Investigation of different methods of desalination of crude oil and the operation of various types of electrostatic desalination

Oil-associated salts, depending on their origin, usually contain sodium, potassium, and magnesium. One of the best and most effective ways to separate salt water from crude oil is to use an electrostatic field. In this method, the droplets are polarized in the presence of an electric field and an electrostatic force is created between them, which causes the droplets to approach and coagulate. Using an electric field, the coagulation rate of a dispersed phase in an emulsion can be increased. Therefore, methods based on electric current have been proposed. From an energy efficiency point of view, electrical separation is the best way to break the emulsion and desalinate the oil. Therefore, an electric current is used when the salt water droplets are difficult to separate from the oil. The basic principles of electrostatic desalination of crude oil can be summed up as the application of small droplets of water under an electric field and the formation of larger droplets of water with higher settling velocities.