Compact Electrostatic Coalescer Technology

The Encyclopedic Handbook of Emulsion Technology profiles experimental and traditional measurement techniques in a variety of emulsified systems, including rheology, nuclear magnetic resonance, dielectric spectroscopy, microcalorimetry, video-enhanced microscopy, and conductivity. The chapter of concern is on compact electrostatic coalescer (CEC) technology. In the offshore production of petroleum, technical problems are sometimes encountered with emulsions which are formed at different stages of the production and transportation processes. These have to be taken into consideration at an early stage of the planning and construction of a platform. Enough space must be reserved for emulsion destabilization equipment such as coalescers and separators. With effective methods of emulsion separation, based on reliable information about crude oil and its tendency to form emulsions, much of this space could be reserved for other more useful purposes. The stability of water-in-oil emulsions has been investigated thoroughly during the last 20 years, which has resulted in increased understanding of the underlying mechanisms. This information could be utilized in order to develop more efficient chemical demulsifiers and, as a result, improve the separation efficiency of platforms. Another way of improving separation efficiency is to establish more refined or new methods of physical separation. In this chapter, the electrostatic destabilization of water-in-oil emulsions under flowing conditions is investigated