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5. Cleaning technology
by MegaMacs for crude oil tanks and sludge collection reservoirs
For such reservoirs the best cleaning agent is water. The system
employs Three-Phase centrifuge to separate phases (oil, reusable
water and solids).
Following is a description of the cleaning process using water as
a cleaning agent.
Main process tank filled with 10-15 m 3
of water and heated to 180°F
(82°C)
by recirculation through heat exchanger using washing pump. Robotic
Cannon on a tripod and booster pump are installed inside the tank
against each other. Hydraulic and process hoses network connected.
As soon as everything connected wash pump switched to cleaning mode
and delivers hot water to Robotic Cannon. After pressurized hot
stream from cannon dilutes sludge it extracted from the tank by
booster pump.
5.1. Water recirculation system
From booster pump diluted sludge goes directly to vibro separator
where solid particles (up to 6 mm) are removed. Remaining mix enters
MegaMacs’ main process tank where solid particles (less than 6 mm)
settle to the bottom and light fraction of oil and water rises to
the top of the tank. Solids from the bottom of the tank are removed
by helical conveyor and solid’s pump. Floating skimmer with pump
evacuates light fraction for further processing on centrifuge unit.
Water through heat exchanger returned to the robotic cannon, closing
the loop. Same quantity of water has to be added periodically.
Centrifuge separates sludge onto three phases. Water is
re-circulated back to the main tank, oil phase is pumped into the
product vessel provided by customer, and solid phase is transported
from centrifuge by screw conveyor into the box, provided by
customer, for the further treatment. Typically solid phase recovered
from the crude oil sludge is 5 to 8% by weight.
Recirculation continues until bottom sludge is completely removed
from the tank. As canon cycle finished operators replace it with
wash heads installed on tripods evenly spreading them across the
tank. After wash heads are connected hot water is drown to them by
wash pump and process is restarted.
Should change of holding product or welding repairs are planed
reservoir is washed with water (acoustic may be added) using same
wash heads.
On a final stage after wash heads are removed high pressure hand
guns with water are used for detail cleaning in hard to reach
places. As soon as cleaning finished, reservoir allowed to naturally
drying out.
Such system requires 3 operators per working shift.
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