Electric treater and method

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ELECTRICALLY TREATING AN OIL CONTAINING DISPERSED PARTICLES TO SEPARATE THE LATTER FROM THE OIL, WHICH METHOD INCLUDES THE STEPS OF : ESTABLISHING HIGHVOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS IN TREATING SPACES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED PASSAGE, THERE BEING SETTING ZONES BETWEEN SUCH TREATING SPACES, THE HORIZONTAL WIDTH OF EACH SETTING ZONE GREATLY EXCEEDING THE HORIZONTAL WIDTH OF EACH TREATING SPACE; FORWARDLY FLOWING A STREAM OF SUCH OIL HORIZONTALLY ALONG SAID ELEONGATED PASSAGE AND SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE TREATING SPACES AND THE INTERVENING SETTING ZONES; DISCHARGING INTO EACH OF SAID SETTING ZONES DIRECTLY INTO THE OIL THEREIN ADDED PARTICLES OF A WASH MEDIUM LARGER IN SIZE THAN SAID DISPERSED PARTICLES AND OF HIGHER ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND DENSITY THAN SAID OIL, THE ADDED PARTICLES OF WASH MEDIUM DROPPING BY GRAVITY TRANSVERSELY OF THE OIL STREAM TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF SAID PASSAGE; CONTROLLING THE FORWARD FLOW RATE OF SAID OIL STREAM TO CARRY INTO EACH TREATING SPACE AT LEAST SOME OF THE LARGER PARTICLES OF WASH MEDIUM DISCHARGE INTO A PRECEDING SETTLING ZONE, THE ELECTRIC FIELD IN SUCH TREATING SPACE BEING OF SUFFICIENT INTENSITY TO COALECE PARTICLES OF THE OIL STREAM WITH SUCH RESIDUAL LARGER PARTICLES OF WASH MEDIUM TO FORM COALECED MASSES SETTLING TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID PASSAGE; WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID PASSGE THE COALESCED MASSES AND ANY LARGER PARTICLES SETTING THERETO; AND WITHDRAWING OIL FROM SAID PASSAGE AT A POSITION DOWNSTREAM OF SAID TREATING SPACES.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ELECTRICALLY TREATING AN OIL CONTAINING DISPERSED PARTICLES TO SEPARATE THE LATTER FROM THE OIL, WHICH METHOD INCLUDES THE STEPS OF : ESTABLISHING HIGHVOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS IN TREATING SPACES SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE LENGTH OF A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED PASSAGE, THERE BEING SETTING ZONES BETWEEN SUCH TREATING SPACES, THE HORIZONTAL WIDTH OF EACH SETTING ZONE GREATLY EXCEEDING THE HORIZONTAL WIDTH OF EACH TREATING SPACE; FORWARDLY FLOWING A STREAM OF SUCH OIL HORIZONTALLY ALONG SAID ELEONGATED PASSAGE AND SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE TREATING SPACES AND THE INTERVENING SETTING ZONES; DISCHARGING INTO EACH OF SAID SETTING ZONES DIRECTLY INTO THE OIL THEREIN ADDED PARTICLES OF A WASH MEDIUM LARGER IN SIZE THAN SAID DISPERSED PARTICLES AND OF HIGHER ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND DENSITY THAN SAID OIL, THE ADDED PARTICLES OF WASH MEDIUM DROPPING BY GRAVITY TRANSVERSELY OF THE OIL STREAM TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF SAID PASSAGE; CONTROLLING THE FORWARD FLOW RATE OF SAID OIL STREAM TO CARRY INTO EACH TREATING SPACE AT LEAST SOME OF THE LARGER PARTICLES OF WASH MEDIUM DISCHARGE INTO A PRECEDING SETTLING ZONE, THE ELECTRIC FIELD IN SUCH TREATING SPACE BEING OF SUFFICIENT INTENSITY TO COALECE PARTICLES OF THE OIL STREAM WITH SUCH RESIDUAL LARGER PARTICLES OF WASH MEDIUM TO FORM COALECED MASSES SETTLING TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID PASSAGE; WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID PASSGE THE COALESCED MASSES AND ANY LARGER PARTICLES SETTING THERETO; AND WITHDRAWING OIL FROM SAID PASSAGE AT A POSITION DOWNSTREAM OF SAID TREATING SPACES.