Raw Materials with Quality
Underground pressure forces the extracted oil to the surface. Depending on the deposit, the oil is contaminated to a greater or lesser degree with water, sand, and natural gas. Separation of these components is carried out in the separators. Measurement of the level and detection of the interfaces in the separators is essential in order to effectively separate the different components.
Level Measurement with the VEGAFLEX 66
To optimize throughput, a reliable and accurate level measurement in the separators is necessary. The measuring system must not be affected by the composition of the oil-water mixture. Since the conveying pressure and the product temperature depend on the oil deposit, the measurement must also stay unaffected by the process pressure and
temperature.
The VEGAFLEX 66 offers extremely reliable measurement with accuracy of up to +/-3 mm. This guided wave radar is unaffected by changes in temperature, pressure, viscosity, and conductivity. This robust instrument also allows the user to measure a range of products with dielectric constants ranging from 1.4 and higher. The VEGAFLEX 66 has a near zone of only 4 inches, which is less than half of existing near zones in alternative technologies. Due to the customer specified length, every VEGAFLEX 66 has fewer calibration steps. Making the measurement in a bridle or bypass pipe has the advantage of easy positioning on vessels which are usually covered with many inlets and outlets and have little available space. Additionally, the radar sensor is not affected by strong product movement inside the separator.
The Separation of Oil from Water
The ability to cleanly separate oil from water is largely determined by the quality of the extracted raw material. Due to their different densities, the various components
separate mechanically from each other in the separator, with the heavier material falling to the bottom.
Radiation-Based Interface Detection with the FiberFlex
The determination of the interface between oil and water is carried out with the radiation-based sensor FiberFlex. The non-contact sensor measurement is not influenced by process pressure or process temperature. The unequal damping of the radioactive radiation in the different liquids enables a reliable detection of the interface. Placement of the radioactive sources directly in the container allows operation with low doses of radiation and achieves high measurement reliability.
Pressure Monitoring with the VEGABAR 53
For the protection of the entire plant, the process pressure in the separator is monitored with the pressure transmitter VEGABAR 53. Its measuring cell with strain gauge is particularly suitable for very high process pressures up to 14,503 psi (1,000 bar).
