Proppant Crush Strength Testing via Grain Size Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing the crush strength of proppants in the hydraulic fracturing industry do not accurately assess the percentage of sand that maintains its original form under pressure, as they aggregate multiple grain sizes and sieve them together, masking any breakage or crushing that may occur, leading to inaccurate decision-making.
Innovation Solution
A method involving separate crush tests on each individual grain size within a proppant sample, followed by sieving specific to each size, allows for a weighted average calculation to determine the overall crush strength, ensuring that any broken sand is detected and providing a transparent, accurate representation of the proppant's ability to maintain its form.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If all grain sizes are tested together in a single crush test, then the testing process is simplified and faster, but the measurement accuracy of sand breakage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The proppant sample is divided into multiple sub-samples based on grain size ranges (e.g., 20-30 mesh, 30-40 mesh, 40-50 mesh). Each sub-sample is tested separately in individual crush tests, allowing accurate detection of breakage for each grain size category while maintaining overall testing efficiency through parallel processing capability.
2Measurement precision
If separate crush tests are performed on each grain size, then the accuracy of breakage detection is improved, but the testing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The testing process is segmented into distinct stages: sample preparation with grain size classification, individual crush testing of each sub-sample, and systematic data aggregation. This structured segmentation reduces process complexity by making each stage manageable and repeatable.
Solution Approach 2:
The method incorporates systematic data collection and aggregation where results from each individual grain size test are compiled and analyzed together. This feedback mechanism ensures that the complexity of separate testing is offset by the clarity and comprehensiveness of the aggregated results, providing actionable insights for decision-making.
3Productivity
If all grain sizes are sieved together using a single sieve, then the sieving process is faster, but the ability to detect broken sand is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Sieving is performed separately for each grain size category using appropriate mesh sizes. This segmentation allows broken sand particles to be detected by comparing the grain size distribution before and after crushing for each category, providing reliable assessment of proppant form maintenance while maintaining efficient processing through systematic organization.
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 provides a highly accurate estimate of the percentage of proppant that remains unbroken, offering transparency and improved decision-making capabilities for hydraulic fracturing operations by accurately assessing the sand's ability to maintain its form under pressure.
Implementation Method 1
a crush cell is then loaded with the pre-pressure subjected sub-sample and a piston-like tube/metal insert is placed into the crush cell. The loaded crush cell is then placed into a press and a specified force (e.g., 6,000 PSI) is applied to the crush cell.
Implementation Method 2
The proppant sample is then separated into a plurality of pre-pressure subjected sub-samples by removing the portion of the proppant sample that remained on each respective sieve (12) of the plurality of sieves (12) subsequent to vibrating the stack of sieves (12).
Implementation Method 3
The stack of sieves (12) is then vibrated
Data Source
AI summary
In the specification and drawings a method for testing a proppant is described and shown that involves: obtaining a proppant sample; separating the proppant sample into a plurality of sub-samples according to grain size; subjecting each sub-sample to a pressure that is sufficient to crush at least a portion of the proppant within at least one of the plurality of sub-samples; and independently analyzing each sub-sample to determine at least one of: i) the amount of proppant that was crushed within each sub-sample; and ii) the amount of proppant that was not crushed within each sub-sample.