Key Benefits

  • High performance, small package
  • Reliable operation and low maintenance
  • Easy to install, easy to use

Go with the flow - this DeOiler Cyclone Vessel does the work for you

Known for years as the KREBS CycloClean®, our DeOiler Vessel delivers efficient solutions that fit your oily water separation applications. We offer reliable oil separation performance and our units are not affected by the debris build-up that can occur with other systems. They require little to no adjustment in the field, allowing your operator to set it and forget it.

Pure and clean oil and water separation


The KREBS DeOiler Vessel systems use numerous deoiling hydrocyclones inside a vessel or manifold. Unlike plate-pack separators, the KREBS system relies on centrifugal forces rather than gravitational forces for separation. In fact, the centrifugal force generated inside the vortex of a single hydrocyclone can reach 1,000 times the force of gravity. With such force, fine oil droplets down to 10 microns will separate.

 


Newest generation


FLSmidth offers the latest generation in deoiling hydrocyclone technology: Our L40gMAX® offers a unique inlet geometry, which helps minimise turbulence and improves separation efficiency at higher capacities. The result is optimal performance. 

 


How it works


A tangential feed of oily water enters each cyclone through a unique involute inlet, where the solution begins to spin. As the mixture flows through each cyclone, it accelerates, increasing the centrifugal force and sending the lighter oil to the hydrocyclone’s centre for removal through the overflow. Cleaned water exits through the underflow. 

 

The KREBS DeOiler Vessel system of hydrocyclones will treat oily water with oil droplets below 15 microns, where competitors’ systems can only treat oil droplets from 20 to 50 microns.

Section view of a dual DeOiler Vessel system and closeup of one of the many hundreds of cyclones in the vessels.

Wide range of applications

Oil refinery and petrochemical applications for the KREBS DeOiler Vessel include:

  • Separation of oil and hydrocarbons from produced water
  • Hydrocarbon recovery
  • Oil removal from desalter brine
  • Coke blowdown/sour water treatment
  • Dewatering in mine process
  • Waste water clean-up

 

Our DeOiler Vessels also are ideal for these applications:

  • Removing oil from wash-down and runoff water
  • Removing oil from quench water in steel mills
  • Removing oil from coolant in machining processes
  • Removing oil from cutting fluids
  • Removing oil from bilge water
  • Removing organic from electrolyte and raffinate in SX applications
  • Removing organics from ballast water

We are the leader in hydrocyclone technology. Our products are recognised throughout numerous process industries for exceptional technical competence and responsive customer service. You can count on us for expert advice and assistance to keep your operation flowing. Still not convinced? Put us to the test. We offer multi-level testing in both onsite and offsite settings.

Superior yet simple deoiling - from the experts in cyclone technology

High performance, small package
By applying separation forces many times greater than conventional technologies, KREBS Hydrocyclones deliver better separations in a footprint that’s one-tenth the size, reducing your capital costs.  We work closely with you to provide DeOiling Vessels that fit into the tightest of spaces.
Reliable operation and low maintenance

KREBS DeOiling units are not affected by the debris build-up or spotty maintenance that can shut down other systems. Our vessels have no screens to clean or chemicals to add. There are no moving parts. They require no frequent dismantling for maintenance, which reduces process flow interruptions and ultimately reduces your operational costs. In fact, here’s a list of what you won’t have to do with our systems:

  • No plates or hopper to clean, further lowering your maintenance costs and increasing your worker safety
  • No closely packed plates that can become blocked
  • No algae chemical dose required; no large stagnant volumes
Easy to install, easy to use

We can install numerous modules into confined spaces. KREBS’ DeOiler Vessel design includes pressurised oil and water discharge that allows flexibility in your site location. It also delivers savings because re-pumping is not required. Our standard vessels are fully pneumatic and require no electrical connections, which also simplifies installation and reduces your costs.

 

Because we fully understand how hydrocyclones operate, we have created a design that requires little to no adjustment in the field. Your operators can truly set it and forget it with this deoiling system. As an added benefit, these vessels form a fully closed system, which means no equipment smells and no vapor emissions.

Superior oil and water separation through exceptional design

Advanced design


Through our use of advanced engineering design tools, we have developed the latest generation in deoiling hydrocyclone – the L40gMAX Hydrocyclone. The L40gMAX has a unique inlet geometry that helps to minimise turbulence and improve separation efficiency at higher unit capacities. This design allows fewer cyclones to be used for optimal performance and cost. The L40gMAX Hydrocyclone liners are made of duplex stainless steel, and they are fully replaceable.


 

Go-with-the-flow flexibility


With the KREBS DeOiling Vessel system, you have the flexibility to add optional features.  From solids removal hydrocyclones and surface skimmers, to level switches and controls, to oil/fat storage tanks and air spargers, we can customise your installation to fit your exact needs.


 

Pumped hydrocyclones


When the existing process pressure is too low ( <3.4 bar or <50 psig), adding a low-shear booster pump will increase inlet pressure. You can count on our experience and knowledge of pumps to ensure minimal shearing of oil droplets through proper pump selection, piping configuration and system operation.

 


Produced water systems


In addition to a stand-alone vessel, we can incorporate the L40gMAX Hydrocyclone system into a complete produced water treatment system. The L40gMAX Hydrocyclone reduces the oil-in-water concentration to manageable levels for downstream polishing equipment.


 

TurnDOWN™


In order to accommodate large turndown requirements that exceed 50:1, we offer our TurnDOWN™ design. TurnDOWN allows for continuous operation without ever shutting down the vessel. We accomplish this by compartmentalising the DeOiling Vessel’s overflow and underflow chambers. Isolation valves on the compartment nozzles open or close to adjust the number of liners in operation.

TurnDOWN advantages include:

  • Compact design for reduced footprint and weight
  • Flexible operation (TurnDOWN) for flow rate variations
  • Higher oil removal efficiency as the pressure drop can be optimized
  • Manual or fully automated
  • Integral part of a complete produced water treatment system



Stories from FLSmidth