Apparatus for Introducing Drag Reducers Into Hydrocarbon Transportation Systems

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing drag in a fluid stream involves admixing the components of a drag reducer to form an incipient drag reducer and injecting the incipient drag reducer into the fluid stream wherein the drag reducer components are admixed at the site of the fluid stream.

1 . An apparatus for introducing a drag reducer into a fluid stream comprising at least two sources of drag reducing components, at least two metering devices for combining a predetermined ratio of the drag reducing components, at least one mixing device, and at least one exit from the at least one mixing device.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus additionally comprises a computer as a local controller.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one metering device is a positive displacement flow meter.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  where the fluid stream is a hydrocarbon stream.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  where in the at least two sources of drag reducing components, at least one source contains a non-shear-sensitive first drag reducer component, and at least another source contains a non-shear-sensitive second drag reducer component, where the mixing device contains a non-shear-sensitive incipient drag reducer and a shear-sensitive drag reducer is formed in the fluid stream.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4  where the hydrocarbon stream is the product of passing a hydrocarbon stream from a geological formation through a device selected from the group consisting of a desalter, a dehydrator, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  where the first drag reducer component comprises an aluminum monocarboxylate in a hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the aluminum monocarboxylate is made from a fatty acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms, and the second drag reducer component comprises a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 4  where the first drag reducer component comprises an aluminum dicarboxylate in a hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the aluminum monocarboxylate is made from a fatty acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms, and the second drag reducer component comprises a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a controller that receives information about the properties of the fluid stream and which controller adjusts at least one of the two metering devices according to the properties of the fluid stream.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a controller that receives information about the rate of flow of the fluid stream, and further comprising an additional metering device downstream from the mixing device, and which controller adjusts at least one of the metering devices according to the flow of the fluid stream.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a heated apparatus.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for introducing a drag reducer into a hydrocarbon stream comprising: 
 at least one source containing a non-shear-sensitive first drag reducer component,    at least another source containing a non-shear-sensitive second drag reducer component,    at least two metering devices, one downstream from the one source and the other downstream from another source, for combining a predetermined ratio of the first and second drag reducing components,    at least one mixing device containing a non-shear-sensitive incipient drag reducer,    at least one exit from the at least one mixing device, and    a line between the exit and the hydrocarbon stream containing a shear-sensitive drag reducer formed from the non-shear-sensitive incipient drag reducer.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the apparatus additionally comprises a computer as a local controller for controlling the at least two metering devices of the apparatus.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein at least one metering device is a positive displacement flow meter.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12  where the hydrocarbon stream is the product of passing a hydrocarbon stream from a geological formation through a device selected from the group consisting of a desalter, a dehydrator, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a controller that receives information about the properties of the hydrocarbon stream and which controller adjusts at least one of the two metering devices according to the properties of the hydrocarbon stream.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a controller that receives information about the rate of flow of the hydrocarbon stream, and further comprising an additional metering device downstream from the mixing device, and which controller adjusts at least one of the metering devices according to the flow of the hydrocarbon stream.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 12  where the first drag reducer component comprises an aluminum monocarboxylate in a hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the aluminum monocarboxylate is made from a fatty acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms, and the second drag reducer component comprises a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 12  where the first drag reducer component comprises an aluminum dicarboxylate in a hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the aluminum monocarboxylate is made from a fatty acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms, and the second drag reducer component comprises a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 12  where the at least one mixing device further comprises a heater.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus for introducing a drag reducer into a hydrocarbon stream comprising: 
 at least one source containing a non-shear-sensitive first drag reducer component,    at least another source containing a non-shear-sensitive second drag reducer component,    at least two metering devices, one downstream from the one source and the other downstream from another source, for combining a predetermined ratio of the first and second drag reducing components,    at least one mixing device containing a non-shear-sensitive incipient drag reducer,    at least one exit from the at least one mixing device,    a line between the exit and the hydrocarbon stream containing a shear-sensitive drag reducer formed from the non-shear-sensitive incipient drag reducer, and    a controller that receives information about the properties of the hydrocarbon stream and which controller adjusts at least one of the two metering devices according to the properties of the hydrocarbon stream.    where the hydrocarbon stream is the product of passing a hydrocarbon stream from a geological formation through a device selected from the group consisting of a desalter, a dehydrator, and combinations thereof.    
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  where controller is a computer.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 21  where the first drag reducer component comprises an aluminum monocarboxylate in a hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the aluminum monocarboxylate is made from a fatty acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms, and the second drag reducer component comprises a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 21  where the first drag reducer component comprises an aluminum dicarboxylate in a hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the aluminum monocarboxylate is made from a fatty acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms, and the second drag reducer component comprises a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 54 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 21  where the at least one mixing device further comprises a heater.