Method and apparatus to optimize the mixing process
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorJoel Rondeau
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for mixing a liquid material and a solid material comprises (i) a base unit for the liquid material and the solid material; (ii) a liquid material supply; (iii) a solid material supply; (iv) a liquid/solid mixing output; (v) an injection unit connected to the liquid material supply and to the solid material supply and the injection unit injecting the liquid material and the solid material in the base unit; (vi) a separation and extraction unit simultaneously separating and extracting surplus gas arising from the mixing of the liquid material and the solid material.
Claims20
A system for mixing a liquid material and a solid material, the system comprising:
- (i) a base unit for mixing the liquid material and the solid material;
- (ii) a liquid material supply;
- (iii) a solid material supply;
- (iv) a liquid/solid mixing output;
- (v) an injection unit connected to the liquid material supply and to the solid material supply, the injection unit injecting the liquid material and the solid material into the base unit;
- and
- (vi) a separation and extraction unit comprising a hydrocyclone, the hydrocyclone comprising a conical cyclone inside which surplus gas arising from the mixing of the liquid material and the solid material is extracted from the base unit, the separation and extraction unit being directly open to the atmosphere.
A method for mixing a liquid material and a solid material, comprising:
- (i) providing the liquid material and the solid material;
- (ii) placing the liquid material and the solid material into a mixing system, the mixing system comprising:
- (a) a base unit for mixing the liquid material and the solid material;
- (b) a liquid material supply;
- (c) a solid material supply;
- (d) a liquid/solid mixing output;
- (e) an injection unit connected to the liquid material supply and to the solid material supply, the injection unit injecting the liquid material and the solid material into the base unit;
- and
- (f) a separation and extraction unit comprising a hydrocyclone, the hydrocyclone comprising a conical cyclone inside which surplus gas arising from the mixing of the liquid material and the solid material is extracted from the base unit, the separation and extraction unit being directly open to the atmosphere;
- (iii) operating the mixing system, thereby forming a slurry;
- wherein, surplus gas is simultaneously separated and extracted from the slurry, thereby providing a slurry that is substantially gas free.
A method for cementing a subterranean well, comprising:
- (i) preparing a cement slurry in a mixing system, the slurry comprising a solid cement and water, wherein the mixing system comprises:
- (a) a base unit for mixing the liquid material and the solid material;
- (b) a solid cement supply;
- (c) a water supply;
- (d) a liquid/solid mixing output;
- (e) an injection unit connected to the liquid material supply and to the solid material supply, the injection unit injecting the liquid material and the solid material into the base unit;
- and
- (f) a separation and extraction unit comprising a hydrocyclone, the hydrocyclone comprising a conical cyclone inside which surplus gas arising from the mixing of the liquid material and the solid material is extracted from the base unit, the separation and extraction unit being directly open to the atmosphere;
- (ii) pumping the cement slurry into the subterranean well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.