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

Inlet

Baffles

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

Prisms and
Tetrahedrons

ANSYS Meshing

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
Discrete phase

free slip
absoption coefficient = 1

Lateral walls/baffles: no roughness

Continuous phase
Discrete phase

no slip
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
baffles

Vertical
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?