Methods and systems for generating stable oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions to enhance oil recovery

Abstract

A system for generating a stable emulsion can employ one or more liquid-liquid eductors to mix oil and water through a motive stream and a suction stream to produce an emulsion as a discharge stream. One or more motive tanks can be fluidly coupled to the one or more liquid-liquid eductors; the one or more motive tanks can supply a motive fluid to the one or more liquid-liquid eductors. One or more suction tanks can be fluidly coupled to the one or more liquid-liquid eductors; the one or more suction tanks can supply a suction fluid to the one or more liquid-liquid eductors. One or more discharge tanks can be fluidly coupled to the one or more liquid-liquid eductors; the one or more discharge tanks can collect the emulsion from the one or more liquid-liquid eductors. Additionally, a flow line coupled to the one or more discharge tanks can supply the emulsion into a formation.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) can extract hydrocarbon reserves that are inaccessible through conventional primary and secondary recovery processes, such as gas or water displacement. EOR can be performed using emulsion injection. Conventional emulsion generation techniques used in chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) in oilfields are batch generation methods, employing pumps, mechanical agitators, mixers, or colloid mills. Conventional emulsion generation techniques produce emulsions in batches and store the resulting emulsions in tanks until needed in the field. Given that emulsions are thermodynamically unstable materials composed of two liquids, they tend to separate back to their pure state, affecting emulsion properties and potentially rendering such emulsions ineffective in the formation after storage. Furthermore, for commercial production, mechanical agitators are very large, consume high power, and cannot produce stable emulsions.

[0002] Depending on the characteristics of the formation and the processing fluid, it may be helpful to emulsify the acid before pumping it down the wellbore. Acid emulsion preparation is traditionally carried out off-site, i.e., at a location far from the well site, and is typically based on a batch mixing method. An example of prior art system 1 is shown in Figure 1A. There, a large tank (not shown) is used to recirculate the acid mixture until it reaches a completely homogeneous state. The emulsifier is transferred to batch tank 14, and then the mixed acid is added to batch tank 14. Tank 14 is then recirculated using pump 18 until the desired emulsion is produced. Once the emulsion is formed, the contents of batch tank 14 can be delivered to the well site as a finished product ready for injection. As shown in Figure 1B, pump 18 can be used for continuous emulsion production. A premixture of oil and (one or more) emulsifiers 11, along with a discontinuous phase 12 (i.e., water), is introduced into the circulation loop container 4 via suitable means such as pipes 13a and 13b in the circulation loop. Pump 14 can be a centrifugal circulation pump used for the materials within the circulation loop. The emulsion is discharged through outlet 15. It can then be further refined using a suitable mixing device, such as a static mixer or homogenizer 17, to achieve product homogeneity. When cleaning is required, discharge pipe 16 is used to remove all residual material from the circuit.

[0003] Batch mixing is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, when acid treatment of the wellbore is required, pre-planning logistics such as storage and transportation to ensure sufficient acid availability at the well site is often challenging. Stored emulsions may become less efficient or completely ineffective if left unused for extended periods. Second, batch-to-batch variations can occur, leading to inconsistent treatment results. Furthermore, once an emulsion is formed, the water-to-oil ratio in emulsions produced by conventional methods cannot be changed. Third, degradation may occur during storage and transportation. Fourth, while batch mixing of small amounts of acid emulsion is not a major problem, it becomes very difficult when the required volume is very large. Batch methods are difficult to apply to the large-scale production of emulsions, especially for EORs requiring large quantities of emulsion. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This overview is provided to introduce some concepts, which will be further described in the detailed description below. This overview is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to serve as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] In one aspect, the embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for generating a stable emulsion. The method may include: pumping a motive fluid from a motive fluid tank to a first inlet of a liquid-liquid ejector, the liquid-liquid ejector applying suction to a second inlet of the liquid-liquid ejector through the flow of the motive fluid through the liquid-liquid ejector, the suction drawing suction fluid from a suction tank; mixing the motive fluid and the suction fluid in the liquid-liquid ejector; ejecting an emulsion of the motive fluid and the suction fluid from an outlet of the liquid-liquid ejector; and collecting the emulsion in a discharge tank. The method may further include conveying the emulsion from the discharge tank to the motive fluid tank. Additionally, the method may include measuring the flow rates of the motive fluid and the suction fluid entering the liquid-liquid ejector, and changing the speed of the pump pumping the motive fluid based on the measured flow rates. Furthermore, the method may include adding one or more surfactants to the motive fluid and / or the suction fluid upstream of the liquid-liquid ejector. The method may also include injecting the emulsion from the discharge tank into a formation. Furthermore, the method may include controlling the external phase of the emulsion based on the salinity of the water. When the salinity of the water is less than 10 g / L, the external phase is water, forming an oil-in-water emulsion. When the salinity of the water is greater than 10 g / L, the external phase is oil, forming a water-in-oil emulsion. The method may also include adjusting the emulsion by using water with different salinities, adjusting the pump speed, and / or adjusting the injector orifice size, or by using one or more of these methods.

[0006] In another aspect, the embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for generating a stable emulsion, the method comprising: pumping a motive fluid from a motive fluid tank to a first inlet of a liquid-liquid ejector located inside a suction tank; mixing the motive fluid with a suction fluid in the suction tank after the pressure energy of the motive fluid flow is converted into kinetic energy through the nozzle of the liquid-liquid ejector; ejecting an emulsion of the motive fluid and the suction fluid from the outlet of the liquid-liquid ejector; and collecting the emulsion in a discharge tank. The method may further comprise injecting the emulsion from the discharge tank into a formation. Additionally, the method may further comprise discharging the emulsion from the liquid-liquid ejector to a separator upstream of the discharge tank; separating the emulsion from incompletely mixed motive and / or suction fluid in the separator; and supplying the separated emulsion to the discharge tank.

[0007] In another aspect, the embodiments disclosed herein relate to a system for generating a stable emulsion. The system may include: one or more power tanks fluidly coupled to one or more liquid-liquid ejectors, wherein the power tanks are configured to supply power fluid to the liquid-liquid ejectors; one or more suction tanks fluidly coupled to the liquid-liquid ejectors, wherein the suction tanks are configured to supply suction fluid to the liquid-liquid ejectors, wherein the power fluid and the suction fluid can be mixed in the liquid-liquid ejectors; one or more discharge tanks fluidly coupled to the liquid-liquid ejectors, wherein the discharge tanks are configured to collect the emulsion from the liquid-liquid ejectors; and a flow line coupled to the discharge tanks, wherein the flow line is configured to supply the emulsion to a formation. At least one of the liquid-liquid ejectors may be a freestanding ejector. At least one of the liquid-liquid ejectors may be submerged within the suction tanks. The system may also include one or more pumps fluidly coupled to the power tanks and the discharge tanks. The system may also include a second flow line that fluidly connects the one or more discharge tanks to the one or more power tanks.

[0008] Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The following is a description of the figures in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals identify similar elements or actions. The dimensions and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes and angles of various elements are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements may be arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve the readability of the drawing. Furthermore, the specific shapes of the drawn elements are not necessarily intended to convey any information about the actual shape of the particular element and are selected only for ease of identification in the drawing.

[0010] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of a batch mixing system according to an embodiment of the prior art.

[0011] Figure 1B is a perspective view of a system for producing emulsions according to an embodiment of the prior art.

[0012] Figure 2-4 This is a schematic diagram of a system for generating an emulsion according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a computing system according to one or more embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0014] In the following detailed description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various disclosed embodiments and examples. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments and examples can be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known features or processes associated with hydrocarbon production systems are not shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of embodiments and examples. For the sake of coherence and brevity, the same or similar objects in multiple figures may use the same or similar reference numerals. As used herein, the terms “connected” or “linked to” or “attached” or “attached to” may indicate the establishment of a direct or indirect connection, and are not limited to any of them, unless expressly stated otherwise. As used herein, fluid may refer to slurry, liquid, gas, and / or mixtures thereof.

[0015] Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to methods and systems for generating emulsions for hydrocarbon-bearing formations. Such methods and systems may relate to chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) processes and utilize liquid-liquid injectors (e.g., jet pumps) to generate online water-in-oil and oil-in-water stabilized emulsions with specific water-to-oil ratios. The oil may be a hydrocarbon, such as diesel, and the water may be ordinary tap water with varying salinity concentrations. In non-limiting examples, different salinity concentrations can be obtained by adding salt, seawater, partially desalinated seawater, or groundwater. In some embodiments, the water may flow through a filter, such as a reverse osmosis unit. While the embodiments disclosed herein are generally discussed in relation to enhanced oil recovery processes, it should be noted that the systems and processes disclosed herein can be used in any situation where on-demand emulsion stabilization is desired. Examples of other such processes and systems may include: generating diesel emulsions upstream of diesel engines; generating phase change emulsions (PCMEs) for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; generating pharmaceutical emulsions for use as drugs, pharmaceutical products, hair and skin conditioners; and generating emulsions for the food industry.

[0016] In some implementations, for water-in-diesel or diesel-in-water emulsions, the external phase of the resulting emulsion can be controlled by the salinity of the water (e.g., total dissolved solids, TDS). In a non-limiting example, for water with a TDS less than 10 g / L, the external phase can be water, and an oil-in-water emulsion can be formed. For water with a TDS greater than 10 g / L, the external phase can be oil, and an oil-in-water emulsion can be formed. Furthermore, the water-to-oil ratio can be controlled by a suction valve or a discharge valve. Further, the final emulsion can be adjusted by using water with different salinities, adjusting the pump speed, and / or adjusting the injector orifice size.

[0017] One or more embodiments of the method and system may employ one or more liquid-liquid injectors to mix oil and water via a motive flow and a suction flow to produce an emulsion as a discharge flow. Prior to mixing in one or more liquid-liquid injectors, the stability of the resulting emulsion can be enhanced by adding one or more surfactants to either the water or oil flow. One or more liquid-liquid injectors may convert the pressure energy of the motive fluid into velocity energy to mix the motive fluid (i.e., high pressure) with the suction fluid (i.e., low pressure). Furthermore, depending on available resources and equipment, one of the two flows may be oil and the other may be water without affecting the type and properties of the resulting emulsion. For example, in one or more embodiments, the motive fluid may be a hydrocarbon, such as diesel, and the suction fluid may be water. In other embodiments, the motive fluid may be water, and the suction fluid may be a hydrocarbon, such as diesel.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, the method and system for generating an emulsion may consist of only a single pump, a power source and a suction source for water and oil, connecting lines, control valves, and a liquid-liquid injector. Furthermore, the method and system for generating an emulsion can be scaled up using multiple pumps, injectors, and tanks to obtain emulsions of different specifications. It is also conceivable that, depending on the configuration and desired emulsion properties, the power fluid supplied by the pump may be oil and the suction fluid may be water, or the power fluid may be water and the suction fluid may be oil.

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an emulsion generation system 100 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The emulsion generation system 100 may be referred to herein as a stand-alone injector guide circuit. The stand-alone injector guide circuit 100 may include one or more power liquid tanks 101, one or more suction liquid tanks 102, and one or more discharge tanks 103.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, one or more pumps 105, such as centrifugal pumps, may be fluidly coupled to a motive fluid tank 101, a suction fluid tank 102, and / or a discharge tank 103. One or more pumps 105 may be variably operated according to a desired flow rate. Additionally, one or more pumps 105 may be accompanied by a control valve 106 to control the flow rate of the corresponding flow (e.g., the motive flow). It is also contemplated that a motive control valve 104a may be provided on the motive line 101a to further control the flow rate of the motive flow. Further, the stand-alone ejector guide circuit 100 may include one or more flow meters 107 and one or more pressure gauges 108. Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the stand-alone ejector guide circuit 100 may have any number of flow meters 107 and pressure gauges 108. In a non-limiting example, one or more flow meters 107 and one or more pressure gauges 108 may be provided on the motive line 101a and the suction line 102a to measure the flow rate and pressure of the corresponding flows from the motive fluid tank 101 and the suction fluid tank 102. In addition, the discharge control valve 104b can be installed on the first discharge line 103a to control the flow rate of the discharge stream.

[0021] Still for reference Figure 2In one or more embodiments, one or more freestanding liquid-liquid injectors 109 may be fluidly coupled to a power liquid tank 101, a suction liquid tank 102, and a discharge tank 103. In a non-limiting example, one or more freestanding liquid-liquid injectors 109 may include two inlets to receive fluid from the power liquid tank 101 and the suction liquid tank 102, while having one outlet to deliver fluid to the discharge tank 103. Additionally, one or more liquid-liquid injectors 109 may use the pressure energy of a power flow from a power line 101a of the power liquid tank 101 to extract a suction flow from a suction line 102a of the suction liquid tank 102. The one or more freestanding liquid-liquid injectors 109 may then combine the power flow and the suction flow to generate an emulsion to flow to the discharge tank 103 via a first discharge line 103a. The generated emulsion may be stored in the discharge tank 103 for a period of time until it needs to be injected into the formation.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, it may be desirable to mix fluids from discharge tank 103 and motive fluid tank 101. A second discharge line 103b can connect the fluid from discharge tank 103 to motive fluid tank 101. In some embodiments, pressure differential or gravity may allow transport between tanks 103 and 101 via the second discharge line 103b, and may only require a shut-off valve or control valve 104c. In other embodiments, a transfer pump (not shown) and valve 104c may be used to control the flow of fluid from tank 103 to tank 101.

[0023] In some embodiments, the stability of the resulting emulsion can be enhanced by adding one or more surfactants to one of the two streams of water and oil prior to mixing in one or more liquid-liquid injectors 109. In a non-limiting example, power line 101a and suction line 102a may each have an inlet upstream of one or more liquid-liquid injectors 109 to receive one or more surfactants from one or more surfactant tanks 112. The one or more surfactants can be any compound that reduces the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between the two liquids, such as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, or dispersants.

[0024] Now for reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an emulsion generation system 200 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 The emulsion generation system 200 may be referred to herein as a submersible injector guide circuit. The submersible injector guide circuit 200 may include one or more power liquid tanks 201, one or more suction liquid tanks 202, and one or more discharge tanks 203.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, one or more pumps 205a, 205b, such as centrifugal pumps, may be fluidly connected to a power liquid tank 201, a suction liquid tank 202, and / or a discharge tank 203. One or more pumps 205a, 205b may operate at a desired flow rate. Additionally, one or more pumps 205a, 205b may be accompanied by control valves 206a, 206b to control the flow rate of the corresponding flow (e.g., the power flow). It is also contemplated that a power control valve 204a may be provided on the power line 201a to further control the flow rate of the power flow. Furthermore, one or more flow meters 207 and one or more pressure gauges 208 may be provided on the power line 201a. Without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the submersible injector guide circuit 200 may have any number of flow meters 207 and pressure gauges 208. In a non-limiting example, one or more flow meters 207 and one or more pressure gauges 208 may measure the flow rate and pressure of the flow on the power line 201a.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the submersible injector guide circuit 200 may include one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209 immersed within the suction liquid tank 202. In a non-limiting example, the one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209 may be located inside the suction liquid tank 202, so that the pressure energy of the kinetic flow can be used to extract and mix the liquid in the suction liquid tank 202 after it has been converted into kinetic energy through the nozzles of the one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209. The one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209 may then combine the kinetic and suction flows to generate an emulsion that flows via a first discharge line 203a to a discharge tank 203. Furthermore, a discharge flow meter 210 may be installed on the first discharge line 203a downstream of the one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209 to measure the velocity of the discharge flow, which may be equal to the sum of the velocities in the kinetic and suction flows.

[0027] In some embodiments, a container 211, such as a separator, may be fluidly connected to a first discharge line 203a. The container 211 may be upstream of the discharge tank 203, such that one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209 supply the resulting emulsion mixture into the container 211. The container 211 may be used to separate the emulsion from other fluids or portions of the kinetic and / or suction fluid that do not form a stable emulsion. Further, it is envisioned that the emulsion may be selectively separated from the container 211 and supplied to the discharge tank 203, while the separated kinetic and / or suction fluid may be returned to either the kinetic tank 201 or the suction liquid tank 202 (not shown), respectively. Additionally, a discharge control valve 204b may be provided on the first discharge line 203a to control the flow rate of the discharge to the container 211.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, it may be desirable to mix fluids from discharge tank 203 and kinetic fluid tank 121. A second discharge line 203b may connect the fluid from discharge tank 203 to kinetic fluid tank 201. In some embodiments, pressure differential or gravity may allow transport between tanks 203 and 201 via the second discharge line 203b, and may only require a shut-off valve or control valve 204c. In other embodiments, a transfer pump (not shown) and valve 204c may be used to control the flow of fluid from tank 203 to tank 201. In some embodiments, a pump 205b accompanied by a control valve 206b may be used to control the flow rate of the discharge stream mixed into kinetic line 201a.

[0029] In some embodiments, the stability of the resulting emulsion can be enhanced by adding one or more surfactants to one of the two streams of water and oil prior to mixing in one or more submersible liquid-liquid jetters 209. In a non-limiting example, the power line 201a may have an inlet upstream of one or more submersible liquid-liquid jetters 209 to receive one or more surfactants from one or more surfactant tanks 212. The one or more surfactants can be any compound that reduces the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between the two liquids, such as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, or dispersants.

[0030] Now for reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an emulsion generation system 300 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 The emulsion generation system 300 can be referred to in this paper as a combined injector guide circuit. Figure 4 The combined injector guide circuit 300 is similar to Figure 2 and 3 In the embodiments described, the same numbers denote the same components. However, in the combined injector guide circuit 300, both one or more liquid-liquid injectors 109 and one or more submersible liquid-liquid injectors 209 can be disposed within the system, such that the combined injector guide circuit 300 is a stand-alone injector guide circuit (see [link to documentation]). Figure 2 100) and submersible injector guide circuit (see Figure 3The two power tanks 101, 201 can be filled, for example, individually with water having two different salinity or surfactant percentages in each tank. Similarly, the two suction tanks 102, 202 in the combined injector guide circuit 300 can be filled with oils having different weights, API specific gravities, compositions, and / or additives. In other embodiments of the combined injector guide circuit 300, the two power tanks 101, 201 can be filled, for example, individually with oil having two different weights in each tank. Similarly, the two suction tanks 102, 202 in the combined injector guide circuit 300 can be individually filled with water having two different salinity or surfactant percentages in each tank. Additionally, one or more secondary control valves 313 can be provided on the power flow lines 101a, 201a to further control the flow rate of the power flow. Furthermore, one or more suction control valves 314 can be provided on the suction line 102a to further control the flow rate of the suction flow. In a non-limiting example, pump 105 can be operated and suction valve 314 can be opened, allowing the generated emulsion to be obtained from the discharge stream of one or more liquid-liquid injectors 109 in discharge tank 103. Therefore, a combined injector guide circuit 300 with both stand-alone and submersible injector guide circuits can provide a variety of options for emulsion generation. It is also contemplated that any number of tanks, pumps, and injectors can be used, depending on the application and required specifications, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0031] Example

[0032] The following examples are illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Experiments are conducted using methods such as... Figure 2-4 The emulsion generation systems shown (100, 200, 300) were used. The most challenging cases are when the volume of the internal phase (dispersed phase) of the emulsion is larger than that of the external phase, i.e., more than 50% is dispersed in the other phases. Some results for water-in-oil (W / O) and oil-in-water (O / W) stable emulsions are presented below. The emulsifier used in these experiments was U108 emulsifier (Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Sugar Land, Tex.), which is soluble in diesel fuel. All emulsions presented in Table 1 are stable, meaning they do not separate into their original phase within days, and some do not separate within months. Tables 2 and 3 show the effectiveness of controlling the percentages of the two liquids using a drain valve and a suction valve. Control using a drain valve is more effective than using a suction valve. As can be seen, the final external phase can be adjusted to meet specifications by adjusting one or more of the TDS, pump pressure, or suction orifice diameter (indicated as a change in suction pressure).

[0033]

[0034]

[0035]

[0036]

[0037] Therefore, one or more embodiments of this disclosure can be used to overcome challenges and provide additional advantages over conventional emulsion generation systems, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Figure 2-4 As shown, in one or more embodiments, the various components of the emulsion generation system (100, 200, 300) can provide fresh, on-demand emulsions without the need for on-site storage. Emulsions generated from the emulsion generation system (100, 200, 300) may be more efficient than stored emulsions. Furthermore, the water-to-oil ratio can be controlled and varied during the operation of the emulsion generation system (100, 200, 300), unlike batch-generated emulsions with a fixed ratio for the entire batch. This emulsion generation system (100, 200, 300) can save time and effort consumed in the emulsion preparation stage of conventional methods because it supplies emulsions directly to the desired application without a preparation stage. In summary, the emulsion generation system (100, 200, 300) can minimize product engineering, risks associated with flow loop manufacturing, assembly time, hardware costs, and weight and envelope.

[0038] The implementation methods described herein for operating the emulsion generation systems (100, 200, 300) can be implemented on a computing system connected to a controller. Any combination of mobile, desktop, server, router, switch, embedded device, or other types of hardware can be used with the emulsion generation systems (100, 200, 300). For example, as Figure 5As shown, the computing system 500 may include one or more computer processors 502, non-persistent storage devices 504 (e.g., volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), cache memory), persistent storage devices 506 (e.g., hard disk, optical drive, such as disc drive (CD) or DVD drive, flash memory, etc.), communication interfaces 512 (e.g., Bluetooth interface, infrared interface, network interface, optical interface, etc.), and many other elements and functions. It is further envisioned that software instructions, in the form of computer-readable program code, which execute embodiments of the present disclosure, may be stored, wholly or partially, temporarily or permanently, on a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a CD, DVD, storage device, floppy disk, magnetic tape, flash memory, physical memory, or any other computer-readable storage medium. For example, the software instructions may correspond to computer-readable program code that, when executed by one or more processors, is configured to execute one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] The computing system 500 may also include one or more input devices 510, such as a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, microphone, touchpad, electronic pen, or any other type of input device. Furthermore, the computing system 500 may include one or more output devices 508, such as a screen (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma display, touchscreen, cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, projector, or other display device), printer, external storage device, or any other output device. The one or more output devices may be the same as or different from the input devices(s). The input and output devices(s) may be locally or remotely connected to the computer processor(s) 502, non-persistent storage device(s) 504, and persistent storage device(s) 506. Many different types of computing systems exist, and the aforementioned input and output devices(s) may take other forms.

[0040] Figure 5The computing system 500 may include functionality for presenting raw and / or processed data, such as the results of comparisons and other processing. For example, presenting data can be accomplished through various presentation methods. Specifically, data can be presented through a user interface provided by the computing device. The user interface may include a GUI that displays information on a display device such as a touchscreen on a computer monitor or handheld computer device. The GUI may include various GUI widgets that organize what data is displayed and how the data is presented to the user. Furthermore, the GUI may present data directly to the user, for example, as actual data values ​​presented via text, or as a visual representation of the data rendered by the computing device, such as through a visualized data model. For example, the GUI may first receive a notification from a software application requesting the presentation of a specific data object within the GUI. Next, the GUI may determine the data object type associated with the specific data object, for example, by retrieving data from data attributes within the data object that identify the data object type. Then, the GUI may determine any rules specified for displaying that data object type, for example, rules specified by the software framework for the data object class or rules specified based on any local parameters defined by the GUI for presenting that data object type. Finally, the GUI can retrieve the data value from the specific data object and present a visual representation of the data value within the display device according to the rules specified for that data object type.

[0041] Data can also be presented through various audio methods. In particular, data can be rendered into an audio format and presented as sound through one or more speakers operatively connected to a computing device. Data can also be presented to the user through haptic methods. For example, haptic methods may include vibration or other physical signals generated by the computing system. For instance, data can be presented to the user by vibrations generated by a handheld computer device with a predefined duration and intensity.

[0042] While this disclosure has described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will understand that other embodiments can be devised without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for generating a stable emulsion, the method comprising: Power fluid is pumped from a power fluid tank to the first inlet of a liquid-liquid injector, which applies suction to the second inlet of the liquid-liquid injector through the flow of power fluid through the liquid-liquid injector, and the suction pulls the suction fluid out of the suction tank; The kinetic fluid and the suction fluid are mixed in the liquid-liquid ejector; An emulsion of the kinetic fluid and the suction fluid is ejected from the outlet of the liquid-liquid ejector; The emulsion is collected into a discharge tank; and The emulsion is transported from the discharge tank to the power fluid tank.

2. The method of claim 1 further includes measuring the flow rates of the motive fluid and the suction fluid entering the liquid-liquid injector.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising changing the speed of the pump pumping the kinetic fluid based on the measured flow rate.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising adding one or more surfactants to the kinetic fluid and / or the suction fluid upstream of the liquid-liquid injector.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising injecting the emulsion from the discharge tank into the formation.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising controlling the external phase of the emulsion by changing the salinity of the aqueous phase, wherein the kinetic fluid comprises the aqueous phase and the suction fluid comprises an oil phase, wherein when the salinity of the water is less than 10 g / L, the external phase is water, forming an oil-in-water emulsion, and wherein when the salinity of the water is greater than 10 g / L, the external phase is oil, forming a water-in-oil emulsion.

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