Glass-Forming Fluid for Stabilizing Particulate Solids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Particulate solids formed from materials like sedimentary rock, soil, and construction materials are prone to degradation and erosion, leading to reduced permeability and increased extraction costs in oil and gas operations, and require effective stabilization methods that maintain permeability and prevent self-sealing of fissures.
Innovation Solution
A fluid comprising glass and a carrier is used to stabilize particulate solids by sealing pores or voids without blocking them, using a combination of physical interaction and chemical reactions, such as glass forming reactions, to enhance the strength and durability of the solids while maintaining permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proppants are used to prop open fissures, then flow of stimulation fluid and oil/gas is maintained, but flow rate is reduced due to partial blocking of the fissure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses glass-forming fluid as an intermediary substance that reacts with particulate material to form a stabilizing glass phase. This glass phase acts as a mediator that binds particles together without requiring physical proppants, thereby maintaining fissure openness while avoiding the flow rate reduction caused by proppant blocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical and physical parameters of the particulate material by inducing glass formation. The transformation of particulate material into a glass-stabilized structure alters the mechanical properties and permeability characteristics, enabling fissure stabilization without the need for proppants that would reduce flow rate.
2Reliability
If complex mixtures are used to stabilize solids, then stabilization effect is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the essential stabilizing function into a single glass-forming fluid component. Instead of using complex multi-component mixtures, the invention identifies and utilizes the specific glass-forming properties of a simplified fluid composition, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining stabilization effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The glass-forming fluid serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stabilizes particulate material, seals pores and voids, and maintains or enhances permeability. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate additives or complex mixtures that would otherwise be required to achieve these different stabilization objectives.
3Reliability
If pores are sealed to prevent fluid flow, then water tightness is achieved, but permeability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the glass formation process to achieve selective sealing. The glass phase formed through chemical reaction has different pore-blocking characteristics than the original particulate material, allowing it to seal larger pores and fissures while maintaining the permeability of the fine pore network necessary for fluid flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The glass stabilization creates local quality differences within the particulate structure. The glass phase preferentially forms in and seals larger pores and voids where water ingress is most problematic, while leaving the smaller pores that contribute to permeability relatively unaffected. This localized sealing approach achieves water tightness without complete permeability loss.
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 effectively stabilizes particulate solids, reducing erosion and increasing their pressure resistance, allowing for higher-pressure fluid pumping in oil and gas extraction, extending well lifetimes and improving recovery rates while maintaining or slightly reducing permeability.
Implementation Method 1
fluids which promote glass forming reactions within the porous structure of a particulate material
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid for stabilising solids formed from particulate material, the fluid comprising glass and a carrier. A method for preparing the fluid comprising melting and fritting a glass, milling the glass to form a powder and adding the milled glass to a carrier. A method of stabilising a solid formed from particulate material, the method comprising the steps of mixing the fluid with a particulate material and setting, and the use of the fluid, in geoengineering, building preservation, construction, tunnelling, landscape restoration, land remediation, and/or flood protection/remediation.