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Cocurrent vacuum de‐aeration of water for injection into oil reservoirs
Author(s) -
Lydersen Aksel L.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.270140406
Subject(s) - countercurrent exchange , aeration , chemistry , stripping (fiber) , chromatography , mass transfer , volumetric flow rate , liquid flow , pressure drop , petroleum engineering , materials science , mechanics , thermodynamics , composite material , geology , physics , organic chemistry
Conventional vacuum stripping to reduce the oxygen content of injection water for secondary recovery of oil is carried out in packed columns with the released gases and water flowing countercurrently; hence large column diameters (normal liquid load circa 100 m 3 /(m 2 h)) and foaming that requires the addition of defoaming agents. Measurements with cocurrent and countercurrent flow at the same flow rate produced practically identical mass transfer coefficients. With flooding excluded in cocurrent flow, columns can be operated with higher liquid loads than in countercurrent flow. In addition, nitrogen released in the top part of the packing is better utilized as stripping gas, and foam is withdrawn as soon as it increases the pressure drop.