Understanding Desalters

By: Robert Thomson

Fuel oil can be contaminated as a result of seawater being delivered from a barge at the time of loading. In some cases ballast water or incorrect valve operations can contribute to high levels of seawater contamination.

A high concentration of saltwater, which not only contains a range of metals, but also sodium, will contribute to a higher ash content than fuels containing non-seawater.

It is well known that sodium compounds present in fuel oils, can combine with the vanadium in fuels to cause corrosion of exhaust valves. Vanadium and sodium oxidise during combustion to form semi-liquid low melting point salts, which adhere to exhaust valves. A ratio of vanadium to sodium of 3: 1 is to be avoided.

A seawater contamination where sodium is dissolved in the water is easily remedied by the vessels' operations. Settling and centrifuging should reduce the amount of seawater present in the fuel, and hence the sodium content.

If the salts present in seawater are not removed they will contribute to ash deposits on turbochargers and blades. The performance of the turbocharger would therefore be impaired resulting in poor combustion and increased fouling.

Desalting – the refinery process

Crude oil desalting is one of the most critical steps in the refining process. It removes salt and other contaminants and breaks re-emulsified water from crude feedstocks.
Most crude oil desalters are capable of removing up to 90% of entrained salt from a crude.

There are many desalting processes. For instance crude can be heated to 300ºF, mixed with 5% of fresh water and then fed to the desalters.

For electrostatic desalting operations, crude is heated to decrease the viscosity. The water in oil dispersion is then introduced into a pressurised vessel where a high voltage electrical field accelerates separation of the water laden with salt and other contaminants from the crude. Distributors feed the emulsified crude and water into an intense electrical field; the oil emulsion stream flowing outward from the distributor encounters optimal conditions for water coalescence.

Clean oil, free from contaminants continuously rises to the top of the vessel and flows out while accumulated water and sediment mixture is automatically withdrawn from the bottom of the vessel for disposal.

A cause of high Sodium

If a desalting process used by a refinery is not operating at optimum efficiency, the sodium in the crude oil is concentrated in the residual fuel. This will result in a much higher sodium value than for fuels processed when desalters are working efficiently.

For instance the average sodium value for residual bunker fuels is in the order of 20 mg/kg. At this level sodium would not be a concern for the end user although there is no limit specified in ISO 8217:1996.

However, if a refinery experiences desalter problems, the amount of sodium in residual fuels would escalate enormously.

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

Description of the role of desalters in the oil and gas refinery.

About the Author:
This article was written by Geoff Jones of Lintec and is being distributed by http://www.mw-ocs.com.

Tags: technology, desalters, process engineering

Please Rate this Article

Comments

Share This Article - Quick and Easy Using This Button:

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Technology Articles Via RSS!

Read More Articles From - Home | Technology

Wyoming - The Source Of Energy By: Samson Paulotti - People in the big cities use a lot of energy. They use a lot of energy when they live their lives and they use a lot of energy in whatever they do. They use a lot of technology just to get by their day and they cannot fathom what it would be like to not have the technology that they are using. This is how people in the city live and they think that they are all above others who are living a more relaxed lifestyle in some other states.
Tags: technology, wyoming, -, the, source, of, energy
Technology: Wisconsin, Safety And Fun By: Samson Paulotti - People always want to live in an environment that is both health and secure. We all want to enjoy a good walk sometimes and be sue to ourselves that nothing is going to happen. We all want to feel free from any problem that we may have in our work, in our school or even in our homes. This is why it is always important to choose a good place to live in and Wisconsin is one such place. Wisconsin is one of those places where modernization meets nature.
Tags: technology, technology:, wisconsin, safety, and, fun
ll About the Latest Gadgets By: Russell R. Hughes - We are living in a world of gadgets. There are gadgets for almost everything. Stores are full of the latest gadgets, but are you sure that the ones you see in the store are really the latest? Technology keeps on improving, innovating and experimenting. There are new gadgets almost every moment and by the time you buy one of them, the next one is already ready and this one is on its way out. How do you keep track of the latest in the market? What about the newest, the most sophisticated gadgets and information on them?
Tags: technology, blog, technology
Which Garmin GPS unit is right for you? By: Dimitry Kislichenko - All About Garmin Nuvi Navigation Garmin nuvi navigation represents one of over 35 different gps systems meant for use in your car or on the go. With over 35 products dedicated for automotive use, things can get a bit confusing. I have to admit that this high number of products is overkill for me too but Garmin is committed to delivering a gps for everyone’s needs and price point. The Garmin nuvi lineup provides this to the consumer.
Tags: technology, garmin nuvi, garmin, gps, portable gps, navigation system
5 Laptop Screen Cleaning Tips By: Ada Denis. - Every laptop that is put through good use will need to have the screen cleaned frequently. Over time, your laptop screen will accumulate dust, fingerprint smudges and grime from many different daily situations. A dirty laptop screen can impede the usability of your laptop and can also just be annoying. Keeping your laptop screen clean is pretty easy. Here are a few tips to make cleaning the screen an easy task and to keep from damaging the screen on your laptop during the process of cleaning.
Tags: technology, technology, technology
5 Tips For Choosing a New Apple Laptop By: Ada Denis - Ready to make the move to an Apple Laptop? Or are you just ready to upgrade a favorite older Mac that's seen years of long and faithful service? No matter where you're coming from, here are five quick tips to determine which Apple laptop is the right one for you! What kind of work will you be doing on your new laptop? Graphics design work will probably make a larger screen a plus so that you can get the details without squinting.
Tags: technology, technology, computer;internet
Buy The Best Burglar Alarm Device for Your Household By: Peter A. Garant - Have you been robbed recently in your own home and you feel devastated not because of the loss of the item but because of the fact that your personal space and limits have been breached? We know how it feels like when you are standing in front of an empty space where you television set used to be or where your laptop once buzzed full of life.
Tags: technology, home security, burglar alarms, security, alarms, house security
How to Use Technology to Improve Displays By: Ada Denis. - Incorporating technology into your tradeshow display offers you a chance to be interactive with the show's attendees. There are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of exhibitors at tradeshows, and only or a day or two to see everything. Therefore, you have only a few seconds to grab the attention of potential customers. Your display needs to be captivating, and using modern technology can help you achieve this effect. 1. Set a budget. Know how much your company is allowing you to spend on your display, so you can plan your design efficiently. 2. Provide direct interaction with your product.
Tags: technology, technology, computer;internet
Network Cables, Much More Than Just A Cable By: Anna Stenning - To me a cable is something that connects into a devise on one end and then into another at the other end. But to an expert or someone of adequate knowledge on technological equipment this much than a connector or communicating devise. Take a look around and have a look in computer hardware shops, you will notice that are more than a dozen types of cables all doing different things to keep our devices working in the way it should.
Tags: technology, network cables
A Guide to Online Backup By: Ada Denis. - Why change my existing backup solution? Your current windows backup software may very well be running with problems and you may even have bought an external hard drive or even have a server running at home to keep your backup secure. Online backup solution are by many considered an expensive solution if you only need to take a small backup now and then, while others think online backup is too risky and therefore buy their own home backup solution with mirrored hard drives and what not. I would like to demystify all these statements. Why use Online Backup?
Tags: technology, technology, computer;internet