Development of a particle analysis system for the process water of the petrochemical industry using hyperspectral imaging, white-light imaging, and fluorescence imaging

The process water of the petrochemical industry contains particles and oil droplets which need to be removed by the water treatment process before the water can safely be reinjected into the well. For the detection and analysis of the particles and oil droplets a particle analysis system based on hyperspectral imaging, fluorescence imaging and white-light imaging has been developed. The particle and droplet size range for this application varies from 5 µm to 150 µm. Currently used particle analyzers use monochrome cameras with backlight illumination. The thereby obtained monochromatic image is used to derive shape and size of the particles and droplets, but no chemical information. The shape information is used to differentiate between solid particles and oil droplets. The solid particles appear black in the images and therefore a more detailed analysis of their material is not possible. The combination of different imaging systems presented in this work allow for a more detailed and robust analysis of the particles and oil droplets in the process water. The fluorescence imaging system is used for a reliable detection of the oil droplets. The white-light imaging system and hyperspectral imaging system acquire high quality color information of particles and oil droplets. This information is vital for the process water treatment during oil production. An ultrasound particle manipulation system is used to guide the particles and oil droplets into the focal plane of the imaging systems. The alpha version of the particle analysis system and the initial results of measurements on solid particles and oil droplets in aqueous suspension are presented.