Proppant Manufacturing via Phase Transition and Counter-Current Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing proppants are inefficient, leading to high rejection rates and energy-intensive processes, with natural proppants being non-uniform and ceramic proppants lacking crush resistance, making them unsuitable for commercial use in oil and gas fracking.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the partial or full melting of non-spherical particles, such as sand, to reconfigure them into spherical shapes through surface tension while in a free-falling state, followed by cooling to freeze the shape, using counter-current gas flows for efficient heat transfer and energy recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If natural proppants like sand are used, then the process is simple and low cost, but the proppants are non-uniform in size and shape leading to clogging and breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the melting temperature and cooling rate to transform natural sand particles into uniform spherical proppants. The sand is heated to melt its surface, allowing it to reshape into spheres, then cooled to freeze the uniform shape, achieving both simplicity and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by melting the sand particles and then freezing them to form spherical proppants. This phase change process naturally creates uniform spheres while maintaining process simplicity, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision.
2Shape
If ceramic proppants are made by conventional rotary mixing, then spherical shape is achieved, but the process is capital and energy intensive with difficult size control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase transitions (melting and freezing) to create spherical proppants instead of energy-intensive rotary mixing. The sand particles are melted and then frozen into spheres, achieving sphericity with lower energy consumption and better size control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling temperature and cooling rate to form uniform spherical proppants. This approach achieves the desired sphericity while reducing energy consumption compared to conventional mechanical mixing processes.
3Shape
If proppants are made by melting and cooling in conventional processes, then spherical shape is achieved, but the energy consumption is very high making it economically unviable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies continuity of useful action by continuously circulating hot gases through the system. The hot gases that cooled the proppants are reheated and reused, creating a continuous energy cycle that reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining spherical shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes in temperature and gas circulation to achieve spherical proppants with reduced energy intensity. By controlling the heating and cooling parameters efficiently, the process achieves sphericity while being economically viable.
4Productivity
If proppants are made by sintering, then the process is continuous, but the proppants lack crush resistance and are not commercially viable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase transitions (melting and freezing) instead of sintering to create proppants with superior crush resistance. The melting and freezing process creates a denser, stronger structure that maintains continuous production capability while achieving the required strength for commercial viability.
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 method produces proppants with minimal rejection and high energy efficiency, resulting in uniformly sized, crush-resistant ceramic proppants suitable for maintaining flow channels in oil and gas extraction.
Implementation Method 1
the particles are heated while in a free-falling state to a temperature sufficient to partially or fully melt each discrete particle
Implementation Method 2
In the melted state, the geometry is re-configured by surface tension forces to a generally spherical shape
Implementation Method 3
then cooled to freeze the particle in the spherical shape
Implementation Method 4
using counter-current gas flows for efficient heat transfer and energy recovery
Data Source
AI summary
A highly efficient process is disclosed for making proppants from generally non-spherical or discretized raw material, such as naturally occurring sand or pelletized refractory material. In one embodiment of the process, the discretized material is heated by a counter-current flow of hot gas in a first Moving Bed Gas-Solids Direct Contact Heat Exchanger (MBGSDCHX). The heated discretized material is then further heated to a transformative temperature by a raw material transformation means to a partially or fully melted state in which the discretized raw material assumes generally spherical shapes. The spheres are then cooled by a counter-current flow of cold gas in a second MBGSDCHX. The cooled spheres are then size-classified for use as proppants. In an alternate embodiment, refractory raw material is melted and then discretized into molten drops. The molten drops are cooled and frozen into generally spherical shapes. The cooled spheres are used as proppants.