System and method for facilitating hydrocarbon fluid flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12181111-B2
Application number	US-202117246122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

Systems for facilitating fluid flow including a tubular segment having a length, a tube wall with a thickness, a tube wall exterior surface, and a tube wall interior surface are described. The tube wall interior surface defines a conduit configured to permit fluid flow along the length of the tubular segment. The tube wall may include a material configured to convey heat energy through the tube wall and at least one heating element coupled to an exterior surface of the tube wall along the length of the tubular segment, at least one heating element made of an enabler material configured to receive electromagnetic energy, convert the electromagnetic energy into heat energy, and release the heat energy into the tube wall. The system may include a source of electromagnetic energy associated with the at least one heating element. The source of electromagnetic energy is configured to transmit electromagnetic energy into the heating element.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A system for facilitating hydrocarbon fluid flow, the system comprising:
a tubular segment having a length, a tube wall with a thickness, a tube wall exterior surface, and a tube wall interior surface, where the tube wall interior surface defines an interior fluid conduit configured to permit the flow of a hydrocarbon fluid along the length of the tubular segment, and where the tube wall comprises a material that is configured to convey heat energy through the tube wall;
a series of heating elements coupled to an interior surface of the tube wall along the length of the tubular segment, where each heating element comprises an enabler material that is configured to receive electromagnetic energy, convert the electromagnetic energy into heat energy, and release the heat energy into the tube wall; and
at least one source of electromagnetic energy associated with each heating element, where the at least one source of electromagnetic energy is configured to transmit electromagnetic energy into the associated heating element,
wherein the series of heating elements comprises a plurality of heating elements in a heating zone and a plurality of heating elements in a maintenance zone,
wherein the heating elements in the heating zone are spaced at a first repeating fixed distance at an entry of the tubular segment for increasing a temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid to a target temperature, and
wherein the heating elements in the maintenance zone are spaced at a second repeating fixed distance that is greater than the first repeating fixed distance for maintaining the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the enabler material is a dielectric material.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the enabler material comprises activated carbon.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tube wall is in direct contact with a hydrocarbon fluid.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one acoustic transducer.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the material of the tube wall comprises a dielectric material.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the material of the tube wall comprises activated carbon.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one source of electromagnetic energy is configured to transmit microwave radiation.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one source of electromagnetic energy is configured to increase the hydrocarbon fluid to a target temperature.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control system.

12. A method of facilitating hydrocarbon fluid flow, the method comprising:
introducing a hydrocarbon fluid into a tubular segment of a system for facilitating hydrocarbon fluid flow;
detecting a first temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid using a sensor in an interior fluid conduit of the tubular segment;
determining a first viscosity of the hydrocarbon fluid in the interior fluid conduit using the detected first temperature;
determining an amount of electromagnetic energy for raising the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid from a first temperature to a target temperature, where the target temperature is greater than the first temperature; and
transmitting electromagnetic energy from at least one source of electromagnetic energy into an associated at least one heating element such that the temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid is raised downstream of the at least one heating element.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising detecting a second temperature of the hydrocarbon fluid using a second sensor downstream of the at least one heating element.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tubular segment comprises a dielectric material.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tubular segment comprises activated carbon.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising maintaining the target temperature.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining the amount of heat to emit from the heating element to raise the temperature to the target temperature.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising maintaining the target temperature with a feedback loop.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Al Ayesh Ahmed H
• Batarseh Sameeh

Classifications

• H05B2214/03

  Heating of hydrocarbons · CPC title

• H05B6/68

  for monitoring or control · CPC title

• H05B6/6491

  combined with the use of susceptors (H05B6/80 and subgroups takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B6/6447

  Method of operation or details of the microwave heating apparatus related to the use of detectors or sensors · CPC title

• C10G32/02

  by electric or magnetic means · CPC title