OPTIMIZATION OF THE DESIGN

OF A SKIMMER TANK

Paula Luca Ismirlian

Astra Evangelista S.A.
AESA

Four Business Units:

Engineering

Manufacturing

Construction

Services
Presence in Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay.
Problem Description
Location: Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Secondary oil recovery by water injection

Water Treatment Plant for re-injection of water in oil well

Skimmer Tank:
Flotation of oil droplets (discrete phase)

Separation from water (continuous phase)

Goal: Achieve an acceptable residence time and

flow pattern
Problem Description (cont.)
Skimmer Tank: Simple / Low cost / Low maintenance

Overflow Baffles

Inlet Outlet

DESIGN OPTIMIZATION
Configuration of internals and inlet and outlet ducts
Methodology

Initial geometry (Case 1)

Alternative designs (Cases 2 - 3)

Comparation of these cases

Premise: Mx. ppm of oil in water outlet

Methodology

CFD:
Flow patterns inside the tank
Velocities
Oil concentration in water outlet
Oil particles and sand particles path
Quantity of oil and sand escaping from each outlet
Recirculation zones
Analysys
1. Geometry (basic case) ANSYS Space Claim
Analysys
2. Meshing ANSYS Meshing

Prisms and
Tetrahedrons
Analysys
3. Set up ANSYS CFX

Two simulations:
Resolution of tank fluid dynamics only with continuous
phase
Single phase regime

Turbulence model: Standard k-epsilon

Stationary regime

Incompressible fluid

Isothermal
Analysys
Resolution of the particles path (oil + sand) in the
continuous phase
Transient regime

Multiphase regime: Euler-Lagrange Model (particles and

water)

One-way coupling

Schiller-Neumann drag model

No colision between particles

No coalescence

Indeformable particles
Analysys

Material properties (constant) :

Water: temperature, density, viscosity.

Oil and sand particles:

3 diameters (Size 1 < Size 2 < Size 3)

Inlet concentrations
Densities
Oil viscosity.
Analysys

Boundary conditions:
Inlet mass flow

Outlet pressure

Superior wall: overflow condition

Continuous phase free slip
Discrete phase absoption coefficient = 1

Lateral walls/baffles: no roughness

Continuous phase no slip
Discrete phase perpendicular and parallel bounce
coefficients
Results and conclusions
Case 1: Basic geommetry
Water velocities:

INLET

OUTLET
Results and conclusions

Velocity in a plane:

INLET

OUTLET
Results and conclusions
Velocities in other planes:
Results and conclusions
Oil Particles:

size1 BLUE
size2 RED
size3 GREEN
Results and conclusions
Case 2: Jacketed in/out
Water velocity fields:
INLET

OUTLET
Results and conclusions
Water Streamlines
(velocities):
Results and conclusions
Oil concentrations:

Inlet
Outlet
Overflow
Inside

Size 3 Size 2 Size 1

Results and conclusions
Case 3: Vertical baffles

Horizontal Vertical
baffles baffles

Outlet
Inlets
Results and conclusions
Water streamlines
Results and conclusions

Size 1 residence time:

Results and conclusions

Size 3 residence time:

Results and conclusions

Inlet
Outlet
Overflow
Inside

Mx. ppm

Size 3 Size 2 Size 1

Thank you!

Questions?