 1014 (2011)