US 11,360,018 B2Granted

Corrosion testing apparatuses and associated methods

AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company

InventorsDennis R. Enning, Ramsey J. Smith, Jeffrey D Spitzenberger, Alexander J. Dulin, Oleg Y. Melnichenko, James K. Backman, William Farrell, Kurt R. Grice, Michael Scudiero

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Abstract

No reliable test presently exists for predicting the amount or type of corrosion a metal surface may experience during field use, particularly when the corrosion can be a result of both acid-induced corrosion and microorganism-induced corrosion mechanisms. Apparatuses affording more field-like testing conditions may comprise: a one-pass fluid train comprising a reservoir configured to maintain a fluid at a first temperature state under anoxic conditions; a pre-conditioning chamber in fluid communication with the reservoir and configured to receive a defined volume of the fluid; an autoclave chamber having an impeller in fluid communication with the pre-conditioning chamber that is configured to receive the defined volume of the fluid from the pre-conditioning chamber; and one or more sampling receptacles in fluid communication with the autoclave chamber that are configured to receive the defined volume of the fluid while maintaining anoxic conditions. The pre-conditioning chamber and the autoclave chamber are configured to maintain anoxic conditions at a second temperature state different than the first temperature state.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A testing apparatus comprising:

a first one-pass fluid train comprising:
a first reservoir configured to maintain a first fluid at a first temperature state under anoxic conditions,
a first pre-conditioning chamber in fluid communication with the first reservoir and configured to receive a first fluid stream comprising a defined volume of the first fluid from the first reservoir,
a first autoclave chamber in fluid communication with the first pre-conditioning chamber and configured to receive the defined volume of the first fluid from the first pre-conditioning chamber, the first autoclave chamber having an impeller located therein, and
one or more sampling receptacles in fluid communication with the first autoclave chamber and configured to receive the defined volume of the first fluid from the first autoclave chamber and to maintain the defined volume of the first fluid under anoxic conditions;
wherein the first pre-conditioning chamber and the first autoclave chamber are configured to be maintained under anoxic conditions at a second temperature state different than the first temperature state, or the first pre-conditioning chamber and the first autoclave chamber are configured to be maintained under anoxic conditions at the second temperature state and a third temperature state, respectively, which are each different than the first temperature state.

3 more elements

A testing method comprising:

providing a first fluid in a first reservoir maintained at a first temperature state under anoxic conditions;
transferring a first fluid stream comprising a defined volume of the first fluid from the first reservoir to a first pre-conditioning chamber in fluid communication with the first reservoir;
maintaining the defined volume of the first fluid in the first pre-conditioning chamber under anoxic conditions for a first predetermined conditioning time at a second temperature state different than the first temperature state, the defined volume of the first fluid being pressurized with one or more anoxic gases during the first predetermined conditioning time;
transferring the defined volume of the first fluid from the first pre-conditioning chamber to a first autoclave chamber in fluid communication with the first pre-conditioning chamber, the first autoclave chamber containing one or more metal test coupons therein;
maintaining the defined volume of the first fluid in the first autoclave chamber at about the second temperature state or a third temperature state under anoxic conditions for a first predetermined testing time, the defined volume of the first fluid being pressurized with one or more anoxic gases and agitated with an impeller in the first autoclave chamber during the first predetermined testing time;
and
transferring the defined volume of the first fluid from the first autoclave chamber to one or more sampling receptacles in fluid communication with the first autoclave chamber, the one or more sampling receptacles maintaining the defined volume of the first fluid under anoxic conditions.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/679,418Filed 11 Nov 2019 · us provisional application
Priority: 30 Nov 2018
Published: US 2020/0173907 A14 Jun 2020
Granted: 14 Jun 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01N 17/006
Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light: of metals
G01N 17/002
Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light: test chambers
G01N 17/02
Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light: electrochemical measuring systems for weathering, corrosion or…
G01N 25/44
On combustion or catalytic oxidation, e.g. of components of gas mixtures: the heat developed being transferred to a fixed quantity of fluid