Enhanced Coalescence of Fine Droplets by Medium Coalescence under an Electric Field

As more and more oilfields enter later stages of extraction, demulsification of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions with high water content has become a challenging problem. To upgrade the current offshore oil treatment process, a compact and efficient demulsification treatment is highly desirable. In this paper, a novel enhanced treatment combining a direct current (DC) electric field and medium coalescence was proposed. Based on this idea, an electric-medium demulsifier was also designed for deep purification of W/O emulsions. The effects of operating conditions, emulsions characteristics and medium bed parameters on demulsification performance were investigated. The enhanced treatment showed better performance compared to electrostatic demulsification and medium coalescence alone, and was especially suitable for treating emulsions with strong emulsification. In short, at U = 3 kV, the demulsification efficiency increased by approximately 30% compared to that at U = 0 kV. This research provided a new approach for the treatment of W/O emulsions that has the advantages of wide operational flexibility, a tolerance for deteriorated characteristics and a rapid and thorough treatment process.