Oil-Wet Membrane for Wet Oil Emulsion Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oil recovery methods, particularly in conventional and unconventional reservoirs, face inefficiencies due to the use of incompatible injection waters that block formation pores, reduce permeability, and increase operational costs, leading to low overall oil recovery ratios and high expenses for water treatment and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The development of membranes that are extremely water non-wet and extremely oil wet to simultaneously de-mix oil from water in stable wet oil emulsions, allowing for efficient separation of oil and water phases directly, reducing the need for complex and costly separation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional water flooding is used for oil recovery, then oil production can be maintained, but injection water blocks formation pores and reduces permeability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the wettability characteristics of the membrane material to be extremely water non-wet and extremely oil wet. This fundamental parameter change in surface properties allows the membrane to selectively pass oil while blocking water, reversing the conventional approach where water is the continuous phase. The parameter change in interfacial tension and contact angle enables efficient separation without blocking formation pores.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a membrane as an intermediary substance between oil and water phases. This membrane acts as a selective mediator that facilitates oil flow while preventing water from blocking formation pores. The membrane serves as an intermediate layer that reconciles the conflicting requirements of maintaining oil production and preserving formation permeability by selectively interacting with different fluid phases.
2Productivity
If water flooding is used to maintain reservoir pressure, then oil production is sustained, but water treatment and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing water from the oil-water mixture through selective membrane separation. The membrane extracts and blocks water molecules while allowing oil to pass through, effectively separating the two phases. This extraction of water eliminates the need for extensive water treatment operations and reduces operational costs associated with handling produced water.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous membrane materials with specific pore size and surface properties to achieve selective separation. The porous structure of the membrane allows oil molecules to pass through while blocking larger water molecules and emulsion droplets. This porous material approach enables efficient separation without requiring complex treatment processes, thereby reducing operational costs.
3Manufacturing precision
If membranes are made extremely water non-wet and extremely oil wet, then separation efficiency improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the surface energy and wettability parameters of the membrane material through chemical treatment or selection of specific polymers. By changing the contact angle parameter to be extremely high for water and extremely low for oil, the membrane achieves superior separation efficiency. This parameter change in surface properties is achieved through controlled chemical modification during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining different polymer layers or coating materials to achieve the desired extreme wettability characteristics. The composite structure integrates a support layer with a surface-modified selective layer, where each component contributes specific properties. This composite approach enables the membrane to achieve both high separation efficiency and reasonable manufacturability by distributing functional requirements across different material layers.
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 effective and economical separation of oil and water phases, improving oil recovery by reducing interfacial tension and facilitating the flow of both fluids in carbonate formations, thereby enhancing the overall economy of oil recovery operations.
Implementation Method 1
The Relative Wettability: wet oil separation by a membrane
Data Source
AI summary
The very purpose of an improved oil recovery or an enhanced oil recovery method is to mobilize oil from an oil-bearing formation as stable wet oil emulsion to an oil gathering center. Yet, the very purpose of the latter is to de-stabilize such a stable emulsion using a multitude of redundant oil-water separation steps and bulky equipment. Methods are herein provided for preparing a material for casting a flat-sheet, extruding a solid-fiber, and/or extruding a hollow-fiber utilizing an aqueous amine solution as an effective solvent to form a crystalline polymorph structure of the material. This material in the form of, for example, an effective and selective oil-wet membrane can be used to simultaneously de-mix oil and water phases from a wet oil emulsion, whether the emulsion is stable or instable.