Patent ID: 6984292
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: B01D,C02F,E21B,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of recovering energy from water produced during heavy oil recovery, comprising the steps of: a) providing a high pressure blowdown stream; b) flashing said high pressure blowdown stream to form a low pressure waste energy stream and a concentrated blowdown stream; c) preheating a produced water with said concentrated blowdown stream; d) providing a fluid circulation circuit including a heated separator and a reboiler exchanger in fluid communication; e) passing preheated produced water into said heated separator; f) passing said low pressure waste energy stream into said reboiler exchanger for recovery of a heat energy; g) vaporizing said preheated produced water with said low pressure waste energy stream in said reboiler exchanger to generate a vapor fraction and a concentrate liquid contaminant fraction; h) circulating at least a portion of said concentrate liquid contaminant fraction through said reboiler exchanger and said heated separator to maintain a ratio of mass of concentrate to vapor fraction of between 300 and 2 to result in a vapor fraction of about 1% by mass to less than 50% by mass exiting said reboiler exchanger to prevent fouling and scaling in said reboiler exchanger; i) condensing said vapor fraction with an external condensing means; and j) collecting condensed vapor fraction and said low pressure waste energy stream substantially devoid of contaminants.