Methods and apparatus for burning liquid hydrocarbons

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the angle between the axis of symmetry of each water spray and the axis of symmetry of the flame is about 7* to 8*.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein the droplets forming the water sprays have a diameter of about one millimeter.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the ratio of water flow volume to liquid hydrocarbon flow volume is in the range of from 1 to 1.8.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 including the further step of adjusting the amount of water flow volume to obtain substantially the clearest flame with minimum production of smoke.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein said ratio is 1.2.

Claim 8

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced from an oil well, comprising: an atomizer having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from the well and to form an atomized spray thereof that is burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of said spray; and a water injection system including a plurality of water spray nozzles for injecting sprays of water droplets into the flame in such a manner that the water droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, said spray nozzles being aligned such that the axis of symmetry of each spray of water droplets forms an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of the flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all Of the water droplets may converge toward the flame.

Claim 9

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced from an oil well, comprising: an atomizer having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from the well and to form an atomized spray thereof that is burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of said spray; and a water injection system including a plurality of water spray nozzles for injecting sprays of water droplets into the flame in such a manner that the water droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, said spray nozzles being aligned such that the axis of symmetry of each spray of water droplets forms an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of the flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all Of the water droplets may converge toward the flame.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 including means for mounting said spray nozzles in an annular array about said flame so as to project sprays of water droplets from all around the base of the flame.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 further including means for supplying water to said spray nozzles, said supplying means comprising a flow control valve for allowing adjustment of the ratio of water flow volume to liquid hydrocarbon flow volume.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: an atomizer having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form an atomized spray thereof that is burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of said spray; cylindrical means surrounding said axis of symmetry and mounted coaxially thereof, said cylindrical means being adapted to improve the mixing of said atomized spray with air; and an array of water injection nozzles mounted around the downstream end of said cylindrical means and aligned to inject sprays of water droplets into the flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, the axis of symmetry of each spray of water droplets forming an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of the flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray of water droplets and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the water droplets converge toward the flame.

Claim 13

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: an atomizer having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form an atomized spray thereof that is burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of said spray; cylindrical means surrounding said axis of symmetry and mounted coaxially thereof, said cylindrical means being adapted to improve the mixing of said atomized spray with air; and an array of water injection nozzles mounted around the downstream end of said cylindrical means and aligned to inject sprays of water droplets into the flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, the axis of symmetry of each spray of water droplets forming an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of the flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray of water droplets and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the water droplets converge toward the flame.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10 further including an annular water supply tube arranged about the downstream end of said cylindrical means, said nozzles being carried by said tube.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said atomizer includes means to impart a rotary movement to said liquid hydrocarbons to improve the atomization thereof.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said atomizer further includes means to impinge a gaseous fluid under pressure on said hydrocarbons to further improve the atomization thereof.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 10 further including means for providing a generally vertically directed water screen to provide a protection against the back radiation of the burning hydrocarbons.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 wherein said ratio is about 1.2.

Claim 21

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: a plurality of atomizers arranged in a cluster and having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form atomized sprays that are burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of each spray; and a water injection system associated with each atomizer, each water injection system including a plurality of water spray nozzles for injecting spray of water droplets into a flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, said nozzles being aligned such that the axis of symmetry of a respective sPray of water droplets forms an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of a flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the droplets converge toward a flame.

Claim 22

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: a plurality of atomizers arranged in a cluster and having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form atomized sprays that are burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of each spray; and a water injection system associated with each atomizer, each water injection system including a plurality of water spray nozzles for injecting spray of water droplets into a flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, said nozzles being aligned such that the axis of symmetry of a respective sPray of water droplets forms an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of a flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the droplets converge toward a flame.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the axis of symmetry of one flame is directed substantially horizontally and the axes of symmetry of the other flames are directed to diverge outwardly of said axis of symmetry of said one flame.

Claim 24

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: an atomizer having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form an atomized spray thereof that is burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of said spray; cylindrical means surrounding said axis of symmetry and mounted coaxially thereof, said cylindrical means being adapted to improve the mixing of said atomized spray with air; and an array of water injection nozzles mounted around the downstream end of said cylindrical means and aligned to inject sprays of water droplets into the flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, the axis of symmetry of each spray of water droplets forming an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of the flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray of water droplets and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the water droplets converge toward the flame, said atomizer, cylindrical means and water injection nozzles comprising an assembly that is mounted on a frame, a beam adapted for attachment to the side of a drilling platform, and means for mounting said frame and said assembly on said beam for rotation about a vertical axis.

Claim 25

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: an atomizer having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form an atomized spray thereof that is burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of said spray; cylindrical means surrounding said axis of symmetry and mounted coaxially thereof, said cylindrical means being adapted to improve the mixing of said atomized spray with air; and an array of water injection nozzles mounted around the downstream end of said cylindrical means and aligned to inject sprays of water droplets into the flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, the axis of symmetry of each spray of water droplets forming an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of the flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray of water droplets and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the water droplets converge toward the flame, said atomizer, cylindrical means and water injection nozzles comprising an assembly that is mounted on a frame, a beam adapted for attachment to the side of a drilling platform, and means for mounting said frame and said assembly on said beam for rotation about a vertical axis.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said atomizer and said water injection nozzles are supplied via a piping system including a multiple rotatable header joint aligned with said vertical axis.

Claim 27

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: a plurality of atomizers arranged in a cluster and having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form atomized sprays that are burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of each spray; and a water injection system associated with each atomizer, each water injection system including a plurality of water spray nozzles for injecting sprays of water droplets into a flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, said nozzles being aligned such that the axis of symmetry of a respective spray of water droplets forms an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of a flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the droplets converge toward a flame, the axis of symmetry of one flame being directed substantially horizontally and the axes of symmetry of other flames being directed to diverge outwardly of said axis of symmetry of said one flame.

Claim 28

Apparatus for use in burning away liquid hydrocarbons produced during a test of an oil well, comprising: a plurality of atomizers arranged in a cluster and having means to receive liquid hydrocarbons from a well and to form atomized sprays that are burned away along and about the axis of symmetry of each spray; and a water injection system associated with each atomizer, each water injection system including a plurality of water spray nozzles for injecting sprays of water droplets into a flame in such a manner that the droplets penetrate deeply into the flame but do not pass completely through it, said nozzles being aligned such that the axis of symmetry of a respective spray of water droplets forms an angle of less than about 15* with the axis of symmetry of a flame, the half-value of the opening angle of each spray of water droplets being no greater than the angle between the axis of symmetry of the spray and the line along which the outermost particles of burning hydrocarbons are traveling so that substantially all of the droplets converge toward a flame, the axis of symmetry of one flame being directed substantially horizontally and the axes of symmetry of other flames being directed to diverge outwardly of said axis of symmetry of said one flame.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein a cylindrical shroud means is associated with each atomizer and is adapted to produce turbulence in air flow around the outlet of a respective atomizer to improve the mixing of said atomized sprays with air.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 22 further including an annular water supply tube arranged around the downstream end of each shroud means, the plurality of nozzles for each water iNjection system being attached to a respective water supply tube.