Hydration apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457335-B2
Application number	US-201414536415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

Vessels including an enclosure having an outer perimeter and an interior space, a channel disposed in the interior space, a first port disposed on a surface of the first enclosure at or proximate to a first end of the channel, and a second port disposed on a surface of the first enclosure at or proximate to a second end of the channel, where the channel has a length greater than the shortest distance between the first port and the second port, and where the first port and the second port are in fluid communication with one another. In some cases, the length of the channel is greater than a length of the outer perimeter. Optionally, the vessel may have a second enclosure having an outer perimeter and an interior space with a second channel disposed in the interior space, a third port disposed on a surface of the second enclosure at or proximate to a first end of the second channel, and a fourth port disposed on a surface of the second enclosure at or proximate to a second end of the second channel, where the second port, the third port and fourth port are in fluid communication. In yet some other optional variations, the vessel further includes a plurality of enclosures each having an outer perimeter and an interior space, a channel disposed in the interior space, a port disposed on a surface of the enclosure at or proximate to a first end of the channel, and a port disposed on a surface of the enclosure at or proximate to a second end of the channel, where the channel has a length greater than a shortest distance between the ports, and the second port and the ports disposed on the surface of the plurality of enclosures are in fluid communication. The perimeter shape of the enclosure(s) may be any suitable shape, including, but not limited to, substantially circular, ovate or rectangular.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first enclosure having an outer perimeter and an interior space defined therein, the first enclosure comprising:
a first continuous channel in the interior space defining a first fluid flowpath and having a channel-length greater than a length of the outer perimeter of the first enclosure;
a first port disposed on a surface of the first enclosure in fluid communication with a first end of the first continuous channel; and
a second port disposed at or proximate to a second end of the first continuous channel; and,

a second enclosure having an outer perimeter and an interior space defined therein, the second enclosure comprising:
a second continuous channel in the interior space defining a second fluid flowpath and having a channel-length greater than a length of the outer perimeter of the second enclosure;
a third port disposed at or proximate to a first end of the second continuous channel; and
a fourth port disposed on a surface of the second enclosure in fluid communication with a second end of the second continuous channel;

wherein the second port and the third port are in fluid communication, and
wherein one of the first fluid flowpath and the second fluid flowpath is in a progressively inward direction through the continuous channel thereof and wherein the other one of the first fluid flowpath and the second fluid flowpath is in a progressively outward direction through the continuous channel thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first enclosure further comprises:
a third continuous channel in the interior space having a channel-length greater than the length of the outer perimeter of the first enclosure;
a first end of the third continuous channel disposed at or proximate to a port; and
a fifth port disposed at or proximate to a second end of the third continuous channel;

wherein the second port, the third port, and the fifth port are in fluid communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first enclosure further comprises at least one pair of continuous channels in the interior space, the pair continuous channels comprising:
a fourth continuous channel having a channel-length greater than a length of the outer perimeter of the first enclosure, a first end at or proximate to a port, and a sixth port disposed at or proximate to a second end; and
a fifth continuous channel having a channel-length greater than a length of the outer perimeter of the first enclosure, a first end at or proximate to the sixth port, and a seventh port disposed at or proximate to a second end;

wherein the second port, the third port, the fifth port, the sixth port and the seventh port are in fluid communication.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first enclosure further comprises two pair of continuous channels in the interior space.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a pair of intermediate enclosures disposed between the first enclosure and the second enclosure, the pair of intermediate enclosures comprising:
a first intermediate enclosure having an outer perimeter and an interior space defined therein, the first intermediate enclosure comprising:
a continuous channel in the interior space having a channel-length greater than a length of the outer perimeter of the first intermediate enclosure;
a port disposed on a surface of the first intermediate enclosure in communication with a first end of the continuous channel; and
a port disposed on a surface of the first intermediate enclosure and located proximate the outer perimeter, the port in communication with a second end of the continuous channel; and,

a second intermediate enclosure having an outer perimeter and an interior space defined therein, the second intermediate enclosure comprising:
a continuous channel in the interior space having a channel-length greater than a length of the outer perimeter of the second intermediate enclosure;
a port disposed on a surface of the second intermediate enclosure and located proximate the outer perimeter, the port in communication with a first end of the continuous channel and connected to the port disposed on the first intermediate enclosure in communication with the second end of the continuous channel of the first intermediate enclosure; and
a port disposed on a surface of the second intermediate enclosure and located proximate the outer perimeter, the port in communication with a second end of the continuous channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a second pair of intermediate enclosures disposed between the pair of intermediate enclosures and the second enclosure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a third pair of intermediate enclosures disposed between the second pair of intermediate enclosures and the second enclosure.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a fourth pair of intermediate enclosures disposed between the third pair of intermediate enclosures and the second enclosure.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of pairs of intermediate enclosures disposed between the first enclosure and the second enclosure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first port is a fluid inlet and the fourth port is a fluid outlet, and wherein the first port and the fourth port are in fluid communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first enclosure, the second enclosure, the first intermediate enclosure and the second intermediate enclosure are substantially circular or ovate in outer perimeter shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the continuous channels of the first enclosure, the second enclosure, the first intermediate enclosure and the second intermediate enclosure are orientated in a substantially spiral configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first fluid flowpath is in a progressively inward direction through the continuous channels of the first enclosure and the second intermediate enclosure, and wherein the second fluid flowpath is in a progressively outward direction through the continuous channels of the second enclosure and the first intermediate enclosure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first fluid flowpath is counterclockwise and the second fluid flowpath is clockwise.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first fluid flowpath is clockwise and the second fluid flowpath is counterclockwise.

16. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein first enclosure, the second enclosure, the first intermediate enclosure and the second intermediate enclosure are substantially rectangular in outer perimeter shape.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a first fluid flowpath is in a progressively inward direction through the continuous channels of the first enclosure and the second intermediate enclosure, and wherein a second fluid flowpath is in a progressively outward direction through the continuous channels of the second enclosure and the first intermediate enclosure.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first port is configured to receive a mixture comprising a hydratable polymer and a liquid, and whereby the fourth port is configured to produce a slurry of the hydratable polymer and the liquid.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 as used in a method of hydrating a mixture of water and a hydratable material.

20. A hydration vessel comprising:
an inlet chamber having an outer perimeter and a first fluid passageway formed therein, wherein the length of the first fluid passageway is greater than a l

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Pham Hau
• Luharuka Rajesh

Classifications

• B01J2219/1941

  circular or disk-shaped · CPC title

• B01J19/246

  internally, i.e. the mixture circulating inside the vessel such that the upward stream is separated physically from the downward stream(s) · CPC title

• B01J19/18

  Stationary reactors having moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• B01J19/248

  Reactors comprising multiple separated flow channels · CPC title