Viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow loop

Abstract

The invention relates to a viscosity and resistance reduction measurement flow loop which comprises a mother liquor pipe and a water pipe which are both sent to a mixer through a flowmeter and a valve, and the liquid outlet of the mixer is respectively connected with a viscosity measurement pipeline and a pressure drop measurement pipeline. The viscosity measuring pipeline is connected with a liquid outlet pipe through a first automatic ball valve, a viscosity measuring one-way valve, a viscosity measuring stop valve, a first filter, a first three-way valve, a first flowmeter, a first calibration coil pipe, a first flow damper and a second three-way valve in sequence; the pressure drop measuring pipeline is connected with a liquid outlet pipe through a pressure drop measuring one-way valve, a pressure drop measuring stop valve, a second filter, a second precision gear pump, a second flowmeter, a second calibration coil pipe, a second flow damper and an outlet of a third three-way valve in sequence. The first filter, the second filter, the first calibration coil pipe and the second calibration coil pipe are connected with differential pressure sensors in parallel. According to the loop, the viscosity and the drag reduction effect of the fracturing fluid can be directly monitored in real time in the fracturing process by respectively measuring the viscosity of the fracturing fluid and the water supply pressure drop, and the viscosity and the drag reduction effect are accurately measured on line at the optimal flow speed, so that an operator can dynamically adjust the polymer dosage to obtain the optimal performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of fracturing operations, in particular to a viscosity and drag reduction flow measurement circuit for monitoring polymer delivery during fracturing operations. Background Art

[0002] In traditional fracturing fluid delivery, once initial measurements determine the optimal rheological properties, only minimal adjustments to the polymer dosage are required during the fracturing operation. Fresh water is used during the fracturing process, so adjusting the polymer powder dosage allows the process to stabilize promptly. The increased viscosity of the fracturing fluid allows the proppant to be properly loaded and distributed throughout the fracture network. The drag reduction effect reduces surface fracturing pump pressures, saving costs and benefiting the environment. Simply increasing the dosage linearly increases viscosity and drag reduction. However, environmental concerns and water scarcity are driving a shift toward the use of recycled flowback water. This shift presents significant challenges, as dissolved minerals and varying salt content in the flowback water can significantly impact polymer performance, necessitating frequent adjustments to the formulation. Overdosing polymer to compensate for uncertainties can lead to unnecessary costs and environmental burdens.

[0003] Existing solutions fall into two broad categories: First, laboratory analysis requires extracting fluid samples and performing laboratory analysis. While this provides accurate data, the long analysis time significantly delays adjustments. Second, online viscometers provide continuous viscosity measurement but lack the ability to directly assess resistance reduction. Furthermore, they typically operate at a fixed flow rate, potentially missing critical information due to the complex relationship between flow rate and resistance reduction. This hinders dynamic adjustment of polymer dosage for optimal performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit with a simple structure that can monitor the viscosity and drag reduction effect of the fracturing fluid in real time directly during the fracturing process. By accurately measuring the viscosity and DR online at the optimal flow rate, the operator can dynamically adjust the polymer dosage to obtain the best performance.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit, including a mother liquid pipe, a water pipe and a fluid outlet pipe, the mother liquid pipe is sent to a mixer through a mother liquid flowmeter and a mother liquid valve, and the water pipe is sent to a mixer through a water pipe flowmeter and a water supply valve, characterized in that: the liquid outlet of the mixer is connected to the viscosity measurement pipeline and the pressure drop measurement pipeline respectively through the liquid outlet three-way valve, the viscosity measurement pipeline is sequentially connected to an inlet of the second three-way valve through a first automatic ball valve, a viscosity measurement one-way valve, a viscosity measurement stop valve, a first filter, a first three-way valve, a first flowmeter, a first calibration coil tube, and a first flow damper, the other inlet of the second three-way valve is connected between the viscosity measurement one-way valve and the viscosity measurement stop valve, the outlet of the second three-way valve is connected to the liquid outlet pipe, and a first pressure difference sensor is connected in parallel on the first filter. sensor, a second differential pressure sensor is connected in parallel to the first calibration coil tube, the first three-way valve is also connected to a boost delivery line connected to the first three-way valve and the first flowmeter of the viscosity measuring pipeline, and a first precision gear pump is arranged on the boost delivery line; the pressure drop measuring pipeline is sequentially connected to an inlet of the third three-way valve through a pressure drop measuring one-way valve, a pressure drop measuring stop valve, a second filter, a second precision gear pump, a second flow meter, a second calibration coil tube, and a second flow damper, the other inlet of the third three-way valve is connected to between the pressure drop measuring one-way valve and the pressure drop measuring stop valve, the outlet of the third three-way valve is connected to the liquid outlet pipe, the second filter is connected in parallel to the third differential pressure sensor, and the second calibration coil tube is connected in parallel to the fourth differential pressure sensor; the liquid outlet pipe is connected to the external outlet through an automatic liquid outlet ball valve.

[0006] Furthermore, the flow meter is a Coriolis flow meter.

[0007] Furthermore, a stop valve is provided after the first and second filters.

[0008] Furthermore, the first and second filters are each provided with two sets of parallel structures on their respective pipelines.

[0009] Furthermore, the mother liquid valve and the water supply valve are both three-way valves, and the two outlets thereof are respectively connected to two parallel mixers, the mixers are equipped with stirrers, and the two mixers are respectively connected and merged through the liquid outlet valve.

[0010] Furthermore, pressure safety valves are provided on the pipelines before the first and second flow meters.

[0011] Furthermore, an overpressure one-way valve is connected in parallel to the first precision gear pump.

[0012] Furthermore, liquid inlet regulating ball valves are provided on both the mother liquid pipe and the water pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the other inlet of the second and / or third three-way valve is respectively connected to a buffer storage tank through a buffer flow meter. The buffer storage tank is arranged before the mother liquid flow meter of the mother liquid pipe, and a buffer mother liquid pump is arranged between the buffer storage tank and the mother liquid flow meter.

[0014] Furthermore, the second and / or third three-way valves are replaced with four-way valves, and the fourth ports are each connected to a buffer storage tank through a buffer flow meter. The buffer storage tank is arranged before the mother liquid flow meter of the mother liquid pipe, and a buffer mother liquid pump is arranged between the buffer storage tank and the mother liquid flow meter.

[0015] The calculation formula of drag reduction is: (water transport pressure drop measured by the pressure drop measurement pipeline - fracturing fluid pressure drop measured by the viscosity measurement pipeline) / water transport pressure drop measured by the pressure drop measurement pipeline x 100%.

[0016] The operation of the present invention is divided into: 1. Viscosity measurement of diluted high-viscosity fracturing fluid: The mother liquid flow meter measures the flow rate of mother liquid fed into the mixer through the mother liquid pipe, and the water flow meter measures the flow rate of water fed into the mixer through the water pipe. After being stirred in the mixer to obtain high-viscosity fracturing fluid, the fluid is merged into the liquid outlet three-way valve through the liquid outlet valve. The liquid outlet three-way valve is switched to the viscosity measurement pipeline. The first automatic ball valve and the viscosity measurement stop valve are opened, the first three-way valve is connected to the pressurization transmission path, and the first precision gear pump is operated. At this time, the high-viscosity fracturing fluid flows through the first filter, and the pressure difference is detected by the first parallel differential pressure sensor. The high-viscosity fracturing fluid flows through the first three-way valve and the first precision gear pump, and then the safety pressure range is controlled by the pressure safety valve. The flow rate and flow velocity fed into the first calibration coil tube are measured by the first flow meter. Combined with the pressure drop measured by the second differential pressure sensor connected in parallel to the first calibration coil tube, the dynamic viscosity of the high-viscosity fracturing fluid is calculated using the Hagen-Pouye equation. The high-viscosity fracturing fluid can stabilize the flow velocity through the first flow damper, thereby improving the stability and accuracy of the measured and calculated dynamic viscosity. 2. Viscosity measurement of diluted low-viscosity fracturing fluid: The mother liquid flow meter measures the flow of mother liquid fed into the mixer through the mother liquid pipe, and the water flow meter measures the flow of water fed into the mixer through the water pipe. After the low-viscosity fracturing fluid is stirred in the mixer, it is merged into the liquid outlet three-way valve through the liquid outlet valve. The liquid outlet three-way valve is switched to the viscosity measurement pipeline. The first automatic ball valve and the viscosity measurement stop valve are opened. The first three-way valve is directly connected to the first flow meter. At this time, the low-viscosity fracturing fluid flows through the first filter, and the pressure difference is detected by the first parallel differential pressure sensor. The low-viscosity fracturing fluid flows through the first three-way valve and the pressure safety valve to control the safety pressure range. The flow rate and flow velocity fed into the first calibration coil tube are measured by the first flow meter. Combined with the pressure drop measured by the second differential pressure sensor connected in parallel on the first calibration coil tube, the dynamic viscosity of the low-viscosity fracturing fluid is calculated using the Hagen-Psuye equation. Alternatively, the outlet three-way valve is switched to the pressure drop measurement line. The low-viscosity fracturing fluid is directly sent to the second filter to detect the pressure difference through the third differential pressure sensor connected in parallel. The fluid is then sent to the second flowmeter through the second precision gear pump and the pressure safety valve to measure the flow rate and flow velocity of the fluid before entering the second calibration coil tube. Combined with the pressure drop measured by the fourth differential pressure sensor connected in parallel on the second calibration coil tube, the dynamic viscosity of the low-viscosity fracturing fluid is calculated using the Hagen-Pouye equation. 3. Drag Reduction Measurement: With the mother liquid valve closed and the water supply valve open, water is directed to the mixer. The mixer is switched through the outlet three-way valve to the pressure drop measurement line. The water is then sent directly to the second filter, where it is tested by a third differential pressure sensor connected in parallel. The water then continues through the second precision gear pump and the pressure relief valve to the second flowmeter, where the flow rate and velocity are measured. Combined with the pressure drop measured by the fourth differential pressure sensor connected in parallel to the second calibration coil, the pressure drop during water delivery is measured. The parameters of the second precision gear pump are the same as those of the first precision gear pump. The drag reduction effect of high- and low-viscosity fracturing fluid delivery is calculated using the following formula: (water delivery pressure drop measured by the pressure drop measurement line - fracturing fluid drop measured by the viscosity measurement line) / water delivery pressure drop measured by the pressure drop measurement line x 100%.

[0017] The innovative system addresses the growing challenge of fracturing with recycled return water. By accurately measuring viscosity and pressure drop online at the optimal flow rate and calculating the drag reduction effect, it enables operators to dynamically adjust polymer dosage for optimal performance, achieving a balance between reducing friction to save costs and efficient proppant distribution for successful fracturing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a piping diagram of Example 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is the pipeline diagram of embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0019] In the figure: mother liquid pipe 1, mother liquid inlet regulating ball valve 2, mother liquid flowmeter 3, mother liquid three-way valve 4, mixer 5, water pipe 6, water pipe inlet regulating ball valve 7, water pipe flowmeter 8, water pipe three-way valve 9, liquid outlet valve 10, liquid outlet three-way valve 11, viscosity measurement pipeline 12, first automatic ball valve 13, viscosity measurement one-way valve 14, viscosity measurement stop valve 15, first filter 16, first differential pressure sensor 17, first three-way valve 18, pressure safety valve 19, first flowmeter 20, first calibration coil tube 21, second differential pressure sensor 2 2. First flow damper 23, second three-way valve 24, first precision gear pump 25, overpressure check valve 26, liquid outlet pipe 27, liquid outlet automatic ball valve 28, pressure drop measurement pipeline 29, pressure drop measurement check valve 30, pressure drop measurement stop valve 31, second filter 32, third differential pressure sensor 33, second precision gear pump 34, second flow meter 35, second calibration coil tube 36, fourth differential pressure sensor 37, second flow damper 38, third three-way valve 39, buffer storage tank 40, buffer mother liquid pump 41, four-way valve 42. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

[0021] Figure 1The first embodiment shown is a flow circuit for viscosity and drag reduction measurement, comprising a mother liquor pipe 1, a mother liquor inlet regulating ball valve 2, a mother liquor flowmeter 3, a mother liquor three-way valve 4, a mixer 5, a water pipe 6, a water pipe inlet regulating ball valve 7, a water pipe flowmeter 8, a water pipe three-way valve 9, a liquid outlet valve 10, a liquid outlet three-way valve 11, a viscosity measurement pipeline 12, a pressure drop measurement pipeline 29, and a liquid outlet pipe 27. The mother liquor pipe 1 is fed through the mother liquor inlet regulating ball valve 2, the mother liquor flowmeter 3, and the mother liquor three-way valve 4 to two sets of mixers 5, either used in parallel or in a backup mode. The water pipe 6 is fed through the water pipe inlet regulating ball valve 7, the water pipe flowmeter 8, and the water pipe three-way valve 9 to two sets of mixers 5, either used in parallel or in a backup mode. The liquids from the two mixers 5 are combined through the liquid outlet valve 10 and connected to the viscosity measurement pipeline 12 and the pressure drop measurement pipeline 29, respectively, through the liquid outlet three-way valve 11. The viscosity measuring pipeline 12 is divided into two parallel viscosity filtering pipelines after passing through the first automatic ball valve 13 and the viscosity measuring one-way valve 14 in sequence. The viscosity measuring stop valve 15, the first filter 16 and the viscosity measuring stop valve are arranged in sequence on the viscosity filtering pipeline. The two filtering pipelines are combined and sent to the first three-way valve 24. The first three-way valve 24 is connected to the pressure safety valve 19, the first flow meter 20, the first calibration coil tube 21, the first flow damper 23 in sequence and connected to an inlet of the second three-way valve 24. The other path of the third valve 24 is connected to the front of the pressure safety valve 19 through the first precision gear pump 25. An overpressure check valve 26 is connected in parallel to the first precision gear 25. The other inlet of the second three-way valve 24 is connected between the viscosity measuring one-way valve and the viscosity measuring stop valve. The outlet of the second three-way valve 24 is connected to the liquid outlet pipe 27. The first differential pressure sensor 17 and the first calibration line 23 are connected in parallel on the viscosity filtering pipeline. A second differential pressure sensor 22 is connected in parallel to the coil tube 21; the pressure drop measurement pipeline 29 is divided into two parallel pressure drop filtering pipelines after passing through the pressure drop measurement one-way valve 30. A pressure drop measurement stop valve 31, a second filter 32 and a pressure drop measurement stop valve are sequentially arranged on the pressure drop filtering pipeline. After the two pressure drop process pipelines are merged, they are connected to one inlet of the third three-way valve 39 in sequence through the second precision gear pump 34, the pressure safety valve, the second flow meter 35, the second calibration coil tube 36, and the second flow damper 37. The other inlet of the third three-way valve 39 is connected between the pressure drop measurement one-way valve and the pressure drop measurement stop valve. The outlet of the third three-way valve 39 is connected to the liquid outlet pipe 27. A third differential pressure sensor 33 is connected in parallel to the pressure drop filtering pipeline, and a fourth differential pressure sensor 37 is connected in parallel to the second calibration coil tube 36; after the second and third three-way valves, a separate liquid outlet pipe 27 is connected to the liquid outlet automatic ball valve 28 for external connection.

[0022] Figure 2The difference between the shown embodiment 2 and the embodiment 1 is that the other inlet of the second three-way valve 24 is connected to the buffer storage tank 40 located in front of the mother liquid inlet regulating ball valve 2 via the buffer mother liquid pump 41, and the buffer storage tank 40 is connected to the mother liquid inlet regulating ball valve 2. When the viscosity measurement does not meet the standard, the fracturing fluid tested by the viscosity can be returned and mixed with the new mother liquid entering the mother liquid pipe for reuse; the third three-way valve 39 is replaced by a four-way valve 42, and the fourth path returns to the mixer via the one-way valve, thereby improving the water utilization rate.

[0023] In the above embodiments, the mixer is provided with a stirring device.

[0024] In the above embodiments, each flow meter is a Coriolis flow meter.

[0025] In the above embodiment, the liquid outlet pipes after the second and third three-way valves can be combined to connect the liquid supply.

Claims

1. A viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit, comprising a mother liquid pipe, a water pipe, and a fluid outlet pipe, wherein the mother liquid pipe is fed to a mixer via a mother liquid flow meter and a mother liquid valve, and the water pipe is fed to a mixer via a water pipe flow meter and a water supply valve, characterized in that: The liquid out of the mixer is connected to the viscosity measurement pipeline and the pressure drop measurement pipeline respectively through the liquid outlet three-way valve. The viscosity measurement pipeline is sequentially connected to an inlet of the second three-way valve through a first automatic ball valve, a viscosity measurement one-way valve, a viscosity measurement stop valve, a first filter, a first three-way valve, a first flow meter, a first calibration coil tube, and a first flow damper. The other inlet of the second three-way valve is connected between the viscosity measurement one-way valve and the viscosity measurement stop valve. The outlet of the second three-way valve is connected to the liquid outlet pipe. A first differential pressure sensor is connected in parallel to the first filter, a second differential pressure sensor is connected in parallel to the first calibration coil tube, and the first three-way valve is also connected to a pressurized delivery line connected to the viscosity A first precision gear pump is arranged on the boost delivery line between the first three-way valve and the first flowmeter of the measuring pipeline; the pressure drop measuring pipeline is connected to an inlet of the third three-way valve in sequence through a pressure drop measuring one-way valve, a pressure drop measuring stop valve, a second filter, a second precision gear pump, a second flowmeter, a second calibration coil tube, and a second flow damper; the other inlet of the third three-way valve is connected between the pressure drop measuring one-way valve and the pressure drop measuring stop valve; the outlet of the third three-way valve is connected to a liquid outlet pipe; a third differential pressure sensor is connected in parallel to the second filter, and a fourth differential pressure sensor is connected in parallel to the second calibration coil tube; the liquid outlet pipe is connected to the outside through an automatic liquid outlet ball valve.

2. A viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow meter is a Coriolis flow meter.

3. A viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: A stop valve is also provided after the first and second filters.

4. A viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The first and second filters are both provided with two sets of parallel structures on their respective pipelines.

5. The viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mother liquid valve and the water supply valve are both three-way valves, and the two outlets thereof are respectively connected to two parallel mixers, the mixers are equipped with stirrers, and the two mixers are respectively connected and merged through the liquid outlet valve.

6. A viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: Pressure safety valves are provided on the pipelines before the first and second flow meters.

7. The viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: An overpressure one-way valve is connected in parallel to the first precision gear pump.

8. The viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: Liquid inlet regulating ball valves are provided on the mother liquid pipe and the water pipe.

9. The viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other inlet of the second and / or third three-way valve is respectively connected to a buffer storage tank through a buffer flow meter. The buffer storage tank is arranged before the mother liquid flow meter of the mother liquid pipe, and a buffer mother liquid pump is arranged between the buffer storage tank and the mother liquid flow meter.

10. The viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second and / or third three-way valves are replaced by four-way valves, and the fourth ports are each connected to a buffer storage tank through a buffer flow meter. The buffer storage tank is arranged before the mother liquid flow meter of the mother liquid pipe, and a buffer mother liquid pump is arranged between the buffer storage tank and the mother liquid flow meter.

11. The viscosity and drag reduction measurement flow circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calculation formula of drag reduction is: (water transport pressure drop measured by the pressure drop measurement pipeline - fracturing fluid pressure drop measured by the viscosity measurement pipeline) / water transport pressure drop measured by the pressure drop measurement pipeline x 100%.

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