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AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorPeter S. Aronstam
Estimating the term…
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for reducing scaling during oil and gas production. The disclosed device can be used downhole and functions independently of an external power supply. Use of the disclosed apparatus allows for the reduction or elimination of anti-scaling chemical additives during the production phase of an oil and gas well.
An apparatus for reducing scaling during oil and gas production comprising:
A method for reducing scaling during oil and gas production comprising placing into a fluid flow path containing formation fluid:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Vibration generating arrangements for boreholes or wells
Methods or apparatus for cleaning boreholes or wells
Earth or rock drilling
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for reducing scale during oil and gas production. The present invention particularly relates to non-chemical scale reduction during oil and gas production.
2. Background of the Art
For a detailed understanding and better appreciation of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of the invention and the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic overview showing an apparatus of the present invention in place downhole in an oil well; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic overview of a general embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention.
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method for reducing scaling during oil and gas production comprising placing into a fluid flow path containing formation fluid an apparatus for reducing scaling during oil and gas production. The apparatus of the present invention is powered by the vibrational energy produced from flowing formation fluid. The vibrational energy is converted to electromotive force (EMF) using a piezoelectric generator.
Piezoelectric generators are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,888 to Zabcik discloses an apparatus for absorbing vibratory energy to generate electrical power. One embodiment of the Zabcik invention is a stack of piezoelectric elements arranged in an electrically additive configuration that captures vibrational energy from a rotary drill string and converts it into electrical energy for driving electrical devices.
A piezoelectric effect includes the voltage produced between surfaces of a solid dielectric substance when a mechanical stress is applied to it. Certain crystals, e.g., quartz and Rochelle salt, and ceramic materials, exhibit the piezoelectric effect, which was discovered by Pierre Curie in 1883. The early materials, such as quartz, lithium sulphate or barium titanate, are not used as commonly as before, particularly for ultrasonic sound generation. Instead, new powerful piezoelectric materials are available.