Vibrated Slurry Droplet Formation for Uniform Ceramic Proppants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing ceramic proppant particles for hydraulic fracturing result in a wide range of green pellet sizes and porosity, leading to reduced strength and effectiveness, as well as increased recycling needs and pore size variability, which degrades the hydraulic fracturing process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a slurry of ceramic raw material with a polysaccharide reactant is used, where the slurry is vibrated through a nozzle to form uniform droplets that gel upon contact with a coagulation liquid, resulting in spherical green pellets with reduced porosity, which are then sintered to produce proppant particles with enhanced strength and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional pellet-forming methods (dry mixing or spray fluidized bed) are used, then production capacity is achieved, but green pellet size distribution becomes wide and porosity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration to the nozzle during slurry flow to generate uniform droplets. The vibration frequency and amplitude are controlled to break up the slurry stream into monodisperse droplets, achieving narrow size distribution (standard deviation <5%) while maintaining high production rates through continuous processing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the slurry by controlling vibration parameters (frequency, amplitude) and slurry properties (viscosity, surface tension) to achieve uniform droplet formation. This parameter control enables precise size distribution while maintaining production efficiency
2Ease of manufacture
If green pellets with high porosity are produced, then manufacturing is easier, but sintered proppant strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration-induced droplet formation creates green pellets with reduced and more uniform porosity compared to conventional methods. The controlled droplet formation process minimizes large pores while maintaining manufacturability, directly improving sintered strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical mixing and aggregation processes with a fluid dynamic approach using vibration-induced droplet formation. This substitution eliminates the random pore formation associated with mechanical mixing, achieving lower porosity and higher strength
3Productivity
If wide size distribution of green pellets is produced, then production volume increases, but recycling requirements increase and quality control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration mechanism produces monodisperse droplets that form green pellets with narrow size distribution (<5% standard deviation). This eliminates the need for extensive recycling of oversized or undersized particles, reducing material loss while maintaining high production volume
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration-induced droplet formation creates precise, uniform copies of the desired pellet size from each droplet. This consistent replication eliminates size variability that would require recycling, reducing material loss
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 produces proppant particles with improved strength, reduced porosity, and uniform size distribution, leading to increased hydraulic fracturing efficiency and reduced erosion of downhole tools, while maintaining high permeability and conductivity under stress.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a surface tension of the slurry with the gas to cause the droplets to acquire and maintain a spherical shape
Implementation Method 2
wherein gelling commences in the droplets upon contact with the liquid to provide gelled droplets, and wherein the liquid contains a coagulation agent that reacts with the reactant in the slurry to cause gelling of the reactant in the droplets
Implementation Method 3
The resulting green pellets are sintered to produce the ceramic proppant particles
Data Source
AI summary
Proppant particles formed from slurry droplets and methods of use are disclosed herein. The proppant particles can include a sintered ceramic material and can have a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns. The methods of use can include injecting a hydraulic fluid into a subterranean formation at a rate and pressure sufficient to open a fracture therein and injecting a fluid containing a proppant particle into the fracture, the proppant particle including a sintered ceramic material, a size of about 80 mesh to about 10 mesh, and an average largest pore size of less than about 20 microns.