IP Library › Granted Patent US 12698219
Granted Patent B2
US 12698219 · App. 18/161,127 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

System and method for removal of volatile hydrocarbons from a water stream

Inventor: Gregory C. Gilles (Suwanee, GA)
Assignee: ChartWater, LLC
C02F1/20B01F23/23B01F23/23761B01F25/31331C02F1/74B01F23/29C02F2101/322C02F2103/06C02F2201/005C02F2301/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698219
App. No.
18/161,127
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for separating a volatile hydrocarbon from a water stream includes a lead mixer-injector device that receives an untreated water stream including a volatile hydrocarbon, injects compressed air into the untreated water stream and mixes the injected air with the untreated water stream to form a first injected fluid stream. A shear mixing device receives the first injected fluid stream from the mixer-injector device and shear gas bubbles within the received first injected fluid stream so that a frothed stream is formed. A lead degas separator receives and separates the frothed stream from the shear mixing device into a volatile hydrocarbon stream and a partially treated water stream based on difference in density. A compressor directs clean and oil free compressed air to the lead mixer-injector device.

Claims (28)

1 . A system for separating a volatile hydrocarbon from a water stream comprising:

a lead mixer-injector device configured to receive an untreated water stream including a volatile hydrocarbon, inject compressed air into the untreated water stream and mix the injected air with the untreated water stream to form a first injected fluid stream;

a shear mixing device configured to receive the first injected fluid stream from the lead mixer-injector device and shear gas bubbles within the first injected fluid stream so that a frothed stream is formed;

a lead degas separator configured to receive and separate the frothed stream from the shear mixing device into a volatile hydrocarbon stream and a partially treated water stream based on difference in density;

a compressor configured to direct clean and oil free compressed air to the lead mixer-injector device;

a lag mixer-injector device configured to receive second compressed air and the partially treated water stream from the lead degas separator including a remaining volatile hydrocarbon, inject the second compressed air into the partially treated water stream and mix the second injected air with the partially treated water stream to form a second injected fluid stream; and

a lag degas separator configured to receive and separate the second injected fluid stream from the lag mixer-injector device into a second volatile hydrocarbon stream and a treated water stream based on a difference in density.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the lead mixer-injector device and the lag mixer-injector device each has a diffuser including a plurality of openings or a mesh.

3 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a first line reducer positioned upstream of the lead mixer-injector device, a first line expander positioned downstream of the lead mixer-injector device, a second line reducer positioned upstream of the lead degas separator and a second line expander positioned downstream of the lag degas separator.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the lead degas separator includes a lead degas relief valve configured to open when a pressure of a volatile hydrocarbon within the lead degas separator is raised and the lag degas separator includes a lag degas relief valve configured to open when a pressure of a volatile hydrocarbon within the lag degas separator rises above a pre-determined level.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the lag mixer-injector device receives the second compressed air from the compressor.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the lead degas separator includes a lead degas relief valve configured to open when a pressure of a volatile hydrocarbon within the lead degas separator is raised.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the lead mixer-injector device includes a diffuser having a plurality of openings or a mesh.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the shear mixing device includes a plurality of flash reactors.

9 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a line reducer positioned upstream of the lead mixer-injector device and a line expander positioned downstream of the lead mixer-injector device.

10 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a throttling valve downstream from the lead degas separator.

11 . A method for separating a volatile hydrocarbon from a water stream comprising:

pumping an untreated water stream from a pump positioned at a wellhead;

injecting compressed air into the untreated water stream;

mixing the injected air and the untreated water stream to form a first injected fluid stream;

shearing gas bubbles within the first injected fluid stream so that a frothed stream is formed;

separating the frothed stream into a volatile hydrocarbon stream and a partially treated water stream based on a difference in density;

injecting second compressed air into the partially treated water stream;

mixing the second injected compressed air and the partially treated water stream to form a second injected fluid stream; and

separating the second injected fluid stream into a volatile hydrocarbon stream and a treated water stream based on a difference in density.

12 . The method of claim 11 where the volatile hydrocarbon includes methane.

13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising throttling the partially treated water stream.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein a ratio of the injected air to untreated water during the injecting is in a range of 0.80 to 1.50.