How does the technology work?
Typhonix Low Shear Pumps are multistage centrifugal pumps with high hydraulic efficiency. The number of stages and the configuration of the individual stages are designed to control shear forces, and to provide an optimal beneficial effect on the pumped media. The pumps are generally design to target produced water applications.
Are All Typhonix pump types low shear?
Yes, both the Low Shear and the Coalescing Pump are low shear pump types. The added advantage of the Coalescing pump is the coalescing effect, which requires a physically larger pump.
What is the difference between the Low Shear and the Coalescing pump?
The Low Shear pump is designed to control droplet breaking while the Coalescing Pump is designed to increase droplet size while pumping produced water. The Low Shear pump has a smaller footprint than the Coalescing pump. When designing Low Shear and Coalescing pumps optimally, information about oil type, oil concentration and expected oil droplet size in the pump inlet are all valuable information.
What are the application areas for the pumps?
The pumps are mainly developed for produced water applications but will provide beneficial effects also when used on reject streams, slop water and drain water in petroleum processing facilities.
Is there a requirement for specific fluid composition to enable coalescence?
The droplet growth of the Coalescing pump is based on collisions between oil droplets. The coalescing effect is therefore proportional to the concentration of oil in water (at a given droplet size) and inversely proportional to droplet size (at a given oil concentration). The coalescing effect of the pump increases with increasing oil concentration and reducing oil droplet size. Generally, this means that the pump works better the more difficult the water is.
What are the benefits compared to positive displacement pumps?
Typhonix pumps are built in accordance to API 610 and therefore have a significantly lower OPEX compared to positive displacement pumps. This is due to reduced maintenance load and high MTBF. Additionally, there is normally no requirement for closed outlet protection, simplifying the pumping system and reducing CAPEX and OPEX.