Hydraulic Shearing Unit for Oilfield Drilling Fluids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drilling fluid shearing devices struggle to efficiently create fine droplets in invert emulsion drilling fluids, particularly in deep-water applications, due to reliance on turbulent flow and high energy requirements, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs laminar elongational flow combined with viscous and inertial forces to produce droplets less than 1 μm in size through a nozzle system where fluid streams intersect in a low-pressure chamber, enhancing emulsification and rheological properties without the need for repeated recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If turbulent flow methods are used to shear drilling fluids, then mixing capability is improved, but energy consumption increases and droplet size reduction is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the flow regime parameter from turbulent flow to laminar elongational flow. This parameter change enables sufficient droplet shearing with significantly reduced energy consumption, as laminar flow provides more effective elongational stresses on the droplets without the energy waste associated with turbulent eddies and chaotic motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the conventional mechanical shearing mechanism (turbulent flow induced by high-speed rotating elements) with a flow regime-based mechanism (laminar elongational flow through specially designed channels). This substitution eliminates the need for high-energy mechanical input while achieving superior droplet size reduction.
2Reliability
If high energy input is applied to create fine droplets, then emulsion stability is improved, but time consumption increases due to repeated circulation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements a continuous single-pass shearing process where drilling fluid flows continuously through the laminar elongational flow channels. This continuous action achieves complete droplet size reduction and emulsion stabilization in one pass, eliminating the need for repeated circulation cycles and significantly reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the flow regime to laminar elongational flow, the invention achieves more efficient energy transfer to the droplets during a single pass. This parameter change allows the process to achieve the same or better emulsion stability without requiring multiple circulation cycles, thus reducing time loss.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional shearing devices are used, then fluid mixing is achieved, but droplet size reduction below 1 μm is not sufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental flow parameter from turbulent to laminar regime, which provides controlled elongational flow that is much more effective at reducing droplet size. This parameter change enables consistent production of droplets smaller than 1 μm, achieving the fine dispersion required for deep-water drilling applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The laminar elongational flow channels are designed to segment the continuous phase into fine droplets through controlled flow patterns. This segmentation process, driven by the elongational stresses in laminar flow, efficiently breaks down large droplets into sub-micron sized droplets in a single pass, significantly improving shearing 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
This approach enables efficient shear of drilling fluids in a single pass, reducing chemical usage and achieving stable emulsions with improved rheological properties, thereby optimizing drilling fluid performance.
Implementation Method 1
The present invention device relies predominantly upon laminar elongational flow to create droplets less than 1 μm
Implementation Method 2
The emulsifier in the continuous phase prevents the small droplets just created from coalescing, thereby creating a stable emulsion
Implementation Method 3
the multi-constituent drilling fluid mixture is raised in pressure and divided into a plurality of streams
Implementation Method 4
Each drilling fluid stream is fed through a nozzle where the flow velocity of the stream is increased
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for shearing well drilling fluid mixtures containing an emulsifier, and utilizing pumping the fluids through a plurality of nozzles, reducing the size of the fluid droplets as they pass through the nozzles, discharging the fluid droplets into a output chamber where the emulsifier surrounds the smaller droplets with the nozzle discharges aligned to intersect in the stabilization chamber.