Method and apparatus for characterizing interfacial tension between two immiscible or partially miscible fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869624-B2
Application number	US-201214357573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 15, 2011
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus (and method) for characterizing interfacial tension between a non-wetting phase fluid and a wetting phase fluid of a slug flow employs a capillary structure that is configured to contain a slug of the non-wetting phase fluid of the slug flow. The slug has a leading edge meniscus and a trailing edge meniscus, and the capillary structure has a venturi-like section. A pressure sensor is configured to measure differential pressure between first and second locations of the capillary structure. The first location is disposed upstream of the leading edge meniscus of the slug with the leading edge meniscus of the slug contained within the venturi-like section. The second location is disposed downstream of the trailing edge meniscus of the slug. Data processing means is configured to derive a measure of interfacial tension based upon the differential pressure measured by the pressure sensor and, optionally, geometry of the capillary structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for characterizing interfacial tension between a non-wetting phase fluid and a wetting phase fluid of a slug flow, comprising:
a capillary structure configured to contain a slug of the non-wetting phase fluid of the slug flow, the slug having a leading edge meniscus and a trailing edge meniscus, and the capillary structure having a venturi-like section;
a pressure sensor configured to measure differential pressure between first and second locations of the capillary structure, the first location disposed upstream of the leading edge meniscus of the slug with the leading edge meniscus of the slug contained within the venturi-like section of the capillary structure, and the second location disposed downstream of the trailing edge meniscus of the slug; and
data processing means, operably coupled to the pressure sensor, for deriving a measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow based upon the differential pressure measured by the pressure sensor.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing means derives the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow based further on geometry of the capillary structure.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing means derives the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow based further on calibration of the apparatus.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure sensor is adapted to measure a static differential pressure between the first and second locations of the capillary structure; and
the data processing means derives the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow based on the static differential pressure measured by the pressure sensor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure sensor is adapted to measure a plurality of dynamic differential pressures between the first and second locations of the capillary structure at different flow rates of the slug flow;
the data processing means is adapted to derive static differential pressure between the first and second locations of the capillary structure based upon the plurality of dynamic differential pressures measured by the pressure sensor; and
the data processing means derives the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow based on the static differential pressure derived by the data processing means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the capillary structure is configured to allow for flow of the slug flow through the capillary structure.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the capillary structure comprises three co-axial cylindrical sections including an intermediate cylindrical section disposed between two outer cylindrical sections, the two outer cylindrical sections having a larger diameter than the intermediate cylindrical section, wherein the intermediate cylindrical section is the venturi-like section.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the capillary structure is oriented such that the three co-axial cylindrical sections extend in a horizontal direction.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the capillary structure is oriented such that the three co-axial cylindrical sections extend in a vertical direction.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow is calculated by the data processing means according to the following equation:

Δ
⁢

⁢
P

=

2
⁢

⁢

γ
⁡

(

1

R

P
⁢

⁢
1

-

1

R

P
⁢

⁢
2

)

,

where γ is the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow,
ΔP is a static differential pressure between the first and second locations of the capillary structure,
R P1 is the radius of the intermediate cylindrical section of the capillary structure, and
R P2 is the radius of the outer cylindrical sections of the capillary structure.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow is calculated by the data processing means according to the following equation:

Δ
⁢

⁢
P

=

2
⁢

⁢
γ

R

P
⁢

⁢
1

,

where γ is the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow,
ΔP is a static differential pressure between the first and second locations of the capillary structure, and
R P1 is the radius of the intermediate cylindrical section of the capillary structure.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein:
the measure of interfacial tension between the non-wetting phase fluid and the wetting phase fluid of the slug flow is calculated by the data processing means according to the following equation:

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Szabo Geza Horvath
• Ratulowski John
• Eskin Dmitry

Classifications

• G01N2013/0241

  bubble, pendant drop, sessile drop methods · CPC title

• G01N13/02 Primary

  Investigating surface tension of liquids · CPC title

• G01N13/00 Primary

  Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects (scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q) · CPC title