Improving electrocoalescer performance using temporally varying periodic electric field

One of the cleanest and low energy-intensive techniques used to separate water in oil emulsions in the petroleum industry is electrocoalescence. In electrocoalescence, the electric field is applied across the emulsion, and it induces polarization on droplets. Due to this polarization, the droplets attract and approach each other and coalesce to form larger droplets which then separate under gravity in a reasonable time. An electrocoalescer essentially works on the phenomena of electrocoalescence. Enhancing the performance of an electrocoalescer includes the ability to dehydrate the emulsion in a shorter time, that is increase the kinetics of separation while keeping the operation safe (without sparking). The work proposes the enhancement of separation based on temporally varying periodic electric field and demonstrates it rigorously through several experiments and analysis. These include optimizing and designing the electrical waveform and then demonstrating the faster rate of kinetics by comparing the performance with conventional practices. The technique is established through experiments on oil with dispersed water as deionized water or brine.