Desalter Operation Optimization

By Adhi Budhiarto - Rabigh, KSA

Desalter is used to eliminate salts, water, sediment, and suspended solid. We need to
have desalter for some reasons, as follows :
1. To avoid corrosion (effected by salts) it is usually main target of desalter
operation.
2. To avoid fouling and coking (effected by salts, sediment, and suspended solid).
3. To avoid erosion inside piping/equipment (effected by sediment).
4. To avoid high energy consumption (effected by salts, water, sediment, and
suspended solid).
5. To avoid catalyst poisoning (effected by salts).
6. To avoid high cost of chemical used for handling fouling and corrosion (effected
by salts, sediment, and suspended solid).
As my experience, there are some factors influencing emulsion stability of liquid inside
of the desalter, as follows :
1. Crude density ,Emulsion between crude and water can be broken by density by
following Stoke formulae : V = K*(rhow-rhoo)*G*d^2/no (which are : V =
water droplet fall down velocity ; K = constant; rhow = water density; rhoo = oil
density; G = gravity acceleration; d = water droplet diameter; no = oil bulk
viscosity). Eventhough crude density gives big impact to the emulsion stability,
but it is not a operating variable.
2. . Crude inlet temperature , Crude viscosity dereases with increasing temperature,
so that water droplet can be easier to be separated. Higher desalter temperature
can also increase water droplet combination efficiency by : a) Increasing the
dilution of natural emulsion stabilizer, such as naphthenic acid. b) Increasing
crashing frequency between water droplets.c) Accelerating the diffusion of
demulsifier into oil-water interface.Higher desalter temperature can also
influence crude density. Crude density decreases with increasing temperature, so
that it can increase efficiency (see Stroke formulae). Yet, there is a maximum
limitation for desalter temperature. Too high desalter temperature can evaporate
light ends which can make turbulence. This turbulence can increase can decrease
desalter efficiency.

3. Electrical grid of desalter (if the type of desalter is bielectric) , electrical grid
operation is usually trouble-free (eventhough there is a possibility of short
circuit). Problems can be anticipated by having voltage and ampere indicators. In
normal operation, these indicators should not be fluctuated.
4. Wash water injection rate, Wash water injection rate should be moderate, not too
low or too high. Too low wash water injection rate can decrease desalter
efficiency, because water droplets in emulsion established by mixing valve can be
too far to combine each other in the electrical field. Yet, too high wash water
injection rate can make emulsion to be too conductive which can increase
electrical current and decrease voltage, so that it can decrease driving force for
polarizing droplets, combining each other in electrical field, and decreasing
desalter efficiency. Wash water injection rate varies depending on crude
properties, usually 4 to 6 % volume of crude (for crude having high specific
gravity, wash water injection rate can be increased to 6 9 % volume of crude).
The influence of water droplet population/density in the process of water droplet
combination in electrical field can be described by formulae as follows : F =
K*E^2*a^6/d^4 (which are : F = pulling force among droplets in electrical
field; K = constant; E = voltage gradient among grids; a = radius of nearest water
droplets; d = distance among droplets in electrical field). If wash water injection
rate is low, the water droplet population/density is also low. If the distance
among droplets in electrical field is wider, the driving force for polarizing
droplets in electrical field will decrease, so that desalter efficiency will also
decrease.
5. pH of Wash water injection , Optimum pH of wash water injection is between 5.5
to 7.5. If pH is less than 5.5, it will cause corrosion in desalter. If pH is over then
7.5, it will stabilize emulsion, much oil will breakthrough as effluent water. In
high pH environment, naphthenic acid contained in crude will be ionized and
make sodium soap or potassium naphthenate which is a powerful emulsifier. If
water in emulsion contains calcium and magnesium carbonate or sulfate, high
pH of wash water can make sludge in desalter and scale in effluent water piping
or downstream heat exchanger. For this reason wash water is sometimes injected
by acid to control wash water pH.
6. dP of mixing valve, Energy of water-oil mixing is controlled by pressure drop of
mixing valve. This pressure drop is used to disperse wash water to be small
droplets into the oil. If pressure drop is too low, the efficiency will be low. If
pressure drop is too big, emulsion which is made will be too stable to be broken.
Generally, crude having high specific gravity will need pressure drop 5-12 psi and
crude having low specific gravity will need pressure drop 10-20 psi.
7. Interface level of desalter, Interface level of desalter is usually based on
experience. For howe-desalter, water level should be maintained to be 6-12
under inlet distributor header. For Petreco low-velocity desalter, water level
should be maintained to be 6 above header. For Petreco Cylectric and bilectric

desalter, water level should be maintained to be 12-24 under lower electrical

grid.
8. Desalter pressure, Desalter operating pressure is usually between 50 to 250 psig
depending on discharge pressure of feed pump and desalter location in the
preheater system. Desalter operating pressure should be enough to avoid crude
evaporation within normal operation temperature. Howe suggested to have
desalter operating pressure at least 20 psi above vapor pressure of oil-water
compound at desalter normal operating pressure. High evaporation can cause
vapor space in the upper side of desalter which can automatically cut electric
current supply to electrical grid.
9. Demulsifier, The objective of introducing demulsifier is to decrease oil content of
desalter effluent water and to decrease salts and solids. By having demulsifier,
pressure drop of mixing valve can be set higher, so that salt removal efficiency
can be increased. The usual type of demulsifier is alkoxylated alkylphenol/formaldehyde resin. Demulsifier can increase desalter performance in
some ways as follows :

Surface active components will replace emulsifying agent in oil-water interface

which results in the combination of water droplets.

W etting agent makes the solid particle surface wet, so that the solid can be
removed from oil phase or from oil-water interface and it will disperse into water
phase. This will decrease solid contained in desalted crude and results in water
droplet combination.

Floculant combines droplets and particles to make bigger droplets. Floculant also
decreases emulsion layer volume at oil-water interface.

Some demulsifier components help breaking the oil out from wash water, so that
cleaner effluent water will be produced.

Some demulsifier components help removing water from oil.