Patent ID: 9738545
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: B01D,C02F,E21B

Claim:
1. A method of concentrating dissolved solids in flowback water or produced water from a natural gas well, the method comprising: collecting one of flowback water and produced water from a natural gas well; evaporating a portion of the flowback water or produced water in a liquid concentrator by injecting the flowback water or produced water into a mixing chamber and mixing the flowback water or produced water with a stream of gas, and producing a partially concentrated liquid; collecting the partially concentrated liquid in a gas-liquid separator and, from the gas-liquid separator, directing a portion of the partially concentrated liquid to the mixing chamber downstream of the injecting of the flowback water or produced water and directing another portion of the partially concentrated liquid to a settling tank; separating the partially concentrated liquid in the settling tank into a supernatant liquid that is substantially free of suspended solids and a concentrated slurry; measuring a level of dissolved solids in the supernatant liquid in the settling tank; and extracting a portion of the supernatant liquid when a concentration for the dissolved solids in the supernatant liquid is 10 lb/gal or more.