COLUMN FOR CARRYING OUT MASS EXCHANGE PROCESSES, IN PARTICULAR DESORPTION AND ABSORPTION PROCESSES, MASS EXCHANGE APPARATUS WITH THE SAME AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING IODINE FROM DRILLING AND/OR FORMATION WATER OF OIL OR GAS FIELDS BY AIR

Abstract

Column for carrying out mass exchange processes, in particular desorption and absorption processes, said column comprising: a vertical cylindrical container comprising a first cylindrical container section having a first height hi and a first diameter d1, a second cylindrical container section having a second height h2 and a second diameter d2, a third cylindrical container section having a third height h3 and a third diameter d3 and a fourth cylindrical container section having a fourth height h4 and a fourth diameter d4 from bottom to top in a longitudinal direction of the container, a gas, in particular air, inlet in the wall of the first container section and a liquid outlet in the first container section, a polyethylene packing in each of the second container section and the third container section, a liquid inlet in the wall of the third container section, a liquid distributor that is placed in the third container section and is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet, and a gas mixture, in particular air mixture, outlet in the fourth container section, mass exchange apparatus comprising such a column, method for extracting iodine from drilling and/or formation water of oil or gas fields by air and use of such a column or mass exchange apparatus for extracting iodine from drilling and/or formation water of oil or gas fields by air.

Claims

1. Column (10) for carrying out mass exchange processes, including desorption and absorption processes, said column comprising: a vertical cylindrical container (12) comprising a first cylindrical container section (121) having a first height h1 and a first diameter d1, a second cylindrical container section (122) having a second height h2 and a second diameter d2, a third cylindrical container section (123) having a third height h3 and a third diameter d3 and a fourth cylindrical container section (124) having a fourth height h4 and a fourth diameter d4 from bottom to top in a longitudinal direction of the container, a gas inlet (14) in the wall (16) of the first container section (121) and a liquid outlet (18) in the first container section (121), a polyethylene packing (20, 22) in each of the second container (122) section and the third container section (123), a liquid inlet (24) in the wall (26) of the third container section (123), a liquid distributor (28) that is placed in the third container section (123) and is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet (24), and a gas mixture outlet (30) in the fourth container section (124).

2. Column (10) according to claim 1, wherein the height h of the container (12) is in a range of 15 m to 16 m.

3. Column (10) according to claim 1, wherein the total height of the packings (20, 22) is in a range of 5 m to 7 m.

4. Column (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first and fourth diameters d1 and d4 are greater than the second and third diameters d2 and d3.

5. Column (10) according to claim 1, wherein the second and third diameters d2 and d3 are equal.

6. Column (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first and fourth diameters d1 and d4 are equal.

7. Column (10) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one packing support (36, 38) for supporting one of said packings (20, 22).

8. Column (10) according to claim 1, further comprising at least one flow restricting element.

9. Column (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a mist catching packing (40) in the fourth container section (124).

10. Mass exchange apparatus comprising a column (10) according to claim 1 and a high-pressure fan in fluid connection with the gas inlet (14) of the column (10).

11. Method for extracting iodine from drilling and/or formation water of oil or gas fields by air, using the mass exchange apparatus according to claim 10, comprising carrying out air desorption of iodine from drilling and/or formation water in a phase inversion mode or in a mode close to it.

12. (canceled)

13. Method for extracting iodine from drilling and/or formation water of oil or gas fields by air, using the column (10) according to claim 1, comprising carrying out air desorption of iodine from drilling and/or formation water in a phase inversion mode or in a mode close to it.

Description

[0026] Further features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the enclosed claims and the following description, in which a special embodiment of the invention is illustrated in detail with reference to the drawing, wherein the only FIGURE depicts a side view of a column for carrying out mass exchange processes according to a special embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows the design of a column 10 for carrying out mass exchange processes according to a special embodiment of the present invention. In particular, said column is for air desorption of iodine from formation waters. Said column 10 comprises a vertical cylindrical container 12 comprising a first cylindrical container section 121 having a first height h1 and a first diameter d1 (except for a transition section), a second cylindrical container section 122 having a second height h2 and a second diameter d2, a third cylindrical container section 123 having a third height h3 and a third diameter d3 and a fourth cylindrical container section 124 having a fourth height h4 and a fourth diameter d4 (except for a transition section) from bottom to top in a longitudinal direction of the container 12. Furthermore, a column 10 comprises a gas, in this case air, inlet 14 in the wall 16 of the first container section 121 and a liquid outlet 18 at the bottom of the first container section 121, a polyethylene packing 20 and 22, respectively, supported by respective packing supports 36 and 38 in each of the second container section 122 and the third container section 123, a liquid inlet 24 for drilling and/or formation water in the wall 26 of the third container section 123, a liquid distributor 28 that is placed in the third container section 123 and is in fluid connection with the liquid inlet 24, and a gas mixture, in this case iodine-air mixture, outlet 30 in the fourth container section 124.

[0028] The height h of the container 12 is in a range of 15 m to 16 m. The total height of the packings 20 and 22 is in a range of 5 m to 7 m. The first and fourth diameters d1 and d4 are 3.6 m and the second and third diameters d2 and d3 are 3.1 m. Said diameters are chosen to reduce the rate of air supply to the lower and upper parts of the column (desorber). This allows a more even distribution of air at the bottom of the packings 20 and 22. Increasing the diameter of the column 10 in the fourth container section 124 reduces the linear velocity of the iodine-air mixture to for example 1.5-1.9 m/s and prevents the escape of formation water particles with the iodine-air mixture from a fourth container section 124 at the stage of iodine absorption.

[0029] Furthermore, for drawing the liquid (fluid) from the inner wall of the column 10 into the packings 20 and 22, edge deflectors 32 and 34 are installed along the height of the column 10.

[0030] The fourth container section 124 includes a mist catching packing 40 supported by a packing support 42.

[0031] At least one of the packings can be a grid, in particular a gridiron grid.

[0032] The features in the foregoing description, in the claims and/or in the accompanying drawings may, both and in any combination thereof, be material for realizing the invention in diverse forms thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0033] 10 column [0034] 12 container [0035] 14 gas inlet [0036] 16 wall [0037] 18 liquid outlet [0038] 20, 22 packings [0039] 24 liquid inlet [0040] 26 wall [0041] 28 liquid distributor [0042] 30 outlet [0043] 32, 34 edge deflectors [0044] 36, 38 packaging support [0045] 40 mist catching packing [0046] 42 packing support [0047] 121 first container section [0048] 122 second container section [0049] 123 third container section [0050] 124 fourth container section [0051] d1 first diameter [0052] d2 second diameter [0053] d3 third diameter [0054] d4 fourth diameter [0055] h1 first height [0056] h2 second height [0057] h3 third height [0058] h4 fourth height