US1174743A - Separator. - Google Patents

Description

W. G. LEET.

SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1915.

3 174 743 Patented Mar. 7,1916.

IN VENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEY IN FACT WILLIAM G.

menu, or SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE METER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PITTSBURGH SEPARATOR.

mam.

Application filed June 15, 1915. Serial No. 34,203.

To allwhom iii-may concern: I

Be it known that 1, WILLIA G. LEET, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Shreveport, in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have made a new and useful Invention in Separators, of which 'the following is a specification.

in use or known to me.

The gas issuingfrom a gas well ordinarily carries or entrams solid material such as sand and it is ordinarily saturated with condensable vapors which will condense at the pressures and temperatures ordinarily encountered in the distribution system. The

necessity for removing these impurities from the gas priorto delivering itto the distribution system is well known, and various types of urifiers, separators, extractors, etc.. have been deyised to accomplish the removal of the same, but so far as I know, no entirely satisfactory apparatus had been employed up to the time of my present invention. I

The apparatus heretofore used either are ihefiectivein operation or they are objectionable by reason of the fact that they are complicated in structure and require spe-v cial care and skill while in operation. In addition to this, there is, sofar as I know,

no Tcommercial apparatus which is continuous in operation and which is effective in simultaneously removing both the solids and liquids or condensable vapors from the gas. f A further object of my invention istherefore to produce a simple and effective continuously operating separator which will simultaneously remove both the solid and system.

condensable vapor s and liquid from the gas prior to delivering it to the distribution These made apparent throughout the further description of my invention, are attained by means ofapparatus embodying the features Specification of letters Patent.

and other objects, which will be PatentedMar. 7, 191a.

In, the illustrated embodiment of the in vention, gas from a source of supply, suchfor example as one or more wells, 1s received through a pipe line 4, in which is locateda pressure reducingdevice' 5, here shown as a regulator, such as is ordinarily employed, which is adapted to throttle the flow of gas traversing the line 4 insuch a way as to reduce its pressure to a pressure which is desirable in the distribution system. While the regulator shown is of the type which automatically varies the amount of throttling of the gas or the amount of gas delivered in accordance with variations in the pressure of the gas at the delivery port thereof, this refinement may not be essential in every embodiment of my invention, since, under some conditions, any pressure reducingdevice, which throttles the flow of gas from the pipe line. may be employed.

The, throttling of the gas as it passes through the pressure reducing device 5 occasions a forced expansion of the gas and the entrained condensable-vapors, which takes place at the expense of. the heat stored in the gas. The expansion results in a material drop in the temperature of the gas which is suflicient, undertheordinary pressures encountered,to cause 'the entrained condensable vapors, such as water vapor and .vapors of relatively low volatile hydro-carbon liquids, to condense. In apparatus em-" bodying my invention the reduction in the "temperature of the gas and the resulting condensation of the condensable vapors 'carried by the gas, together with the increase in the velocity of the gas, occasionedby the g expansion, are employed in the removal of impurities from the gas. To this end aseparator chamber 6 is located immediatelyadjacent to the pressure reducing device 5, and a nozzle 7, which receives the expanded gas delivered the device 5, projects into 1 I the chamber 6 through an inlet port 8 with which the casing 9, inclosing the chamber, is provided. As .illustrated, the nozzle 7 is turned so that its delivery end projects downwardly and discharges at a point within the chamber immediately above a recrementdischarge' port 10, with which the casing 9 is provided. As illustrated, the discharge end of the nozzle is slightly convergent so that the gas issuing therefrom is directed downwardly in a more or;less solid stream toward the discharge port 10. A With; this arrangement the impurities carried by the gas are more or less concentrated and are discharged downwardly toward the discharge port 10. The upper end of the casing 9 is provided with a gas delivery port 11 through which the gas is delivered to a distributing main 12, and as illustrated, the casing 9 is provided with a series of bafll'e plates .15 which extend partially across the separator chamber and provide an extended surface on which the moisture carried by the gas traversing the separator chamberv may collect. r a As illustrated, the discharge port is located at the lowest point of the casing 9 and is connected by means of a short pipe section 13 to a receptacle ,or reservoir- 14, which is located 'below the casing 9. .With this arrangement the impurities, carried by 35 the gas issuing from the nozzle 7, will be discharged into "the receptacle 14 by reason of the fact that they are projected from the nozzle at a high-velocity and their inertia tends to cause them to continue their downward motion, whereas the gas itself, issuing from the nozzle, first comes to rest within thecasing 9 and then reverses its direction of flow and proceeds towardthe delivery port 11 of the casing. The pipe section 13 end of the 'nozzle 7 so that the impurities carried by the gas will be discharged from the nozzle directly through the section 13 into the receptacle 14. The discharge end of the nozzle 7 is preferably so located with in the casing that the reversal in flow of the gas take place wholly within thecas ing A but in the immediate neighborhood of the port 10, since .a reversal in flow of the gas within the pipe section 13 will tend to impede the delivery of impurities through the is preferably axially alined with the deliveryv or nearthe lowest portion of the reservoir through which a continuous flow of liquid may pass. It is essential, however, that this reservoir be of suificient, capacity to take care of large quantities of water which may be delivered from the wells through the field lines, to the separator, since when water isencountered in large quantities it is invariably delivered through the field lines headers or waves. The reservoir 14-75 should therefore'be of suflicient capacity to receive the headers or waves of water and to prevent them from interfering with the normal operationof the apparatus. In some installations I find that a section of relatively large pipe provides an adequate reservoir 1 1, and I have also found that it may be desirable to provide means for flushing. out this reservoir with liquid other than that receivedfrom the chamber 6. 1

In the drawing I have illustrated the reservoir provided with a' flush pipe 16, through which water may be delivered. The reservoir is also provided with a recrement discharge port 17 which is shown connected by means of piping 18, to a pressure regulator or'reducing valve 19, the discharge port of which communicates with a second reservoir or receptacle 21. This reservoir 21 is usually located at a level above that of the reservoir 14', since the reservoir 14' is ordinarily located so far below the surface of the ground that itwould be impractical to drain the reservoir 21 if'it were on a level with the. reservoir 14. The reservoir 21 is providedwith a discharge port 22 which is in open communication with one leg of a trap-23,the other leg of; which communicates with a discharge pipe 24, from which the water, liquid and solid matter separated from the gas are discharged. The trap 23 is of sufficient depth to prevent gas bubblingthrough it to the atmosphere.

As illustrated, the regulator 19 is of the type provided with an operating diaphragm 11.0

which is located in a pressure chamber 19. The upper face of the diaphragm or the upper. portion of the chamber 19 is placed in communication. with the reservoir 21 or with the delivery port of the regulator 19*by means of piping 26. This piping is provided with a restricted discharge port 25, which may be controlled, by a needle valve. and "through Whi'chgas delivered to the reservoir 21 with the water is discharged. The operation of the regulator 19 is as fol-- lows: So long as liquidis discharged from f the reservoir 14 through the piping 18, the regulator 19 will remain open, since the water delivered by'it to the reservoir 21 will exertno back pl'essure in the reservoir 21 and consequently willnot actuate the diagphragm contained within the'chamber 19 I i As soon as gas is delivered through the regulator 19 to the reservoir 21, the pressure 23 prevents the discharge of the gas to the atmosphere. This gas pressure within the in this'reservoir piles .up, due to the fact that the column of liquid within the trap reservoir 2lis transmitted to the actuating diaphragm of the regulator 19 through the piping] 26, and is effective in closing the regulator and thereby shutting ts communication between the reservoirs 14 and 21.

By this arrangement the waste of gas is limited 'to the relatively small quantities the piping 18.

soon as the gas ressure in-the reservoir 21 has decreased su ciently to permit the opening of the regulator '19, the regulator will open and remain open provided a continuous-flow of liquid isdelivered to it through The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Let it be assumed that the gas in the pipe line 4 is at a pressure of 100 pounds and thatit is desirable to maintain a pressure of approximately 20 pounds in the distributing system. The pressure reducing device 5 will, therefore, be adjusted so" as to maintain a pressure "of approximately 20 pounds in the chamber 6. The gas deliveredby the device 5 increases materially in volume or expands because of the lower pressure encountered within the chamber 6, and thisexpansion, as has been described, results. in a drop in temperature and of course an increase in the velocity of flow through the nozzle 7. This reduction in temperature occasions a condensation of the condensable vapors carried by the gas, which takes place prior to the discharge of the gas from the nozzle 7. The liquids resulting from the condensation and the liquids carried by the gas are collected in small globules or, if sufficient liquid is present, into a stream by reason ,of the fact that the delivery end of the nozzle is convergent. These liquids" are heavier than the gas and by reasonof their inertia, drop tothe bottom of the chamber -6 or are discharged through the port 10 at the time of reversal in flow of the gas issuing from the nozzle. 1

This moisture in the gas, the high velocity of flow as the gas issues from the nozzle 7,

and the reversal of flow of the gas within the chamber 6 areeifective in separating the solid matter, such as sand, mud, etc.,

from the stream of gas. The liquid carried by the gas tends to collect on any solid particles entrained by the gas and to thereby increase their weight. versal in flow of the gas the solid particles resist a change in the direction of their motion by reason of their inertia and consequently either fall through the port 10, or collect on the bottom of the chamber 6,

At the time of re-' from which they are washed by the accumulation of moisture. stood that the gas practically comes to rest at the time of reversing its flow, or in other words, at the time of changing its direction of motion from that toward the bottom of. the chamber 6 to a motion toward. the

port 11' at-the top of the casing, it will be clearly understood that gravity will effect the desired separation from the gas of the liquids carried by'the gas, condensed liquids In addition to this, the gas in leaving the chamber 6 traverses a cirand solid matter.

cuitous path, by reason of the arrangement of baflles 15, in which its direction offlow is reversed'a number of times and in which it is exposed to a relatively large wetted surface which will have a high aflinity for the moisture carried by the gas and will be effective in removing substantially all of the moisture from the gas before it reaches the port 11.

The liquids, condensed liquids and the solid, matter separated from the gas will eventually collect inthe receptacle 14 from which they are forced through the reducing valve 19 into the elevated receptacle 21 by the pressure of the gas within the chamber 6 The valve 19 is preferably set to reduce the pressure from 20 pounds in the reservoir 14 to a pound or less in the reservoir 21. Under/ ordinary conditions there will be sufiicient moisture separated from the gas to cause a continuous flow of liquid through the ,port 17 and'to carry the solid matter with it from the receptacle 14, but as previously described this receptacle may be periodicallyflushed Without interfering with the operation of the separator. Under ordinary conditions there will be a continual flow of liquid through the receptacles 14 and 21 and consequently these liquids together with the solid matter will pass to the trap 23 and be discharged.

' If, however, the flow of liquid to the reservoir 21 ceases, because the liquid the reservoir 14 is exhausted, gas will pass to the reservoir 21, and, as before'described, will actuate the regulator 19 to close communication between the reservoirs 14 and 21. As soon as the gas pressure within the reservoir 21 again decreases, due to the leakage of gas through the port 25, the regulator will again open and will. remain open if a con-- tinuous flow of liquid is delivered to it from' the reservoir 14.

The principal features of my invention are that, the apparatus embodying it is simple both in construction and in operation; the condensable vapors, liquid and solid matter carried by the gas are simultaneously abstracted; the liquids separated from the gas are effective in accomplishing the necessary A washing of the gas and the separation of the solidmatter, and the apparatus is continuous in operation and is self cleaning.

When it is under-' I Having now described one embodiment of my invention, what I-claim is:

1. A; separator having a gasadmission -port communicating with the source of gas supply, a gas delivery port communicating with the distribution system, and a recrement-discharge port, and a pressure reducing device between the admission port of said separator and the source .of gas supply, so located with reference to the separator that the drop in temperature occasioned by the passage'of gas through said pressure repp y,

ducing device is employed in the removal of condensable vapors from the gas as it traverses the separator.

2. In combination with a source ofgas supply, a pressure reducing device to which gas from said'source is delivered, a separa: tor chamber located adjacent to said device, a nozzle projecting downwardly Within said chamber and communicating with said device, a recrement receptacle located below said chamber and in open communication with a recrement discharge port'with which the chamber is provided.

3. In combination with a source a separator chamber having a gas admission port, a gas delivery port and a recrement discharge port,. a pressure reducing (kv'ice between the admission port of said chamber and the source of gas supply, so located with reference to said chamber that the reduction in temperature occasioned by the expansion of the gas passing said device is eifective in condensing the condensable vapors carried .by the gas entering said chamber, a downwardly projecting nozzle located within said chamber, discharging near the bottom of said chamber and receiving expanded gas delivered by said device,

and a seal for said discharge port.

located in of gas.

magma 4. In a gas separator comprising a separator chamber having a'gas delivery port located near the upperend thereof and a continuously open recrement discharge port the bottom of the chamber, a gas delivery nozzle projecting intosaid chamber and having its discharge end near the bottom of the chamber, a pressure reducing device between the source of gas-supply and the chamber located immediately adjacent to the chamber and communicatin with said nozzle, anda liquid seal for sai recrement discharge port. 7

5. A gas separator, comprising a separating chamber having a gas delivery port 10- cated near the upper end thereof and a recrement discharge port located in the bottom thereof, a source of gas supply, a

pressure reducing device between said source of supply and said chamber, and a nozzle communicating with said device and projecting into said chamber with its discharge end located near the bottom of the chamber.

\ WILLIAM G. LEET.

Witnesses; GEO. A. RANDOLPH,

J N0: A. NORTHCO'I'I.

my name this 2nd day of June,

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