Proppant Dust Control via Aqueous Gelling Agent Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dust particulates generated during the handling and transportation of sand or proppant particulates pose challenges due to their suspension in the air, affecting health, safety, and environmental concerns, and existing methods require additional dust control additives.
Innovation Solution
An aqueous gelling agent solution, comprising viscosifying polymers like guar, cellulose derivatives, and synthetic polymers, is applied to proppant particulates as a mist or atomized into the flow stream, encapsulating and sticking dust particles onto the surface, thereby suppressing and eliminating dust without additional additives, and is compatible with fracturing fluid formulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If additional dust control additives are used to suppress dust particulates, then dust suppression effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gelling agent serves multiple functions: it acts as both a fracturing fluid component and a dust control additive. By coating sand particles with the gelling agent solution before mixing with crosslinking agent, the system achieves dust suppression without requiring separate dedicated dust control equipment or procedures, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the dust control function with the fracturing fluid preparation process. The gelling agent solution is applied to sand particles as part of the fluid formulation process, merging dust suppression with the primary fracturing operation. This integration eliminates the need for separate dust control systems and simplifies overall operational complexity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional dust control additives are used to suppress dust particulates, then dust suppression effectiveness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gelling agent solution is applied directly to the sand particles using existing equipment during the normal fluid preparation process. The system serves itself by utilizing the same mixing and coating equipment already present in the fracturing fluid preparation process, eliminating the need for additional specialized equipment or complex operational procedures for dust control
3Object-affected harmful factors
If aqueous gelling agent solution is applied to proppant particulates to suppress dust, then dust suppression effectiveness is improved, but loss of substance increases due to liquid application
Solution Approach 1:
The gelling agent forms a thin film coating on the sand particles that is sufficient to suppress dust generation. This thin film approach minimizes the amount of liquid applied and prevents excessive proppant material loss, while still achieving effective dust control during handling and transportation
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
The method effectively reduces dust particulate suspension in the air, maintaining flowability and eliminating the need for extra dust control additives, enhancing operational simplicity and environmental safety during storage, transportation, and use.
Implementation Method 1
an aqueous gelling agent solution... is applied to proppant particulates... encapsulating and sticking dust particles onto the surface
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a composition for suppressing and eliminating dust particulate. The composition includes an aqueous gelling solution, and a proppant particulate. The aqueous gelling solution and the proppant particulate are combined to create a mixture. The aqueous gelling solution and the proppant particulate may be combined using at least one of composition spraying the aqueous gelling solution, mist spraying the aqueous gelling solution, and atomized spraying aqueous gelling solution. The mixture may include around 0.1 weight percent to 5 weight percent w/v of the aqueous gelling solution. The gelling agent may include a suitable viscosifying polymer. The suitable viscosifying polymer may include at least one of natural polymers, derivatives of natural polymers, synthetic polymers, biopolymers, and any combination thereof, guar, xanthan, diutan, scleroglucan, high-molecular weight polysaccharides, any derivative thereof, and any combination thereof, hydropropyl guar (HPG), carboxymethyl guar (CMG), and carboxymethylhydroxypropyl guar (CMHPG).