What is electric desalter?

Electrical desalting is the application of high-voltage electrostatic charges to concentrate suspended water globules in the bottom of the settling tank. Surfactants are added only when the crude has a large amount of suspended solids. Both methods of desalting are continuous.

How does a electrostatic desalter work?

An electrostatic field is applied by electrodes in the settling tank, inducing polarization of the water droplets floating in the larger volume of oil. This results in the water droplets clumping together and settling to the bottom of the tank.

What is electrostatic dehydrator?

Frames Electrostatic Coalescers (also known as dehydrators, desalters or treaters) limit downstream corrosion, enhance the economies of transport and improve the efficiency of refining processes.

How is desalter efficiency calculated?

Efficiency is calculated as follows: (Quantity of salt removed/Total salt in crude before desalter)*100. The expected removal percentage is 95 to 98%. Removal of water can be identified by closely observing the variation in sour water make from atmospheric column overhead product drum or reflux drum.

How do you remove salt from oil?

To remove the salt and the water, crude oil undergoes a step known as desalting. In this step the crude oil undergoes an initial dilution with the addition of clean water. The new diluted mixture is then emulsified so that the salty water initially present in the crude oil comes into contact with the clean water.

Why is crude oil desalting necessary?

The purpose of crude oil desalting is to remove these undesirable impurities, especially salts and water, from the crude oil prior to distillation. The salt content in the crude oil varies depending on source of the crude oil.

What is desalting of crude oil?

Desalting is the first refining process applied to crude oil. The process removes salt, water and solid particles that would otherwise lead to operational problems during refining such as corrosion, fouling of equipment, or poisoning of catalysts.

Why did the Demulsifier added in the electrical desalting process?

Since emulsions can be formed in this process, there is a risk of water carryover in the organic phase. In order to overcome this problem chemical demulsifiers are added to promote the emulsion breaking.

What are the main parameters that affect the efficiency of the desalter?

Five parameters which are affecting the efficiency of the desalter unit are; temperature, demulsifier injection rates, wash-water injection rates, differential pressure, and electrical current.

What is desalter process?

Desalting involves mixing heated crude oil with washing water, using a mixing valve or static mixers to ensure a proper contact between the crude oil and the water, and then passing it to a separating vessel, where a proper separation between the aqueous and organic phases is achieved.

Which is the best way to separate saltwater?

You can boil or evaporate the water and the salt will be left behind as a solid. If you want to collect the water, you can use distillation. This works because salt has a much higher boiling point than water. One way to separate salt and water at home is to boil the salt water in a pot with a lid.

What are the types of desalting process?

Desalting process

  • Dillution water injection and dispersion.
  • Emusification of diluted water in oil.
  • Distribution of the emulsion in the electrostatic field.
  • Electrostatic coalescence.
  • Water droplet settling.