A power supply system for an AC type of coalescer including a first transformer, a controllable transformer, a resonant control circuit and a control system. The first transformer has a primary winding with first and second primary terminals and a secondary winding with first and second secondary terminals, where the first and second secondary terminals are provided for connection to electrodes of the coalescer. The controllable transformer has a primary side for connection to an AC power source and a secondary side connected to first and second nodes, where the second node is connected to a second primary terminal of the first transformer. The resonant control circuit is connected between the first node and the second node. The control system is controlling the controllable transformer. The power supply system further comprises a capacitor connected between the first node and a first primary terminal of the first transformer.

A system for desalting crude oil includes delivering a stream of salty crude oil and wash water into a mixing valve, mixing the stream of salty crude oil and wash water through the mixing valve to create a mixed stream of desalted crude oil and salty wash water, delivering the mixed stream of desalted crude oil and salty wash water to a static mixer, and mixing the mixed stream of crude oil and wash water in the static mixer. Within the static mixer, the mixed stream is mixed in a coalescing regime to coalesce smaller droplets of water into larger droplets of water. The mixed stream is subjected to an electric field to cause additional coalescence before being directed to a desalter where the salty wash water is separated from the desalted crude oil.

Separation apparatuses for the separation of a mixture of two fluids, such as a water-in-oil emulsion, via electrocoalescence, are provided. A separation apparatus may include a series of flow conditioners each having a different permittivity, such that the flow conditioner having a permittivity that is similar or equal to the permittivity of the flowing medium is selected. Another separation apparatus may include a flow conditioner having a frequency-dependent permittivity, such that the frequency of the electric field generated is selected so that the permittivity of the flow conditioner is as similar as possible to or equal to the permittivity of the flowing medium. Another separation apparatus may include a replaceable flow conditioner that may be replaced with a flow conditioner having a permittivity that is as similar to or equal to the permittivity of the flowing medium.

Embodiments discussed herein relate to systems and methods for separating two or more phases of an emulsion or other mixture. The methods include providing the mixture with a net and unipolar charge (e.g., such that adjacent droplets therein acquire net and unipolar charges), thereby enhancing coalescence of like-phase droplets therein and producing, or enhancing the production of, two or more consolidated phases; and collecting the two or more consolidated phases.

Systems and methods for treating a rag layer in a gas oil separation plant. The method includes withdrawing the rag layer from a vessel proximate an oil water interface; conveying the rag layer to a separation device, the separation device operable to effect electrostatic coalescence on the rag layer to separate oil and water; and recycling separated oil from the separation device back to the gas oil separation plant process.

Embodiments of the disclosure pertain to an apparatus comprising a phase separator configured to separate a mixture comprising (i) water containing NaCl and (ii) oil and/or gas into separate streams comprising the water, the oil (when oil is in the mixture), and the gas (when gas is in the mixture), an electrochemical membrane separation cell configured to separate sodium and chloride ions in the water stream to form a stream comprising a first sodium hydroxide solution and a stream comprising (i) hydrochloric acid and/or (ii) chlorine gas, a compressor configured to compress a gas containing CO.sub.2, a spray dryer configured to mix aqueous NaOH and the compressed gas to form sodium carbonate, and a cyclone separator configured separate the sodium carbonate from any excess components of the aqueous NaOH and/or the compressed gas.

A process train for a floating production storage and offloading installation includes a crude oil storage tank that is equipped with at least one electrostatic separator configured to subject the produced stream that enters the tank to an electric field. The electrostatic separator may include two inclined vessels containing electrostatic internals and in fluid communication with one another. Employing electrostatic separators within the tank can permit an allowable inlet water content into the tank of up to 80%, significantly reducing the required topside processing equipment.

The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage,

A system for separating the components of an incoming oil-water mixture includes two electrode sets, one set arranged to apply an electrostatic field to an oil layer residing within a separator vessel and the other set arranged to apply an electrostatic field to the interface emulsion layer residing within the separator vessel. The first set of electrodes is in communication with a high voltage power source that ranges from 1 to 60 kV; the second set of electrodes is in communication with a low voltage power source that is no greater than 5 kV. Each set of electrodes may also be in communication with a second voltage source to provide increased power to promote effective coalescence. The system may also include power electronics to produce a variable amplitude and a variable frequency voltage supply to one or both electrode sets.

A system for separating the components of an incoming oil-water mixture includes two electrode sets, one set arranged to apply an electrostatic field to an oil layer residing within a separator vessel and the other set arranged to apply an electrostatic field to the interface emulsion layer residing within the separator vessel. The first set of electrodes is in communication with a high voltage power source that ranges from 1 to 60 kV; the second set of electrodes is in communication with a low voltage power source that is no greater than 5 kV. Each set of electrodes may also be in communication with a second voltage source to provide increased power to promote effective coalescence. The system may also include power electronics to produce a variable amplitude and a variable frequency voltage supply to one or both electrode sets.