Shaftless Screw Conveyors for Dewatered Oilfield Solids
Various Oil Refineries in the Western U.S. (Mobile Units)
General Description
Matrix Service is a full service provider for construction, repair and maintenance services to industrial and energy clients in the U.S. and Canada. Industries of specialty are oil & gas, mining & minerals and power generation.
Matrix Service developed a process for separating and processing oil refinery waste. The waste consists of oil, solids and water. Solids are separated from liquids by use of centrifuges and conveyed to storage containers. The liquids are further processed and pumped back to the refinery for reuse. The oil is recovered from the process. The complete system is mobile and fits on a single flatbed trailer.
Working closely with Matrix Service, KWS provided engineering design and two unique shaftless screw conveyors to transport oil sludge solids from centrifuges to storage containers.
Design Parameters
- Product Type: Mixture of Water, Sediment, and Hydrocarbons (wet, sticky, sluggish)
- Material Density: 60-70 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
- Capacity: 333 Cubic Feet per Hour
- Duty: 24 Hours per Day, 7 Days per Week
KWS Advantages
Engineers from Matrix Service contacted KWS needing engineering expertise for their mobile processing unit. KWS was able to provide technical support and an adaptable design for a shaftless screw conveyor. Experienced engineers at KWS created several layouts to determine the best solution. Using Inventor 3D CAD, KWS and Matrix Service worked through several iterations to achieve a design that met everyone’s needs.
Oil field equipment is very rugged and designed to last. KWS provided an extremely robust shaftless screw conveyor design with heavy duty troughs, spirals, structural supports and mating connections. Matrix Service needed quick delivery for two shaftless screw conveyors, which was no problem due to lean manufacturing practices employed at KWS.
Special Features
KWS designed the shaftless screw conveyors with a wide inlet opening to prevent sticky sludge material from bridging as it exited the centrifuges. For quick delivery, KWS utilized stock KWS-350 high-strength Micro-Alloy spirals. KWS-350 spirals are the strongest and toughest spirals in the industry and were ideal for the abrasive environment. The KWS shaftless screw conveyor design prevents sticky sludge build up. The complete conveyor housings were constructed from 304 stainless steel for corrosion resistance. The drive shafts for the KWS shaftless screw conveyors were machined from a single piece of bar stock to eliminate a welded connection. The KWS one-piece drive shaft has never experienced a failure in thousands of installations world-wide. The units were designed with several pipe connections for flushing out any excess materials left in the conveyors.
Testimonial
"I’m very pleased with the entire process from start to finish, and there were zero issues with drawings. The KWS shaftless screw conveyors are very well-built, which is exactly what you promised. Thanks again for all the support and efforts you and the team made."
Kenn Kodyz, Area Manager – Matrix Service
