Influence of Electrodes Design and Crude Oil Type on Electrical Demulsification

Abstract Separating water from crude oil emulsions quickly and cheaply is a very important but difficult operation in the oil business. It has a direct effect on the cost of transportation and the integrity of equipment. The influence of the specific rheological properties, and the major operating conditions, on the electrical demulsification efficiency of three different crude oil emulsions (Dora, Basra, and Al-Nahrwan) was investigated to optimise the coalescence of oil droplets during electro coagulation. For the investigation, a systematic approach was adopted; Three different types of electrode material (copper, steel, and aluminium) were evaluated in two geometrical arrangements (rod-mesh and rod-rod) and 10 different operating conditions were applied. Results were achieved based on findings from this research that provide an order of difficulty for each class of demulsification as determined by the properties of the crude oil itself, the results also indicated that the combination of mesh and rod (mesh) was found to perform better than combinations of rod and rod (rod). The use of copper-based demulsification agents outperformed all other metals at demulsification rates for all crude types. The high conductivity of copper may be a contributing factor to the results obtained in this study. The results suggest that the type and configuration or shape of the electrode material have significant roles in the effectiveness of demulsification systems. Using a mesh configuration for copper-based electrodes enhances their ability to demulsify by greatly reducing the time and cost required to separate water from oil during the production of industrial products.