Graphene Oxide Membranes for Aqueous Fluid Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
During wellbore servicing operations, aqueous based fluids often have undesirably high water concentrations and low densities, which can lead to increased fluid volumes when weighting agents like barite are added, posing challenges in storage and disposal.
Innovation Solution
The use of a coated substrate with a hydrophilic and oleophobic coating, such as graphene oxide, to remove water from aqueous based fluids, reducing their volume and increasing density, while allowing for the addition of weighting materials to maintain a constant volume and achieve desired density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If weighting agents like barite are added to increase fluid density, then the density of the aqueous based fluid is improved, but the fluid volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts water from the aqueous based fluid using a hydrophilic and oleophobic coating that selectively allows water molecules to pass through while retaining hydrocarbon-based fluids. This extraction of excess water increases fluid density without requiring additional volume, directly resolving the contradiction between increasing density and minimizing volume expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the fluid by removing water through the coated substrate, thereby altering the concentration and density of the remaining fluid components. This parameter change achieves density increase through composition modification rather than volume expansion.
2Quantity of substance
If weighting agents are added to increase fluid density, then the density of the aqueous based fluid is improved, but storage capacity is exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting water from the fluid system through the hydrophilic coating, the patent reduces the total volume requiring storage while maintaining or increasing density. This directly addresses the storage capacity constraint by removing excess volume without compromising the density requirement.
3Quantity of substance
If water concentration is reduced to increase density, then the density of the aqueous based fluid is improved, but the fluid volume decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively changes the compositional parameters of the fluid by removing water through the hydrophilic and oleophobic coating. This parameter change increases density through concentration enhancement while the volume reduction is controlled and managed within the system.
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
This method effectively reduces water concentration and volume of aqueous based fluids, increasing their density, and enables the production of potable water, reducing hazardous waste, and allowing for real-time adjustment of fluid properties, thereby improving wellbore servicing fluid management.
Implementation Method 1
a porous substrate coated with a hydrophilic and oleophobic coating... whereby water is removed from the aqueous based fluid via passage through the porous substrate
Implementation Method 2
water is removed from the aqueous based fluid via passage through the porous substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A method of servicing a wellbore extending from a surface of the earth and penetrating a subterranean formation, including: removing water from an aqueous based wellbore servicing fluid by contacting the aqueous based wellbore servicing fluid with a porous substrate coated with a hydrophilic and oleophobic coating, whereby water is removed from the aqueous based wellbore servicing fluid via passage through the porous substrate, and whereby a water concentration and a volume of the aqueous based wellbore servicing fluid are reduced and a density of the aqueous based wellbore servicing fluid is increased to provide a modified aqueous based wellbore servicing fluid.