DesalterOperationOptimization

ByAdhiBudhiartoRabigh,KSA
Desalterisusedtoeliminatesalts,water,sediment,andsuspendedsolid.Weneedtohavedesalter
forsomereasons,asfollows:
Toavoidcorrosion(effectedbysalts)itisusuallymaintargetofdesalteroperation.
Toavoidfoulingandcoking(effectedbysalts,sediment,andsuspendedsolid).
Toavoiderosioninsidepiping/equipment(effectedbysediment).
Toavoidhighenergyconsumption(effectedbysalts,water,sediment,andsuspendedsolid).
Toavoidcatalystpoisoning(effectedbysalts).
Toavoidhighcostofchemicalusedforhandlingfoulingandcorrosion(effectedbysalts,sediment,
andsuspendedsolid).
Asmyexperience,therearesomefactorsinfluencingemulsionstabilityofliquidinsideofthe
desalter,asfollows:Crudedensity,Emulsionbetweencrudeandwatercanbebrokenbydensityby
followingStokeformulae:V=K*(rhowrhoo)*G*d^2/no(whichare:V=waterdropletfalldown
velocity;K=constant;rhow=waterdensity;rhoo=oildensity;G=gravityacceleration;d=water
dropletdiameter;no=oilbulkviscosity).Eventhoughcrudedensitygivesbigimpacttotheemulsion
stability,butitisnotaoperatingvariable.
.Crudeinlettemperature,Crudeviscositydereaseswithincreasingtemperature,sothatwater
dropletcanbeeasiertobeseparated.Higherdesaltertemperaturecanalsoincreasewaterdroplet
combinationefficiencyby:a)Increasingthedilutionofnaturalemulsionstabilizer,suchas
naphthenicacid.b)Increasingcrashingfrequencybetweenwaterdroplets.c)Acceleratingthe
diffusionofdemulsifierintooilwaterinterface.Higherdesaltertemperaturecanalsoinfluencecrude
density.Crudedensitydecreaseswithincreasingtemperature,sothatitcanincreaseefficiency(see
Strokeformulae).Yet,thereisamaximumlimitationfordesaltertemperature.Toohighdesalter
temperaturecanevaporatelightendswhichcanmaketurbulence.Thisturbulencecanincreasecan
decreasedesalterefficiency.
Electricalgridofdesalter(ifthetypeofdesalterisbielectric),electricalgridoperationisusually
troublefree(eventhoughthereisapossibilityofshortcircuit).Problemscanbeanticipatedby
havingvoltageandampereindicators.Innormaloperation,theseindicatorsshouldnotbe
fluctuated.
Washwaterinjectionrate,Washwaterinjectionrateshouldbemoderate,nottoolowortoohigh.
Toolowwashwaterinjectionratecandecreasedesalterefficiency,becausewaterdropletsin
emulsionestablishedbymixingvalvecanbetoofartocombineeachotherintheelectricalfield.Yet,
toohighwashwaterinjectionratecanmakeemulsiontobetooconductivewhichcanincrease
electricalcurrentanddecreasevoltage,sothatitcandecreasedrivingforceforpolarizingdroplets,

combiningeachotherinelectricalfield,anddecreasingdesalterefficiency.Washwaterinjection
ratevariesdependingoncrudeproperties,usually4to6%volumeofcrude(forcrudehavinghigh
specificgravity,washwaterinjectionratecanbeincreasedto69%volumeofcrude).The
influenceofwaterdropletpopulation/densityintheprocessofwaterdropletcombinationin
electricalfieldcanbedescribedbyformulaeasfollows:F=K*E^2*a^6/d^4(whichare:F=pulling
forceamongdropletsinelectricalfield;K=constant;E=voltagegradientamonggrids;a=radiusof
nearestwaterdroplets;d=distanceamongdropletsinelectricalfield).Ifwashwaterinjectionrateis
low,thewaterdropletpopulation/densityisalsolow.Ifthedistanceamongdropletsinelectrical
fieldiswider,thedrivingforceforpolarizingdropletsinelectricalfieldwilldecrease,sothatdesalter
efficiencywillalsodecrease.
pHofWashwaterinjection,OptimumpHofwashwaterinjectionisbetween5.5to7.5.IfpHisless
than5.5,itwillcausecorrosionindesalter.IfpHisoverthen7.5,itwillstabilizeemulsion,muchoil
willbreakthroughaseffluentwater.InhighpHenvironment,naphthenicacidcontainedincrudewill
beionizedandmakesodiumsoaporpotassiumnaphthenatewhichisapowerfulemulsifier.Ifwater
inemulsioncontainscalciumandmagnesiumcarbonateorsulfate,highpHofwashwatercanmake
sludgeindesalterandscaleineffluentwaterpipingordownstreamheatexchanger.Forthisreason
washwaterissometimesinjectedbyacidtocontrolwashwaterpH.
dPofmixingvalve,Energyofwateroilmixingiscontrolledbypressuredropofmixingvalve.This
pressuredropisusedtodispersewashwatertobesmalldropletsintotheoil.Ifpressuredropistoo
low,theefficiencywillbelow.Ifpressuredropistoobig,emulsionwhichismadewillbetoostable
tobebroken.Generally,crudehavinghighspecificgravitywillneedpressuredrop512psiand
crudehavinglowspecificgravitywillneedpressuredrop1020psi.
Interfacelevelofdesalter,Interfacelevelofdesalterisusuallybasedonexperience.Forhowe
desalter,waterlevelshouldbemaintainedtobe612underinletdistributorheader.ForPetreco
lowvelocitydesalter,waterlevelshouldbemaintainedtobe6aboveheader.ForPetrecoCylectric
andbilectricdesalter,waterlevelshouldbemaintainedtobe1224underlowerelectricalgrid.
Desalterpressure,Desalteroperatingpressureisusuallybetween50to250psigdependingon
dischargepressureoffeedpumpanddesalterlocationinthepreheatersystem.Desalteroperating
pressureshouldbeenoughtoavoidcrudeevaporationwithinnormaloperationtemperature.Howe
suggestedtohavedesalteroperatingpressureatleast20psiabovevaporpressureofoilwater
compoundatdesalternormaloperatingpressure.Highevaporationcancausevaporspaceinthe
uppersideofdesalterwhichcanautomaticallycutelectriccurrentsupplytoelectricalgrid.
Demulsifier,Theobjectiveofintroducingdemulsifieristodecreaseoilcontentofdesaltereffluent
waterandtodecreasesaltsandsolids.Byhavingdemulsifier,pressuredropofmixingvalvecanbe
sethigher,sothatsaltremovalefficiencycanbeincreased.Theusualtypeofdemulsifieris
alkoxylatedalkylphenol/formaldehyderesin.Demulsifiercanincreasedesalterperformancein
somewaysasfollows:
Surfaceactivecomponentswillreplaceemulsifyingagentinoilwaterinterfacewhichresultsinthe
combinationofwaterdroplets.

Wettingagentmakesthesolidparticlesurfacewet,sothatthesolidcanberemovedfromoilphase
orfromoilwaterinterfaceanditwilldisperseintowaterphase.Thiswilldecreasesolidcontainedin
desaltedcrudeandresultsinwaterdropletcombination.
Floculantcombinesdropletsandparticlestomakebiggerdroplets.Floculantalsodecreases
emulsionlayervolumeatoilwaterinterface.
Somedemulsifiercomponentshelpbreakingtheoiloutfromwashwater,sothatcleanereffluent
waterwillbeproduced.
Somedemulsifiercomponentshelpremovingwaterfromoil.