EMULSION CHALLENGES


When immiscible liquids reside in the same vessel, eventually the lighter liquid rises to the top and the heavier settles to the bottom. This is the case with oil and water, where effective separation is critical to the productivity of upstream wells, processing plants and refinery/petrochemical complexes.


Gas Gas Gas Oil Emulsion layer Water Sand Foam


A thick or dynamic emulsion layer creates challenges for one of the most widely utilized level technologies: Guided Wave Radar (GWR).


Water Horizontal separator


GWR is a microwave radar device combining time domain reflectometry (TDR) and equivalent time sampling. The synthesis of technologies creates a high-speed GWR transmitter that is extremely effective at tracking total level and interface in separators; particularly when there is a relatively distinct boundary between the liquids. However, as the emulsion layer grows, GWR tends to measure near the top of the layer. Even a small amount of water in the oil (top of the emulsion layer) makes it conductive enough to produce an impedance change detectable by the transmitter. This leaves little remaining energy to be transmitted through the rest of the emulsion layer.


With the growth of TDR based level instrumentation, there is an emphasis on expanding the use of TDR into multiphase applications where mainly high- priced profilers or multi-probe arrays exist today.


Vertical separator with cleaner interface


3 / EMULSION IN THE FIELD: The Genesis of TDR Multiphase Level Measurement Oil


Oil and water that undergoes emulsification is widely seen as the most difficult type of interface to control.


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