Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Improved Method and Apparatus ~Qr Combustion of ~il
Tcchnical Field
The present invention relates to an Æpparatus and
method for the combustion of crude oil at, for example,
the drilling site. More particu1Qrly9 the present
invention sela~es to a method and apparetus or the
improved combustion of crude oil using an atomizing burner
in which the burner assembly i5 adjustably movable from a
rem~te location9 and improvements enhence ~ombustion,
prcviding Q smokeless burn to limit pollut~on and eomplete
di3posal.
Bftckground Art
In the drilling and subsequent testing of
oilwells it is sometimes necessary to dispose of large
volumes of oil produced. Oil may be preliminarily stored
in tnnks upon the drill site, but eventtlally the oil must
bc either transmitted to a point of desired locQtion, or
disposod of in some manner which is of minimal impact to
tIle environment.
The untre~ted dlsposal of un~anted srude oil upon
the earth's surfaee or Into the oce~n causes ~ntolerable
environmental demage and such ~t practice is generally
prohibited.
To transmit oil i~mediately from a remote
--2~
drilling site may not always be possible or eco-
nomically feasible. Crude oil used for testing
the well may additionally be mixed with driling
mud, sand, or otherwise be impure or unusable.
Weather conditins may bear on the ability to transmit
such oil Erom a remote drilling site until piping
can be set up, especially in very remote areas
as the arctic regions o~ the earth, and in Alaska
in the United States. In these irigid and arctic
regions, the disposal of oil can be particularly
acute in view of the fragileness of such ecological
regions. To dispose of oil by combustion in arctic
regions requires a clean, complete combustion burn
which is substantially smokeless.
Attempts have been made to overcome the
disposal of excess or unwanted excess oil by the
use of burners or combus-tion devices. See, for
example, V~S. patents nos. 3,565,562; 3,632,287;
and my prior U.S. patent 3,807~832 entitled "Method
and Apparatus for Combustion o~ Oil", the present in-
vention being an improvement of these earlier devices
F~ench patent 2l391,903 to LeCompte dis-
cusses a flair support.
In U.S. patent 3,797,992 issued to Straitz
there is seen a "Crude Oil Burner".
A "Duel Fuel Burner" is the subject oE
U.S. paent 3,153,438 issued to W.B. Brzozowski.
Powell discloses in U.S. patent 2,882,843
a "Combustion Apparatus".
~ pa-tent to Sherman (U.S. 2,869,626)
discloses a "Fluid Fuel Burning Apparatus".
U.S. patent 2~8611629 issued to W.H.
Dailey provides a "Burner Apparatus".
Phillips in U.S. 2l793r686 discloses
a "AY~ially Ad~ustable Fuel Burner for Furnaces".
The Caracristi patent 2,48~547 discloses
a "Burner with Adjustable Air Distribution".
~ 9~ ~ ~
~3
A "Combination Burner for Liquid snd G~seous
Fuels" is the subject of U.S. Patent 2,368917B.
An ~Air Directing ~eans in Gun Type Burners~ i5
the subject of U.S. Patent 29473,3A7~
A r'Method and Apparatus for Burning I,iquid Fuel"
is the subject of U.S~ 1~7o6~3~6 issued to Norton.
A "Process of Gener~tlng Gas frQm Kerosene and by
Means of Wicks" is the subject of V.S. Patent 608,3940
Lucich dis~lose~ a "Burner for He~vy Liguid
~0 Fuels" in U.S. Patent 29003,1B1.
A "Pulverized ~uel Burner" is $he subject of ~.S.
Patent 1,878,926.
A "~uel Burner" is seen in V.S. Patent 1,870,013
issued to Keenan.
Another ~Apparatus for Liquid and PulYerized Fuel
Furnaces" is seen in V.S. Patent 1,793,111 issued to J.
McDonald.
The Zink Patent 2,274,818 disclosPs
"Combination Gas and Oil Burner".
Thompson shows in U.S. Patent 39120,260 ~ "Waste
Gas Dispos~l Flare" having ~n ~d~ustable boom.
U.S. Patent 3,852,022 discloses a 'ILiquid Fuel
Burner llead" is.sued to Medeot, et al.
U.S~ Patent 3,918,885 issued to Palm, et ~19
discloses nn "Apparatlls or Reducing the Dynamic Pressure
of Cornbustion Air at the Burner llead of an Oil Burning
~pp]. i ance" .
U.S~ Patent 39758,259 issued to Voorheis
discloses u "Method for Preparin~ ~uels and also for
Thereafter ~eeding Them Into Furnaces ~nd Burning Them
Therein"~
The Guerin Patent 3,533,717 provides an
"Emuls}fier Burner for Hydrocarbons and Water with
Mechanical Spraying A Controlled Flame ~nd Having An Anti-
35 Atmospheric Pollution Effeet".
Walsh provides in U.S. Patent 3,413,069 a r'Method
7 ~c7~,~ r~
and Appara~us f~r Eliminating Furnace Pulsat~onsn.
Spe7nce discloses in U.S. 04,2~0 a "BurningHydrocarbont1 patent.
In U.5. Patent 447,757 issued to 5~mpbell there
5 is disclosed ~n "IncandesCent Burner ~nd Method of Using
the Same".
Denis shows in U.S, Patent 3,266,552 a "Burner
for Produein~ A Stable Flame with A High Concentration of
Heat Stabi 1 i zed by A Shock Wave".
Str~itz in U.S~ P~tent 3,861,857 discloses a
"Flam~able I.iquid Waste B7lrner".
Glotin, et al, provides in U.SO Patent 3,894,831
"Methods and Apparatus for Burnin~ Liquid Hydro~arbons7'
which employes n boom.
Bleyl in U.S. Patent 3,948,196 discloses an
"Apparatus for Burning ~luid at a Burner Mounted on a
Floating Vessel Subject to Wave Actionl'. Booms are
emplQyed in supportlng the burner assembly.
In UOS. Patent 3,749,318 issued to Cottell there
20 is provided a 'ICombustion Method and Apparatus Burni7ng An
Intimnte Emulsion of ~uel and Water".
In U.S. Patent 1,976S523 issued to Vandeveer
discloses a "Process for Burning Oil 1nsoluble Sludge".
RQulins discloses in U.S. Patenî 4,072,190 a
25 "Mot i Oll Com~ensator" .
Theriot ~iiscloses in U.S. P~tent 3,811,820 a
"~1el 1 Test Burner" .
The ~ink Pntent 3,814,567 provides a "Smokeless
Fl~re Using Liquid Water Particles".
Charpentier discloses in U.S. Patent 37875,99S an
"Installation for Separation on ~he Seabed of the
F.f f I uent s f rom IJnderwater Oi 1 We I I s " .
Reed, et al, discloses in U.S. Patent 3,632,287 a
"~urner Assembly for Combustion of Oil".
The Dunn Patent 3,7~8,ngo discloses a "Combustion
Control Apparatl1s Using A Liquid Spray7'.
.. , .. . .. . _ .. . . . .... ...
--5--
Kub~sta in U.S. Patent 3,666,395 discloses an
"O~fshore Gas FlAre ApparatUsn.
A method and appaPatus for oil and g8S pollution
control is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,602,299 to MozieO
5The Sparrow Patent 3,756,765 dis~loses an
"Automatic Flare Igniter and Counterbalanced ~lare St~ck".
One of the problems experienced in the burning of
oil especi~lly on offshore oil platforms is the direction
of the flame in the event of windchanges and the like~
Since these offshore structures contain at many times g~s,
oil, or other volatile substances9 flames can be of great
danger to the personnel and property of the structure
itself. Thus the flame is generally burned at ~ distance
from the structure by the use of a boom as sh~wn in my
15prior U.S. Patent 3,80?,832.
The boom itself may be threatened in the event of
a wind change or the like and thus it would be desirable
that the boom be ~djustable with regard to direction.
Another problem with combustion of crude oil
involves the environmental problems associated with smoke
which is generated during the combustion as well ~s heavy
matter which falls out on the ground. In delicate
environments such as on the North Slope of Al~skn~ the
creation of a great deal of heavy black smoke and/or
fallout during the burning of crude oil can produce
disastrous ecological consequences in such a fragile
environment.
Such environmental problems are well-known in
open pit burning as well In trying to dispose of oily
w~ste in disposal wells or the like.
A great deal of expense would be involved in
shipping this oil away from the fragile environment slte
because of the severe cost involved.
In high rntes of burning such as many thousand
barrels per day, the problem of achieving a smokeless
environmentally clean burn is accentuated.
Often the oil being burned itself is
not only oil but a much heavier product such as
oil phase mud. This heavier material as well as
the burning of certain toxic chemicals requires
a high efficient complete combustion in order to
be environmentally safe. The above problems of
burning various hard to dispose of waste materials
such as crude, oily waste, oil phase mud, toxic
chemicals, and mixtures of the above at high rates
to produce a clean smokeless burn wi-th an assembly
which is adjustable in a v~riety of wind and weather
conditions is the problem to which the present
invention is direc-ted.
It is thus an object of the present in-
vention to provide a burner apparatus which is
remotely operable and adjustable as between -the
burner and boom in a variety of wind and weather
conditions .
Another object of the present invention
is to provide an improved burner apparatus which
burns a variety of oily waste product, crude oil~
oil phase mud, and the like at high rates and in
a clean smokeless fashion.
Another object of -the present invention
2S is to provide a burner apparatus having improved
mixture prior to atomization of the oil being burned
in combination with air and/or oll.
Another objec-t of the present invention
i5 to provide burner apparatus for use in disposing
of oil, oil phase mud, and like waste products
during well testing operations in fragile environments
such as the ~rctic regions of the earth.
It is another object of the present in-
vention to provide an apparatus for the combustion
of oil having improved nozzle construction enhancing
complete combustion by an improvecl air flow to
the product being burned and prior to atomi~ation.
-6a-
In one aspect of the present invention
there is provided an apparatus for combustion of
crude oil, comprising boom means connected at its
proximate end portion to a support; burner means
connected to the distal end ~ortion of the boom
means, the burner means having nozzle means for
atomizing a mixture of crude oil and a gaseous
atomizing medium to improve combustion; oil conduit
means for supplying crude oil ~o the burner means;
wate.r conduit means for supplying water to the
burner means; gas conduit means for supplyi.ng the
gaseous atomization medium to the burner means,
and rotational connection simultaneously
conveying crude oil, water and the gaseous atomizing
medium, for rotatably supporting the burner means
upon the boom means and comprising; a housing which
includes swivel support means for transferring
load between the burner means and boom means; inlet
means below the swivel support means for transmittillg
air, oil and the gaseous atomizing medium to the
housing, and outlet means discharging air, oil,
and the gaseous atomizing medium from the housing
at a position above the swivel support means.
In a ~urther aspect of the present inven-
~5 tion there is provided a method of atomlzing oil
pr.ior to combustion comprising the steps of; provid-
ing a ~oom having proximate and distal ends and
comprising a plurality of structurally connected
tubular members; suppor-ting the boom at the proxlmate
end; con~eying oil, and a gaseous atomizing medium
from the proximate to the distal end oE the boom;
providing an atomizing nozzle at the distal end
of the boom; m.ixing a primary air stream and oil
in the nozzle prior to atomization; mixing a second-
ary air stream with the air-oil mixture prior to
atomization and after preliminary mixture of the
oil with the gaseous atomizing med.ium; and atomizing
- - .~
-6b-
the air-oil mixtureO
Brief Description of Drawings
For a further understanding of the nature
and
~ ~5~
~ ~ .3
objects of the present invention, reference should be had
to the following deta;led deseription, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings~ in which like
parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:
~igure 1 is an elevational view of the preferred
embodiment of ~lle app~ratus of the present invention;
~igure '~ is a partially broken elev~tional view
of the preferred em~odiment of the apparatus of the
preserlt inYent i on 9
~igure ~ is a section~l fragment~ry view of the
swivel mount portion of the preferred embodiment of the
apparatus of th~ present in~ention;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the swiYel and
burner portions of the preferred embodiment o~ the
app~ralus of the presen~ inventiOn;
~ igure 5 is a partial sectional view of the
nozzle portion of the preferred embodiment of the
apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 6 is ~ fragmentary front view of the
nozzle portion of the preferred embodiment of the
~pparatus of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a sectional view taken Rlong line~ 7-
7 of Figure 5;
Figure 8 is a se~tional view of the swivel
portion of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of
the prcsent invention; and
Figure 9 is a sectional vicw taken along lines 9-
9 of figure 8.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
Figure 1 best illustr~tes the preferred
embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention
deslgnated generally by the n~meral 10~ In figure 1 there
can be seen a boom 20 supported on a drilling p~atform 169
for example, at one end portion thereo~ by a boom support
assembly bracket 15 which can be pivotally connected to
support 15 by me~ns of ~ pin connection. At the extreme
end por~ion of ~oom 20 opposite support 15 is supported
burner assembly 25 which would be movably attached to boom
in a pivotal fashion by me~ns described hereinAfter.
Mounted upon boom 20 is burner mount plate 30 supporting
swivel ~ssembly 40 thereupon.
Burner assembly 25 would be desirably rotatably
movable with respect to boom 20 (and preferably from a
remote location) responsive to rotation of a portion of
swivel assembly 40 to which burner ~ssembly 25 is att~ched
and supported at least in p~rt. ~otation of burner
~ssembly 25 could be by means of ~ motor 70 and gearing
arrnngement as best seen in figure 2.
Figure 2 shows swivel assembly 40 receiving
thereto a plurality of flow lines 21-23 which would convey
respectively oil, w~ter, and a gaseous atomizing medium
such as air. It should be understood, however~ thRt
insteAd of oil or crude o~l any other material which is to
be burned could be supplied such as haz~rdous waste9 or a
mud Rnd oil combin~tion.
Burner mount plate 30 is shown in fragmentflry in
figure 2 wi~h an annulsr burner flsnge 64 being supported
thereupon arId allowed to rotflte with respect to mounting
pla~e 30. A detail of the connection of ~lange 64 ~nd
25 mount pl~te 30 i~ seen in figure ~ in sectional Yiew with
n t~e~ring surfnce 65 whieh could be of any desirable
substantially frictlonless or low friction materl~l or the
lIke or R polished metRtlic substance. A ret~ining collar
67 ~rovides sn ~nnular overlapping shoulder 68 which would
30 ret~in fl~nge 64 in a vertical direction against
movement. Sufficient clearance would ~e provided to allow
fl~nge 64 to slide freely wlth respect to bearing surface
~nd collar 67. Set screws 69 as desired would be
provided to firmly ~ffix flange 64 wlth respec~ to
mounting plate 30 if so desired.
In figure 2 there can be scen motor 7D supported
_9 _
by bracket 73 whlch motor 70 could be a hydraullc or
electric motor~ for example~ ~nd extend therefrom shaft 71
and at its distal end pinion gear 7~. A toothed rack 6~
would be annular and would be proYided in a substantially
36D degree ~ircular f~shion abou~ the edges of fl~nge
64. Rotation of motor 10 would thus produce a rotation of
shaft 71 and pinion 72 to rotate burner assembly 25 in a
desired direction. Motor 70 would thus prefePably be
bidirectional in nature allowing rotRtion of sh~ft 71 in
either of the two ro~ational directions.
Pigure 2 further shows ~ plur~lity of risers 26-
28 which would convey respectively water, oil, and air.
Each riser would communic~te with piping provided upon
burner assembly ~5 and convey fluid to nozzle 35. Wa~er
would also be conveyed through line 29 to water r~n~ 32
and to the plur~lity of nozzles 33 disposed thereabout in
a r~dial fashion.
The construction of swivel assembly 40 is seen
more paPticularly in figures 8 and g. Swivel 40 provides
a houslng 41 ~aving an inner bore 42 whieh during
oper~t;on will house swivel element 50. Swivel element 50
will rotate within housing as descr~bed more fully
hereinafter. A plurality of annular seals 46-49 isolate
therebetween three fluid retalning annular groove 51-53,
eac~ heving communi~ation with the exterior oi housing 40
through ports 43-45 whi~l would respectively eonneet to
inflow lines 21-23. Thus9 ports 43-45 would separately
receive air, oil, water9 or other desirable products to be
use~i ~n the combustion process and to be mixed and
atomized at the nozzle 35 por~ion of burner assembly 25.
A lowermost plate 55 would be equipped9 for
ex~mple9 with Q plurality of openings 56 through whieh
suitable fasteners such as bolts ~) for example, could be
passed and nttached to swivel 50. Swi~el element 50 as
best seen in figure 3 provides three annular grooves 56-
58. T~e combination of Qnnular ~rooves 51-53 of housing
.... .
- 1 0 -
and the annular grooYes 56-58 o~ swivel element 50
pro~ide l~qllid retain~ng reserv3irs through which liquid
or fluid could be tr~nsmitted from ports 43-45 to the
three risers 75-77. Each ~nnular grooYe 56-58 proYides
communication with its corresponding port 59-61 and
~urther communicates with risers 75-77 which are shown in
phantom lin~s in figure 8. From the above it can be seen
that fluid supplied to ports 43-45 respectively woul~ be
communicated through swivel 50 and upw~rdly to risers 65-
6~ and piping ~6-2~ connec~ed thereto, thus supplying
fluid ~s desired to burner ~ssembly 25.
The uppermost portion of swivel 50 shows bearing
pl~te 64, and upper annular plate 63 which proYides the
annular toothed rack 68 which will communicate during
operation with pinion gear 72.
In addition to the rotational movement of burner
head assembly 25 with respect to boom 20 9 furth~r
adjustable means is provided for controlling th~ air flow
through the venturi cones in the ~orm of conical ba~fles
20 ~06 which are movable in a linear fashion with respect to
nozzle ~ssembly 80 as indicated by the arrow in f igure 20
Baf~les 106 would be linearly adJustable by means
of sliding engRgement with nozzle assembly 80 responsive
to expansion and contraction of pushrod 105 as urged by
25 hudraulic cylinder 104. Hydraulic cylinder 104 would be
mounted upon brackets which would be att~ched by welding
or like suitable m~ans to venturi cone V, and would be
supported ther~y. ~enturi cone V would be supported by
noz~le ass~mbly 8n by welding thereto9 with nozzle
30 ass~mbly 80 being suppor~ed by piping 26-28 which is in
turn supported by swivel element 50, swivel housing 41,
skirt S9 ~l~nge 649 plate 30 and then by boom 20. This
would ~llow linear relative motion of b~fle 22 with
respect to venturi cones Y and would increase or decrease
the floY of air into venturi cones V from a remote
loc.~tion as wou]d be desirable. Hydraulic lines (not
.. . . . . . . . ~ ~, .. . . .. ...
shown) would be ~tt~ched to cylinder 104 ~nd be routed to
n remote location by attaching hydraulic lines (not shown)
to boom 20 a~d thence to a desired point of operntiOn.
A wnter ring 32 would be affixed to the extreme
end portion of venturi cones V and would be provided with
plurality of nozzles 29 thro~gh which water could be
sprayed for engagement ~ith the combustion area.
~ igure S ill~strates nozzle assembly 80 which
provides a disk shnped plate 84 which forms the downstre~m
end of nozzle assembly 80. A tubular member 86 is
connected to conduit 87 and is threfldably connected to
disk 84, nlthough tubular member 86 and the other membePs
described hereinafter, may be connected in any suit~ble
mnn;~er such as welding9 or the like. A first sleeve 92
encircles the forward portion of the tubular member 86 and
con~uit 87. Sleeve 92 is threadnbly connected to plate
84. The upstrenm end portion of sleeve 87 ~oins the
perimeter of conduit 87. Sleeve 92 is of ~ greater
diameter than tubular member 86 and conduit 87, an~ an
nnnular space 99 is provided ~round the periphery of
tubular member 86. Piping would be connected to ~leeve 92
for the purpose of admitting crude oil in the annular
sp~e 99.
Plate 84 is foreed against second nnd outermost
sleeve 91 by ~ssembly collar 89 whi~h is threndably
attAched to sleeve 91. The upstream end portion of sleeve
91 joins the perimeter of first sleeve 92. Sleeve 91 is
of a greater diameter than sleeve 92 and an annular space
~8 is provided therebetween. Connected to annular space
~0 98 would be piping for the purpose of ndmitting w~ter
thereto.
A plur~lity of ports 93 are ~ormed in plnte 84
through which gaseous atomizing medium (such as nir~ may
escape, providing primary nir for AtOmizatiOn. These
port~ 93 preferably have their axes ~ligned wi~h the a~es
of discharge openings 95. The openings 95 are of ~ larger
.. ~, ~ ,... ..
~2-
diameter than ports 91. Apertures or channels 102, which
are equal in n~mber to discharge openings 95, provide
~om~unication betwe~n the annular space 99 at 103 and the
di3charge ope~ings 95. ~imilar aperatures or ch~nnels 96
eonnect space 98 with discharge openings ~5. The ga~eous
atomizing medium esc~pin~ ~hrough the openings 95 serves
to drsw oil from the ~nnular space 99 and w~ter from the
annular space 98 into mixing channels between ports 93 and
openings g5 to break the erude oil and w~ter mixture into
small droplets and propel it through the openings 95.
Secondary air through annular condui~s or
channels would be provided at discharge openings 95, also
prior to atomixation snd combustion~ These annular
conduits or channels are seen as 97 in figure 5. The
lS second~ry air improves atomization and combustion.
The above construction provides an appar~tus
which produces an essentially smokeless burn and an
adjustable ~pparatus which allows ~djustment o~ burner
assembly 25 position with respect to boom position, as
well as the enhancement o~ a smokeless burn by using air
flow control for controlling air to the nozzle ~nd burner
~ren both prior to and during combustion.
The ~bove construction has been fou~d to be
psrticulsrly use~ul in the burning of crude oilg as well
as the burning of oil ph~se mud~ ~nd uneut oil phase
mud. The oil phase mud can be cut with an equnl volume of
diesel fuel to thin it out, however, the appar~tus of the
present invention can be used as well to burn uncut oil
phase mud.
Because many v~rying ~nd different embodiments
msy be made withi~ the scope of the inventive concept
herein t~ught, Qnd bee~u~e many modifications may be made
in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the
descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be underseood
that the det~ils here~n ~re to be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a llmiting senseO
.~. ~,. .. .
