Abstract
Improving the separation efficiency of the inclined oil/water separator, a new type of gravity separation equipment, is of great importance. In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the internal flow field of the separation process of oil and water within this separator, a numerical simulation based on Euler multiphase flow analysis and the realizable k-ε two equation turbulence model was executed using Fluent software. The optimal value ranges of the separator’s various structural parameters used in the numerical simulation were selected through orthogonal array experiments. A field experiment on the separator was conducted with optimized structural parameters in order to validate the reliability of the numerical simulation results. The research results indicated that the horizontal position of the dispenser, the hole number, and the diameter had significant effects on the oil/water separation efficiency, and that the longitudinal position of the dispenser and the position of the weir plate had insignificant effects on the oil/water separation efficiency. The optimal structural parameters obtained through the orthogonal array experiments resulted in an oil/water separation efficiency of up to 95%, which was 4.996% greater than that realized by the original structural parameters.
Highlights
The changes in crude oil components and operating conditions resulting from oilfield development have created problems with oilfield production and crude oil gathering, transportation, and storage
In order to study the separation performance of the inclined oil/water separator, numerical simulations were conducted at varying inclinations, ranging from 0° to 30°
According to S1 Table, when the inclination ranged from 0° to 12°, the oil/water separation efficiency increased as the inclination increased; when the inclination ranged from 15° to 25°, the oil/water separation efficiency decreased as the inclination increased; and when the doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0124095.g003
Summary
The changes in crude oil components and operating conditions resulting from oilfield development have created problems with oilfield production and crude oil gathering, transportation, and storage. The effects of eleven factors, including the weir height, weir position, hole diameter and spacing of the dispenser, horizontal and longitudinal positions of the dispenser, and the structure of the oil outlet, on separation efficiency were analyzed, and an orthogonal array at five levels, whose factors and levels are shown in S2 Table, was designed [14,15,16]. The significance of the various structural parameters on the oil/water separation efficiency was determined through a range analysis of the numerical simulation results.
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