Patent ID: 7383958

Claim:
In a horizontal, cylindrical desanding vessel having a vessel inlet adjacent a first end of the vessel for receiving a fluid stream containing particulates, the fluid inlet discharging the fluid stream at an inlet velocity into a freeboard portion at a top of the vessel, the fluid stream in the freeboard portion having an elutriation velocity less than the inlet velocity such that the contained particulates have a fall trajectory therein and a fluid outlet from the freeboard being spaced horizontally from the inlet, the improvement comprising a nozzle comprising: an inlet formed at a first end of the nozzle for connection to a source of the fluid stream; and a protruding discharge formed at a second end of the nozzle which when connected to the vessel inlet, extends sufficiently from the vessel inlet for discharging the fluid stream into the freeboard portion of the vessel away from the vessel inlet so as to minimize erosion thereto, wherein the fluid stream is discharged along a path being substantially parallel to a vessel axis for discharge of the fluid stream and particulates into the freeboard portion of the vessel.