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 m3 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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