Crude oil burner

[57] ABSTRACT

A crude oil burner is provided particularly suited for offshore oil well testing,having a plurality of aligned and spaced air cones to the rear end of which crude oil is delivered, and into which air is induced. Air is also available at the space between the cones and at the front of the front cone. Water is sprayed into the flame from a ring at the rear of the front cone and beyond the front of the front cone from a ring at the front of the front cone to provide smokeless combustion.

Claims, 3 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED MAR 191974 3,797,992

SHEET 1 OF 2

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F/G.3

PATENTED HAR 19 1974

3,797,992

SHEET 2 OF 2

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F/G.2

3,797,992

CRUDE OIL BURNER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention r This invention relates to crude oil burners and more particularly to a burner useful in offshore oil well testing.

i 2. Description of the Prior Art

In the testing of oil wells at offshore locations it was the practice in the past to dump the oil pumped from the well directly into the ocean. This practice is no longer acceptable.

It is desirable to check the flow capacity of the well in order to determine whether a further investment in the well is justified.

Various burners for offshore disposal of the crude oil have been proposed but none of these has proven wholly satisfactory.

One burner has been proposed, operating with forced draft, but the weight of the airduct for supplying the air is high with attendant supporting problems. The windloading of the airduct also introduces serious problems. The burner is of lower capacity than desired and does not eliminate the smoke.

Another type of burner has also been proposed, as shown in Drivet, U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,562 but this is subject to mechanical problems in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention a crude oil burner is provided which is particularly suitable for offshore oil well testing, having at least twice the capacity of burners now available, which includes a central assembly of burner nozzles with a pilot and ignition system, a plurality of aligned metallic air cones being employed for improved air introduction and with a dual water spray system to aid in inspirating air and eliminating smoke.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a crude oil burner of high capacity with improved provisions for air and water introduction to provide smokeless combustion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a crude oil burner in which water to eliminate smoke is delivered into the flame in a simple but effective manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a crude oil burner in which the parts can be readily replaced if desired.

f Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

^J BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation of a crude oil burner in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view taken from the location 2—2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 3—3 of FIG. 1.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a supporting frame 10 is shown having a horizontal frame portion 11,'with a rear upright 12, intermediate uprights 13 and front uprights 14. The rear upright 12 has a burner gun supporting plate 15 secured to and extending upwardly therefrom.

The supporting plate 15 carries, preferably equally spaced circumferentially, burner gun tubes 18 with stationary inlet housings 19 at their rear ends. The inlet housings 19 have detachable manifolds 20 held in yokes 21 on the housings 19 by clamping screws 22.

The manifolds 20 have burner tubes 23 carried thereby with burner tips 24 on their front ends.

The housings 19 each has a pipe 25 connected thereto for delivery through a manifold 20 of crude oil to be burned, and a pipe 26 connected thereto for the delivery through the same manifold 20 of steam or air under pressure for atomizing the crude oil to be burned.

The use of the detachable manifolds 20 permits of inspecting and servicing the burners as desired.

The supporting plate 15 has a gas pilot 29 carried thereby which includes a shielded pilot nozzle 30. A combustible gas supply pipe 31 is connected to an inspirator 32 which communicates with the nozzle 30 and an adjustable air inlet 33 is provided also connected to the inspirator 32 so that a gas flame can be made available at the pilot nozzle 30. Provision is made for igniting the combustible gas-air mixture delivered to the pilot nozzle 30 and for this purpose an ignition panel 35 can be employed. The panel 35 has a combustible gas supply pipe 36 with a gas control valve 37, and an air supply pipe 38 with an air control valve 39 connected to a flame pipe 40 to which a spark plug 41 is exposed. The spark plug 41 is activated by a transformer 42 controlled by a push button 43. The pipe 40 extends to the pilot nozzle 30 so that a flame ignited in the flame pipe 40 by the spark plug 41 is delivered to the pilot nozzle 30 to ignite the combustible gas-air mixture supplied through the inspirator 32. Any other igniting equipment may be used if desired.

A rear cone 45 is provided, of frustoconical forwardly flaring shape and preferably made of a pair of metal sections with longitudinal flanges 46 bolted together by bolts 47. The cone 45 has axial exterior reinforcing ribs 49 secured thereto. The rear end of the cone 45 is open for entry of air and has the front portions of the burner tips 24 disposed therein and the longitudinal axis of the cone 45 is parallel to the longitudinal axes of the burner gun tubes 18.

A front cone 50 is provided of frustoconical forwardly flaring shape, longitudinally axially aligned with the cone 45, and preferably made of a pair of metal sections with longitudinal flanges 51 bolted together by bolts 52.

The rear end of the cone 50 has an outwardly extending rear flange 53 which can be secured to the uprights

3,797,992 by bolts 54 and to which the ribs 49 can be secured by bolts 55.

An annular air entry space 57 is provided at the front end of the cone 45 and the rear end of the cone 50 and at that location a rear water spray ring 60 is provided 5 with a water supply pipe 61 connected thereto.

The water spray ring 60 is provided at a plurality of locations with water spray heads 62 to each of which water is supplied from the ring 60 for direction by a cylindrical inner surface 63 inwardly and forwardly into 10 the advancing flame in the front cone 50.

The front cone 50, at the forward end thereof has a front water spray ring 65 disposed therearound and spaced outwardly therefrom for passage of air therebetween. The ring 65 is preferably supported by the up- 15 rights 14 and has a water supply pipe 66 connected thereto. The ring 65 is provided with a plurality of water spray heads 62 for directing water into the advancing flame after it has advanced forwardly from the front cone 50. 20

The mode of operation will now be pointed out.

Crude oil to be burned is supplied by the crude oil supply pipes 25 to the burner tips 24 where it is atomized and delivered forwardly at the rear of the rear cone 45 for combustion. 25

The pilot gas burner 30 causes initial ignition, the burner 30 being ignitied if required from the ignition panel 35.

Air for combustion is induced through the rear end of the rear cone 45 and combustion continues through 30 the rear cone 45 and the front cone 50 and a long distance therebeyond and preferably above the surface of the sea.

Water from the rear spray ring 60 is atomized and directed forwardly and inwardly into the flame in the 35 front cone 50 by the water spray heads 62 on the ring 60.

Water from the front spray ring 65 is atomized and directed forwardly and inwardly into the flame beyond the front cone 50 a distance which may be greater than 40 the maximum diameter of the front cone 50.

The radial spacing of the front spray ring 65 from the front cone 50 permits of air being drawn into the flame at this location.

The introduction of air in the manner described at 45 the rear of the cone 45, and at the rear and front of the cone 50, and the introduction of water into the flame in the cone 50 and beyond the cone 50 have been found effective to obtain amokeless firing of the crude oil over a wide operating range and at very high flow rates.

1. Apparatus for burning crude oil comprising a burner assembly including a plurality of burners and a gas pilot, a rear cone open at its rear end and larger at its front end and into which said burner assembly faces at said rear end, a front cone extending forwardly from said rear cone in axial alignment therewith, said front cone at its rear end being spaced from the front end of the rear cone to provide an air entry space and being larger at its front end, a rear water spray ring contiguous to the rear end of the front cone and having members for directing water in atomized form forwardly and inwardly into said front cone and into the flame therein, and a front water spray ring contiguous to the front end of the front cone and having members for directing water forwardly and inwardly beyond the front end of said front cone and into the flame advancing therebeyond.

2. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim in which:

said burners include a plurality of burners at spaced radial locations within the rear end of the rear cone.

3. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim 2 in which said gas pilot is centrally axially disposed and said burners are disposed therearound.

4. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim in which said front water spray ring is spaced outwardly from the front of said front cone for movement therebetween of air for combustion.

5. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim in which the longitudinal axes of said cones are horizontally disposed.

6. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim in which at least one of said cones is made of a plurality of longitudinally separable portions.

7. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim in which means is provided connected to said gas pilot for ignition at said gas pilot.

8. Apparatus for burning crude oil as defined in claim in which said burner assembly includes detachable burner members.