Automated apparatus for characterization of fluid-solid systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12000855-B2
Application number	US-202217740488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2022
Priority date	May 10, 2021
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for characterizing fluid-solid systems. In an embodiment, a method includes placing a porous rock sample in a core holder, contacting the porous rock sample with a fluid to create a fluid-solid system inside the core holder, automatically adjusting a temperature and/or pressure of the fluid-solid system to a preselected value via a processor and at least one automated valve, monitoring the fluid-solid system for equilibrium, recording a value for temperature, pressure, and/or mass of the fluid-solid system, performing an action based on the recorded data, and repeating the adjusting, monitoring, recording, and performing operations to produce a thermodynamic data characteristic of the fluid-solid system. In one example, the performing operation includes analyzing a pressure signal for stationarity by performing an Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and/or a Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for characterizing a fluid-solid system,
the apparatus comprising:
a core holder;
a pressure sensor coupled to the core holder, the pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure within the core holder and produce a pressure signal;
a mass comparator operationally connected to an interior of the core holder; and
a pressure and flow control system comprising:
a pressure source in selective fluid communication with the core holder;
an automated pressure valve configured to control pressure within the core holder; and
a processor configured to:
control the automated pressure valve based at least in part on the pressure signal;
step the pressure within the core holder through a series of predetermined pressure set points; and
log data from the pressure sensor and the mass comparator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
control the pressure within the core holder to a first predetermined pressure set point;
analyze the pressure signal for stationarity; and
open the automated pressure valve for a calculated period of time to control the pressure within the core holder to a second predetermined pressure set point.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the pressure signal for stationarity by an Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and/or a Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the calculated period of time by:
performing a series of short valve openings in order to generate a series of data; and
analyzing the series of data in order to calculate the calculated period of time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vacuum source in selective fluid communication with the core holder; and
an automated vacuum valve configured to control pressure within the core holder, wherein the processor is further configured to control the automated vacuum valve.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the core holder is disposed inside an environmental chamber, the environmental chamber comprising:
a heating element, a cooling element, or both; and
a temperature sensor; and

the processor is further configured to control a temperature within the environmental chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a gas chromatograph operably connected to the core holder, wherein the processor is further configured to automatically direct contents of the core holder into the gas chromatograph.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to automatically log data from the pressure sensor and the mass comparator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the core holder is a first core holder, the apparatus further comprising at least a second core holder.

10. A method of characterizing a fluid-solid system, the method comprising:
(a) contacting a porous rock sample, disposed within a core holder, with a fluid to form a fluid-solid system inside the core holder;
(b) automatically adjusting a temperature of the fluid-solid system, a pressure of the fluid-solid system, or both, to a preselected value via a processor and at least one automated valve;
(c) monitoring the fluid-solid system for equilibrium via a pressure sensor;
(d) recording a value for temperature, a value for pressure, a value for mass, or a combination thereof, of the fluid-solid system, to provide recorded data;
(e) performing an action based on the recorded data, the performing an action comprising at least:
analyzing a pressure signal for stationarity by performing an Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, a Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test, or both, the pressure signal corresponding to the pressure within the core holder; and
(f) repeating one or more of operations (b) through (e) to produce a thermodynamic data characteristic of the fluid-solid system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the at least one automated valve is a pressure control valve; and
the performing an action of operation (e) further comprises opening the pressure control valve for a calculated period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the performing an action of operation (e) further comprises:
performing a series of short valve openings in order to generate a series of data; and
analyzing the series of data in order to calculate the calculated period of time.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing an action of operation (e) further comprises calculating an average of pressure values, an average of mass values, or both, over a pre-determined time duration.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing an action of operation (e) further comprises adjusting the pressure of the fluid-solid system, the adjusting the pressure of the fluid-solid system comprising:
introducing additional fluid into the core holder;
removing at least some fluid from the core holder; or
a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
when the performing an action of operation (e) further comprises introducing additional fluid into the core holder, the introducing additional fluid into the core holder comprises opening an automated valve for a predetermined duration of time, via the processor, the automated valve being in fluid communication with a source of pressure; or
when the performing an action of operation (e) further comprises removing at least some fluid from the core holder, the removing at least some fluid from the core holder comprises opening an automated valve for a predetermined duration of time, via the processor, the automated valve being in fluid communication with a source of vacuum.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the core holder is disposed within an environmental chamber, and wherein the method further comprises controlling an atmosphere within the environmental chamber via an automated purge valve, the automated purge valve being in selective fluid communication with a source of non-reactive gas.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising automatically interpreting, transforming, and recording unprocessed signals from a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a mass comparator into a thermodynamic data characteristic of the fluid-solid system.

18. A method of characterizing a fluid-solid system, comprising:
(a) introducing a fluid with a porous rock sample disposed within a core holder to form a fluid-solid system inside the core holder;
(b) automatically adjusting a pressure of the fluid-solid system to a preselected value via a processor and at least one automated valve, wherein the automatically adjusting comprises:
performing a series of short valve openings in order to generate a series of data; and
analyzing the series of data in order to calculate a calculated period of time;

(c) monitoring the fluid-solid system for equilibrium by a pressure sensor;
(d) recording a value for pressure, a value for mass, or a combination thereof, of the fluid-solid system, to provide recorded data;
(e) performing an action based on the recorded data, the performing an action comprising:
analyzing a pressure signal for stationarity by performing an Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test, a Kwiatkowski-Phillips-Schmidt-Shin (KPSS) test, or both, the pressure signal corresponding to the pressure within the core holder; and

(f) repeating one or more of operations (b) through (e) to produce thermodynamic data characteristic of the fluid-solid system.

Assignees

• Univ Wyoming

Inventors

• Alloush Rami
• Piri Mohammad
• Lowry Evan W

Classifications

• G01N5/02 Primary

  by absorbing or adsorbing components of a material and determining change of weight of the adsorbent, e.g. determining moisture content {(absorption bulbs B01D53/00)} · CPC title

• G01N1/44

  Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat · CPC title

• G01N33/24

  Earth materials (G01N33/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N30/06

  Preparation · CPC title

• G01N15/082

  Investigating permeability by forcing a fluid through a sample · CPC title