Flowback Water Viscosity Reduction via Thermal Degradation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hydraulic fracturing generates significant quantities of contaminated flowback water due to the presence of guar gum and other gelling agents, which pose challenges for conventional treatment methods and hinder the recycling of this water for future fracking operations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving the pressurization and heating of flowback water to break down high molecular weight guar molecules into smaller compounds, reducing viscosity and facilitating further treatment, using a plug flow reactor system capable of treating substantial quantities of contaminated water on-site near fracking sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If guar gum is used to increase viscosity of fracking fluid, then fluid transport capability is improved, but flowback water becomes contaminated and difficult to treat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting temperature and pH conditions during the treatment process. Specifically, the method involves heating flowback water to elevated temperatures (e.g., above 60°C) and adjusting pH to specific ranges to optimize the degradation of guar gum polymers. These parameter changes transform the treatment process from ineffective conventional methods to a successful degradation process that reduces viscosity and facilitates water recycling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical treatment systems (such as filtration and separation equipment) with a chemical-biological degradation approach. Instead of using complex mechanical systems to physically separate guar gum from water, the invention uses enzymatic or chemical degradation processes that break down the polymer molecules themselves, converting the mechanical separation problem into a chemical transformation problem that is more easily solved.
2Device complexity
If conventional treatment methods are used on flowback water, then treatment process is simple, but treatment effectiveness is poor due to guar interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overcomes the limitation of conventional treatment methods by implementing specific parameter changes: elevated temperature treatment (thermal processing) and pH adjustment. These changes create optimal conditions for guar gum degradation, transforming the unreliable conventional process into an effective treatment system that achieves significant viscosity reduction and contaminant removal while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Productivity
If flowback water is recycled without treatment, then recycling efficiency is high, but gel interference adversely affects new gel performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the harmful gel components from the flowback water through degradation processes. By breaking down guar gum polymers into smaller molecules through thermal and chemical treatment, the method extracts the problematic gel substances from the water, allowing the water to be recycled without adversely affecting new gel performance in subsequent fracking operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes (temperature and pH control) to transform the chemical structure of guar gum in flowback water, converting high molecular weight polymers into lower molecular weight degradation products. This transformation eliminates the gel-like properties that cause interference, enabling effective recycling while maintaining gel performance in new fracking fluids.
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 method effectively reduces the viscosity of flowback water by at least 50%, enabling efficient filtration and recycling of the treated water for reuse in fracking operations, while being economically feasible and adaptable for treating various wastewater streams.
Implementation Method 1
The combination of high heat and high pressure causes the large guar molecules to break down into smaller molecules, thereby decreasing the viscosity of the fluid
Implementation Method 2
pressurizing the flowback water, heating the flowback water, and allowing the pressurized and heated water to spend a residence time in a vessel
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for treating contaminated wastewater is provided. The system and method may be used to treat wastewater such as hydraulic fracturing flowback water, which is contaminated with guar gum, similar gelling agents, or other biological polymers. The contaminated wastewater is pressurized and heated and then allowed to spend a residence time in a vessel. The process may be a continuous or a batch process. The exposure to a combination of heat and pressure causes the high molecular weight guar molecules to break down into simple sugars and other smaller, relatively low molecular weight compounds, thereby decreasing the viscosity of the fluid. Once the viscosity is reduced, the flowback water can then be treated for other contaminants using conventional treatment technologies and reused in fracking operations.