Two-Chamber Hydraulic Pumping for Shear-Sensitive Emulsion Polymers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pump designs fail to effectively handle high-pressure pumping of emulsion polymers and other sensitive fluids, leading to agglomeration and deposit formation due to high shear, which causes operability issues in subsea applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of two or four-chambered apparatuses with high and low-pressure pumps, bladder accumulators, and a switching circuit to alternately pump a stable fluid into and out of the chambers, minimizing shear on the sensitive fluid, and a programmable logic controller to manage valve operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a high pressure pump is used to pump emulsion polymer through an umbilical tube, then the required pressure of 10,000 psi or greater can be achieved, but polymer particle aggregation occurs at the seal-pump wall intersection forming deposits
Solution Approach 1:
A coating layer is applied to the pump wall surface at the seal interface to act as an intermediary barrier. This coating prevents direct contact between the emulsion polymer particles and the elastomer seal, eliminating the catalytic surface that facilitates particle aggregation and deposit formation while allowing the high pressure pumping function to continue.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface properties of the pump wall are modified by applying a specialized coating that changes the interaction parameters between the fluid and the pump components. This coating alters the surface energy and chemical properties to prevent polymer particle adhesion and aggregation at the high-stress seal interface.
2Stress or pressure
If conventional pump designs are used to pump shear-sensitive fluids, then high pressure can be generated, but high shear causes agglomeration and deposit formation
Solution Approach 1:
The coating serves as a protective intermediary layer that mediates the interaction between the shear-sensitive fluid and the pump components. It reduces the shear stress transmitted to the fluid at critical interfaces while maintaining the pressure generation capability of the pump system.
3Reliability
If elastomer seals are used in plunger pumps, then sealing effectiveness is achieved, but the elastomer acts as a catalytic surface facilitating binding of sticky particles
Solution Approach 1:
The coating applied to the pump wall creates an intermediary barrier between the elastomer seal and the emulsion polymer. This coating maintains the sealing effectiveness of the elastomer while preventing it from acting as a catalytic surface for particle aggregation by blocking direct contact between the polymer particles and the elastomer.
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 reduces agglomeration and deposit formation, enabling continuous delivery of shear-sensitive fluids like emulsion polymers to subsea applications without damaging shear, thereby enhancing oil and gas production by reducing friction loss.
Implementation Method 1
pumping a stable, non-compressible fluid such as water into an enclosed vessel with a movable partition that forces the sensitive fluid out of the vessel
Implementation Method 2
introducing the shear-sensitive fluid into the second chamber with a low pressure pump
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods for pumping emulsion polymers and other sensitive fluids that eliminates the high shear that can be destructive to the fluid have been developed. These methods can be used to deliver emulsion polymers continuously from topside through umbilical to subsea produced fluids flowlines to increase oil production and/or flow of gas/oil by reducing friction loss due to turbulent flow in the flowlines.