desanding hydrocyclones & proppant removal

The selection of APSL's cyclone liner size and type hinges on factors such as the process fluid, temperature, pressure, and the type and size of particles present in the fluid (oil, gas, or water). For the efficient removal of small particles (typically under 30 microns), cyclones with small diameters (usually 50mm or less) are necessary. In production systems where high flow capacities are needed, multiple desanding hydrocyclone liners are grouped into one or more pressure vessels. APSL offers a variety of desanding cyclone liners ranging from 12mm to 100mm in diameter within its multi-pack liner range.

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Small diameter (12 to 100 mm), high-efficiency desander cyclone liners are typically constructed from ceramic materials to ensure excellent erosion resistance. If particles larger than 50 microns need to be removed, then larger diameter hydrocyclones (over 150mm) become viable. These larger desanders offer significantly higher flow rates for a given pressure drop. Larger high-capacity desander cyclones are usually made from corrosion-resistant base materials with wear surfaces coated in either tungsten carbide or silicon carbide.

The desander pressure vessels can be designed to meet any ANSI or API pressure rating and conform to any recognized oilfield pressure vessel design code. The pressure vessel housings are available in a range of materials, including lined carbon steel, duplex, and super duplex, with other exotic materials also an option.

Hydrocyclones form an integral part of desanding and desilting processes, effectively sorting, classifying, and separating liquid suspension systems into solids and liquids. Widely used in various industries, particularly oilfields, hydrocyclones are continuous and efficient classifications devices with no moving parts. They employ fluid pressure to create rotational forces, which enhance the settling of particles based on their size, shape, and density.

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Hydrocyclones, including desanders and desilters, boast numerous advantages as classification tools. They are simple and cost-effective to construct, install, and maintain. In closed grinding circuits, they occupy minimal space and reduce residence time, unlike the outdated rake classifiers. Despite their apparent operational simplicity, they can present monitoring challenges, and issues may go unnoticed by operators.

The cut size, or d50, represents the particle size at which there is an equal likelihood of the particle being classified as either underflow or overflow. For instance, if D50 = 74 µm, 50% of the particles are larger than 74 µm, and the other 50% are smaller. This metric is widely used to describe the particle size distribution of a sample. General relationships between cut size and hydrocyclone design and operating parameters indicate that larger hydrocyclone diameters, higher feed solids concentrations, and increased hydrocyclone tilt lead to a higher cut size. Conversely, increasing the flow rate reduces the d50 value.

Fine particles sometimes get trapped in the underflow liquid and are misallocated to the underflow product rather than the overflow. According to Kelsall, solid particles are misdirected proportionally to the fraction of feed water diverted to the underflow. Optimizing hydrocyclone operations can minimize this misallocation. Reducing the water split to the underflow is achieved by increasing the hydrocyclone's flow rate, thereby decreasing the number of particles misallocated due to entrainment.

Optimizing cyclone performance involves achieving the target cut size (d50c), as required by downstream processes, while minimizing the misplaced particles in the underflow and overflow. The desired d50c depends on the circuit product's required fineness, which may be needed for further grinding or beneficiation processes, such as flotation.

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