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Indirect Heater - Schlumberger
Indirect Heater - Schlumberger
Indirect Heater - Schlumberger
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TS Technology Based Training — Well Testing — Surface Testing — Equipment — Indirect
Heater / Document Control
Document Control
Owner: ELC Testing
compass-support@slb.com
Author: P. Quéré
Reviewer: C. Rojas
Approver: P.Chaigne
Contact Information
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Heater / Document Control
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v TS Technology Based Training — Well Testing — Surface Testing — Equipment v
— Indirect Heater / Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Overview
1.1 Introduction __________________________________________________ 1-1
1.2 Features and Benefits ________________________________________ 1-1
1.3 Applications _________________________________________________ 1-2
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— Indirect Heater / Table of Contents
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vii TS Technology Based Training — Well Testing — Surface Testing — Equipment — vii
Indirect Heater / List of Figures
List of Figures
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1-i TS Technology Based Training — Well Testing — Surface Testing — Equipment 1-i
— Indirect Heater / Overview
1 Overview
1.1 Introduction ____________________________________________________ 1-1
1.2 Features and Benefits __________________________________________ 1-1
1.3 Applications ___________________________________________________ 1-2
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— Indirect Heater / Overview
1 Overview Indirect
ring, fl ameout
Heater,shutdown,
firetube, diesel
fl ame burner,
arrestorpilot burner, air
1.1 Introduction
The indirect heater is used to raise the temperature of the well effluent to prevent
hydrate formation, reduce fluid viscosity, and breakdown emulsions before the
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well effluent enters the separator. The well fluid being heated flows through
tubes that are surrounded by water in a vessel. A diesel burner heats the water
via a firebox.
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• A choke assembly to control the well at the indirect heater instead of the
choke manifold. The fluid is heated before it passes through the choke.
• An inlet manifold made of three gate valves (see Glossary) to control the fluid
flow and to bypass the indirect heater if necessary.
• The diesel flame is regulated by an automatic control valve (ACV) to maintain
a preset temperature.
• A diesel shutdown valve actuated by pilot light stoppage.
• A flame arrestor on the burner air inlet.
• A spark arrestor on the chimney exhaust
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The indirect heater permits testing of wells with effluent characteristics that would
normally impair the separation and metering process if the effluent were not
heated.
1.3 Applications
An indirect heater is used whenever the well effluent needs to be heated up
before it enters the separator.
As safety regulations become more and more stringent, the indirect heater is
progressively being replaced by the steam exchanger.
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2.1 Introduction
The indirect heater is an optional piece of surface testing equipment that may
be required, depending on the characteristics of the well effluent. This training
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page describes the purpose of the indirect heater, shows where it is located in
relationship to other surface testing equipment, examines how the indirect heater
works, and describes its main components.
An indirect heater is used to raise the temperature of the well effluent for the
following reasons:
Hydrate Prevention - Natural gas contains water vapor. Under certain choked
flow conditions, sufficient expansion occurs to lower the temperature of the flow
and cause hydrate formation. Hydrates are formed when particles of water and
some light hydrocarbons in the natural gas become solid. Hydrate formation is a
serious hazard; if particles freeze and accumulate in the surface equipment, the
chokes and flowlines could be plugged and the valves could become inoperative.
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Emulsion Breakdown - Under certain conditions, the oil and water in the
effluent emulsify and do not separate unless chemicals are injected or the
effluent temperature is raised with an indirect heater.
Foam Reduction - For certain types of crude oil, a reduction in the flow rate
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pressure causes some gas bubbles to become encased in a thin film of oil,
instead of being liberated from the oil. This results in the dispersion of foam or
froth throughout the oil, creating what is known as foaming oil.
Foaming greatly reduces the flow rate capacity of oil and gas separators and
makes it difficult to accurately measure the oil flow rate. These problems,
combined with the potential loss of oil and gas because of improper separation,
emphasize the need for special equipment and procedures to handle foaming oil.
Heat is one of the main methods used to eliminate or reduce foaming.
2.2 Objectives
Upon completion of this package, you should be able to:
Upon completion of the Compass Tasksheets for the indirect heater, you should
be able to:
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• Write down the steps required to pressure test the coil assembly.
• Follow recommended safety procedures when operating an indirect heater.
• Divert the flow to bypass the indirect heater.
system causes the water to conduct heat to the coiled tubes, warming up the
effluent. There is no direct contact between the tubes carrying the fluid to be
heated and the flame used as a heat source. This system is intrinsically safer
than a direct heater in which the tubes containing the well effluent are in direct
contact with the flame. A common example of a direct heater is a domestic boiler.
After the well fluid passes through the first coil section, a choke assembly
between the coils allows the well to be controlled at the indirect heater instead of
at the choke manifold. An inlet manifold with three gate valves (see Glossary)
controls fluid flow and provides a way to bypass the coils and choke. To maintain
a preset temperature, the diesel flame is regulated by a thermostatic valve. A
shut down valve (ASV) cuts the diesel supply if the pilot light is extinguished.
The internal design of the vessel is such that convection currents prevent any
localized heating of the water because boiling would impair the performance and
life span of the indirect heater.
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The parts of the indirect heater are shown in the "Indirect Heater" diagram and
are described below.
2.3.1 Fire-tube
The fire-tube is shaped like a "U" tube. Combustion occurs on one side of the "U"
and the chimney is located on the other side. The fire-tube is mounted on a flange
and inserted inside the vessel. This configuration allows the fire-tube to be easily
removed for repair or replacement. It has brackets on the bottom or on the side
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(or both) to prevent it from touching the vessel. Because the tube is immersed in
the water, its temperature is approximately the same as the water, even though
the combustion temperature inside the tube may be greater than 165ºC (300ºF).
If the tube touches the vessel, a hot spot will develop that can distort or melt the
tube and the vessel. To prevent this from occurring, a liner is located inside the
fire-tube in the combustion area. This protective device, made of a heat resistant
metal, prevents the flame from striking the tube wall, which could cause the tube
to overheat and fail. In the event the fire does strike the liner, it will eventually
melt and have to be replaced. If the damaged liner is promptly replaced, the
fire tube will not be damaged.
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pressure sprays the diesel into tiny droplets before it burns. The amount of air
passing through the flame arrestor (necessary for the diesel combustion) can be
adjusted with a flap. When the proper volume of diesel and volume of air are
mixed in the fire-tube, a blue flame results. The diesel is sent to the burner with
an air driven pump that typically sits on top of a diesel drum. The flow rate of the
diesel supplied to the burner is controlled by adjusting an air pressure regulator
(see Glossary) on the pumping unit.
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2.3.5 Stack
The stack or chimney is a piece of pipe that fits over the outlet end of the
fire-tube. The chimney dissipates the unused heat and combustion remnants to
the atmosphere. Its height varies from 2 to 6 meters, depending on the length of
pipe required to properly vent the smoke in the area where the heat exchanger
is located. It is equipped with a spark arrestor to prevent sparks from being
released to the atmosphere through the chimney.
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the valve is open. When the burner is lit, the water bath temperature heats the
bulb. The fluid inside the bulb and the valve chamber expands, exerting a force
on the valve stem and the spring proportional to the temperature. At a certain
temperature, the force of the expanded fluid is higher than the force of the return
spring so the valve closes, cutting off the diesel supply. This extinguishes the
flame in the diesel burner. When the burner flame goes out, the water bath and
the bulb cool down. This heat loss causes the fluid in the expansion chamber to
contract and the valve opens by means of the return spring, restoring the diesel
supply to the burner.
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The temperature controller is set for a delayed response of the diesel valve.
The delayed response setup allows the diesel burner to burn continuously,
and the intensity of the flame varies in response to temperature changes. In
contrast, when the temperature controller is set for a quick response, the diesel
burner burns at full rate when the diesel valve is fully open and is completely
extinguished when the diesel valve is fully closed. This on/off action increases
the likelihood of firetube burnout at full-rate. Consequently, the delayed response
setup is desirable because it stabilizes the firing rate and avoids full firing even
for short periods.
The following paragraphs describe how the diesel valve delayed response works.
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• If the temperature of the water begins to fall, the temperature controller reacts
by opening the diesel valve more, increasing the intensity of the flame in the
diesel burner. It takes a few minutes to heat the volume of water in the vessel
to the set temperature. When the set temperature is reached, the diesel
valve does not return to its original position immediately. This delay allows
the water temperature to rise slightly above the set point.
• If the temperature of the water begins to rise, the temperature controller
reacts by closing the diesel valve more, decreasing the intensity of the flame
in the diesel burner. It takes a few minutes to cool down the volume of water
in the vessel to the set temperature. When the set temperature is reached,
the diesel valve does not return to its original position immediately. This delay
allows the water temperature to fall slightly below the set point.
• The drawback to the delayed response system is that the temperature is not
perfectly constant. As described in the previous paragraphs, it cycles around
the set temperature. This variation around the set temperature can affect
pressure readings at the separator.
When the heater is started, a manual knob opens the propane inlet orifice,
causing propane gas to flow to the ASV and to the pilot simultaneously. This
opens the ASV and allows the pilot to be lit. Once the pilot is lit, the mercury in the
sensor and capillary tube expands (as it is heated by the flame), pushing down
the stem inside the control box. In this position, the stem causes the propane
inlet orifice to remain open even when the manual reset knob is released. If the
pilot flame goes out, the mercury will cool down and contract, releasing the
pressure on the stem and causing the stem to retract. Under the action of the
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return spring, the propane inlet will close. Because the ASV is no longer supplied
with propane, it will close by means of the return spring. Consequently, there is
no danger of diesel being supplied to the main burner when the pilot is not lit.
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Figure 2-7: CMA Flameout Shut Down System (CMA Controlled Mercury Assist)
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in a spiral coil. The flame arrestor is also designed to let air from the outside into
the fire-tube for diesel combustion. If the indirect heater was not equipped with
a flame arrestor, a gas leak or the presence of a flammable liquid outside the
heater could be ignited by the flame and cause a major fire or explosion.
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2.4 Equipment
The indirect heaters are available in 5,000 psi pressure ratings. The heating
capacity expressed in Btu/hr (British thermal unit per hour) is also a main
characteristic of the indirect heaters. The range of indirect heaters makes it
possible to select one that accommodates the well test needs, while not being
larger, more complicated, or expensive than the overall project requirements.
The following datasheets show the most common types of indirect heaters
available and their respective specifications. For additional information, please
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refer to InTouchSupport.com.
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• Air supply for the diesel burner and sweep system of the indirect heater.
• The indirect heater needs electricity for the ignition of the pilot light.
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• The indirect heater needs diesel supply and a diesel pump for the burner.
• The indirect heater needs propane to supply the pilot light.
• Water and corrosion inhibitors are needed to fill up the vessel of the indirect
heater.
2.5 Safety
The key safety considerations for indirect heaters are listed below:
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• Before starting the indirect heater, verify that the outlet valve and the choke
are open. If the coils are filled with liquid and the valves and choke are
closed, the thermal expansion that results can generate enough pressure
to burst the coils.
2.6 Maintenance
For information about indirect heater preparation and functional checks, see the
recommended steps in the Field Operating Handbook (FOH) for Surface Well
Testing.
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Some MR can be mandatory and are listed under the Technical Alerts in InTouch.
Up to date information are available under the InTouch Indirect Heater Reference
Page.
2.7 Summary
In this training page, we have discussed:
• The purpose of the indirect heater and five reasons (see Introduction) to
use it.
• The general description (see Principle of Operation) of the indirect heater.
• The function of the parts (see Fire-tube) of the indirect heater.
• How the temperature regulation (see Temperature Control System) and
flameout systems (see Flameout Shutdown) work.
2.8 Posttest
To access the posttest, click the link below.
2.9 References
• Indirect Heater Reference Page
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