Density-Matched Polymer Slurries for Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional polymeric drag reducing agents (DRAs) face issues with stability during storage, handling, and transportation, leading to separation and degradation, which increases transportation costs and requires specialized equipment for delivery.
Innovation Solution
A density-matched particle slurry is created by coating DRA polymer particles with a wax component and optional high-density particulates, matching their density to that of the carrier liquid, preventing settling and separation while allowing for easy dissolution and transportation without specialized equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If polyalpha-olefins are ground to reduce particle size, then the drag reduction efficiency is improved, but the polymer degrades and the particles cold flow or stick together
Solution Approach 1:
A carrier liquid is introduced as an intermediary medium to suspend the ground polymer particles. This prevents direct contact between particles, eliminating cold flow and sticking while maintaining the benefits of size reduction for drag reduction efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite slurry system combining polymer particles with a carrier liquid. This composite formulation maintains particle integrity and prevents aggregation while enabling stable storage and transportation, resolving the contradiction between particle size control and storage stability.
2Reliability
If gel or solution DRAs are used, then the drag reduction effectiveness is improved, but specialized injection equipment and pressurized delivery systems are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameters of the drag reducing agent by formulating it as a slurry with specific viscosity and density characteristics. This allows the DRA to be transported and injected using conventional equipment while maintaining drag reduction effectiveness, eliminating the need for specialized pressurized systems.
3Reliability
If gel or solution DRAs are used, then the drag reduction effectiveness is improved, but the polymer concentration is limited to about 10% due to high solution viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the formulation parameters by creating a slurry system with optimized viscosity and density. This allows significantly higher polymer concentrations (up to 90% by weight) while maintaining pumpability and stability, overcoming the 10% concentration limit of conventional solution DRAs.
4Reliability
If conventional DRA slurries are used, then the drag reduction function is provided, but the particles separate out over time during storage and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the density parameter of the slurry formulation to match the density of the carrier liquid. This density matching prevents particle separation and settling during storage and transportation while maintaining the drag reduction function, ensuring compositional stability throughout the product lifecycle.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a stable, non-separating drag reducing agent that maintains effectiveness over time, reducing drag in hydrocarbon fluids and increasing volumetric transfer rates without the need for complex equipment, while being cost-effective and flexible in formulation.
Implementation Method 1
The slurry is cooled to ambient temperature to precipitate the density-matching material on at least a majority of the core particles
Data Source
AI summary
Polymer slurries of ultrahigh molecular weight polyalpha-olefins are made stable toward settling, separation and agglomeration by surface treatment with a combination of wax and optional relatively high-density particulates. The selection of the surface coating acts not only as an anti-blocking agent, or partitioning aid to keep the tacky polymer particles separated, but also provides the suspended polymer particle with a density that matches the carrier. This prevents separation of the slurry components over time. Such materials, ultimately used as pipeline additives to reduce the fluid drag and increase the volumetric throughput, can be stored and shipped for extended periods of time without degradation of the slurry quality. Upon injection into the pipeline, the polymer particle dissolves quickly, unhindered by the coating.