Patent ID: 9327214
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: B01D,E21B

Claim Text:
1. A vessel for removing particulates from a multiple-phase fluid stream containing gas, entrained liquid and particulates, the vessel comprising: a volume having a diverging bounding wall, a distal base, and an apex; the diverging bounding wall having a top wall at a first inclination angle and a bottom wall at a second inclination angle; the second inclination angle at a greater angle than the first inclination angle; a fluid inlet interface at the apex for receiving said fluid stream into the containing volume of the vessel; a fluid outlet on the top wall of the vessel, spaced from the fluid inlet interface; a horizontally extending freeboard interface separating a freeboard portion formed adjacent an upper portion of the vessel above the interface and a belly portion therebelow, the belly portion being bounded at its bottom by the bottom wall, the freeboard portion forming a freeboard cross-sectional area for a freeboard velocity of the fluid stream less than a fluid stream velocity at the fluid inlet interface; and an elongated flow path for receiving the fluid stream from the fluid inlet interface and directing the fluid stream to the fluid outlet; wherein said length of the elongated flow path and the freeboard velocity being such that an effective amount of the entrained liquid and particulates fall out of the fluid stream, the particulates settle towards the bottom wall of the belly portion, and desanded gas is collected in the freeboard portion; and wherein the desanded gas flows out of the freeboard portion through the fluid outlet and is free of a substantial portion of the particulates.