Heat Transfer Spool for Subsea Injection-Well Hydrate Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) operations in subsea wells face challenges with hydrate formation due to pressure and temperature drops, leading to potential pipeline blockages and corrosion, which existing chemical inhibitors are costly and environmentally risky.
Innovation Solution
A system with a remote choke and branch media pipeline is used to control pressure and maintain a steady state flow, warming the media before injection, eliminating the need for chemical inhibitors by utilizing the subsea environment for heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chemical inhibitors are used to prevent hydrate formation, then hydrate prevention is achieved, but safety, environmental, and expense concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes chemical inhibitors from the system entirely, extracting the harmful element while maintaining hydrate prevention through physical means (pressure control and heat exchange).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces chemical inhibition with a mechanical/physical system involving pressure control through chokes and heat exchange through the pipeline structure itself to prevent hydrate formation.
2Ease of operation
If pressure is reduced to control media flow, then flow control is achieved, but temperature drops occur leading to hydrate formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary heating action through the pipeline structure before the media reaches critical temperature zones, pre-warming the media to prevent hydrate formation when pressure is reduced for flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipeline structure serves as an intermediary heat exchange medium, transferring thermal energy from the surrounding environment to the media flowing through it, thereby maintaining temperature during pressure reduction.
3Temperature
If the pipeline is insulated to maintain media temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thermal characteristics to different parts of the pipeline system - insulated sections for temperature maintenance in critical zones, and non-insulated sections for active heat exchange with the environment, optimizing both temperature stability and heat transfer efficiency.
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
Prevents hydrate formation without chemicals, reducing operational costs and environmental impact by maintaining media temperature above the hydrate formation threshold, thus preventing pipeline blockages and corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
warming the media before injection, eliminating the need for chemical inhibitors by utilizing the subsea environment for heat exchange
Implementation Method 2
control a pressure of the media to provide a predetermined and chemical-free response to hydrates formation
Data Source
AI summary
A system to be used within carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and its associated method herein includes at least one mounting structure that may be associated with at least one Christmas tree which is adapted for injection of media which is associated with the CCS into at least one subsea reservoir, where a branch media pipeline may provide the media from the at least one mounting structure to the at least one Christmas tree, and where at least one choke may be in the at least one mounting structure to control a pressure of the media to provide a predetermined and chemical-free response to hydrates formation in a steady state flow of the media prior to the injection of the media into the Christmas tree.