Tapered Spiral Flow Control Device for Polymer Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flow control devices used in polymer injection applications cause excessive shear effects that degrade polymer viscosity, leading to reduced recovery efficiency and uneven fluid distribution in horizontal wellbores, which is critical for polymer flooding in enhanced oil recovery.
Innovation Solution
A flow balancing device with a broad circumferentially oriented inlet and zig-zag flow path with large transition passages, and optionally stacked spiral paths with tapered inlets, designed to minimize polymer shear by reducing velocity and maintaining viscosity, allowing for even polymer injection and distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional flow control devices are used in polymer injection, then flow distribution along the wellbore is improved, but polymer viscosity is degraded due to excessive shear effects
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the flow path into multiple segments using a multi-annular configuration with radial flow paths. This segmentation distributes the polymer flow across multiple parallel channels, reducing the velocity and shear rate in each individual path while maintaining overall flow distribution control along the wellbore.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional axial or tangential flow paths to a radial flow dimension. The polymer enters centrally and flows radially outward through multiple annular paths, creating a two-dimensional flow distribution pattern that reduces shear effects compared to linear flow paths while achieving even distribution.
2Reliability
If flow control devices with narrow passages are used to restrict water and gas flow, then water and gas coning is prevented, but polymer viscosity is severely reduced due to high shear rates
Solution Approach 1:
The device applies different flow control characteristics to different radial zones. The multi-annular configuration allows each annular path to have optimized dimensions and flow restrictions tailored to local requirements, providing effective water and gas coning prevention in each zone while maintaining low shear rates suitable for polymer viscosity preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses hydraulic principles with the polymer solution itself as the working fluid. The radial flow configuration and annular passages are designed to create appropriate pressure gradients that control water and gas coning through hydrodynamic effects, eliminating the need for mechanical moving parts that would increase shear.
3Ease of operation
If active flow control devices with moving parts are installed, then fluid flow control is enhanced, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed as a passive flow control system where the polymer solution itself, through its viscosity and flow rate, automatically regulates the flow distribution. The radial multi-annular configuration creates self-balancing flow paths that require no external control mechanisms, moving parts, or maintenance, while still achieving effective flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces active mechanical flow control systems with passive hydraulic flow control. Instead of using motors, valves, or moving parts to regulate flow, the system uses the inherent properties of the polymer solution and the geometric configuration of radial annular passages to achieve automatic flow distribution and coning prevention.
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 solution effectively reduces shear effects on polymers, preserving viscosity and achieving more uniform injection flux along the wellbore, thereby enhancing recovery efficiency and maintaining polymer quality for improved sweep efficiency in polymer flooding operations.
Implementation Method 1
minimize shear effects that adversely affect viscosity of injected polymers
Implementation Method 2
Features of the device reduce velocity using a broad circumferentially oriented inlet plenum that leads to a circumferferentially oriented path having zig-zag fluid movement characterized by broad passages that define the zig-zag pattern so as to reduce velocity at such transition locations
Implementation Method 3
one or more stacked spiral paths where the shape of an inlet to an end of a spiral has a taper on one or more sides to gradually increase the polymer velocity and eliminates the rapid acceleration as the flow enters the spiral path
Data Source
AI summary
The flow control device comprises one or more stacked spiral paths where the shape of an inlet to an end of a spiral has a taper on one or more sides to gradually increase the polymer velocity to eliminate rapid acceleration points as the flow enters the spiral path. The entrance with its taper can be curved to get into the spiral. The spiral can be entered tangentially or radially or axially.