Patent ID: 8623221

Claim:
A sand separator for hydrocarbon fluids comprising a cylindrical vessel having vessel walls concentric about a longitudinal vessel axis and defining a vessel interior surrounded by a vessel exterior, a vessel fluid inlet disposed at a vessel upper end and communicating between the vessel interior and the vessel exterior; a sand discharge outlet disposed at a vessel lower end opposite the fluid inlet; a vessel fluid outlet disposed within the vessel walls a spaced distance below the fluid inlet; and a settling chamber disposed above the sand discharge outlet; a flue descending a spaced distance within the vessel parallel to the vessel axis, the flue having a flue inlet coupled to the vessel fluid inlet; a flue outlet disposed above the settling chamber and the sand discharge outlet; flue walls extending between the flue inlet and flue outlet and surrounding a flue interior and defining an upper vessel chamber outside the flue interior, and a plurality of gas ports disposed through the flue walls adjacent the fluid inlet and communicating between the flue interior with the upper vessel chamber; and fluid directing means coupled to and in fluid communication with the vessel inlet for directing hydrocarbon fluid from the fluid inlet into the flue.