Cryogenic injection compositions, systems and methods for cryogenically modulating flow in a conduit
AssigneeBiofilm IP, LLC
InventorDaniel X. Wray
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are cryogenic injection compositions, methods and systems to introduce a cryogenic injection composition into a fluid within a conduit such that at least a portion of the temperature of the fluid is reduced to a temperature below which at least a portion of the fluid becomes a solid thereby reversibly plugging the conduit. Also provided are methods and systems for cooling or freezing a conduit and a fluid therein using a pressurized fluid cryogen as a thermal transfer fluid for controlled removal of thermal energy from a thermal conducting metal conduit and a fluid contained therein.
Claims40
A cryogenic injection composition, comprising:
- a fluid cryogen selected from among liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid helium, liquid neon, liquid methane, liquid natural gas, liquid argon, liquid nitrous oxide, liquid carbon dioxide, liquid chlorofluorocarbons and combinations thereof;
- a material selected from among carbon fibers, carbon nanostructures, graphite, fused silica, ground granite, aluminum silicon carbide, aluminum graphite, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride ceramic, polyacetylene fibers and combinations thereof having a size of 100 μm or less in an amount of at or about 0.05% to at or about 90% based on the weight of the injection composition;
- and
- a plurality of particles having a diameter of 10 μm or less in an amount of at or about 0.05% to at or about 90% based on the weight of the injection composition, wherein at least a portion of the particles comprise a material having a specific heat capacity (cp) of at or about 0.7 J·g−1K−1 or greater.
A method for modulating flow of a fluid in a conduit, comprising:
- activating a heat transfer system affixed to at least a portion of the conduit to remove thermal energy from the conduit and the fluid within the conduit;
- and
- activating an injection device affixed to the conduit to introduce into the fluid within the conduit:
- (a) a surfactant and cryogen;
- or
- (b) surfactant and frozen beads comprising solvent and micron or submicron-size particles of a thermally conductive material having a thermal conductivity of at least 1 Watt/m° C.;
- or
- (c) surfactant, cryogen and frozen beads comprising solvent and micron or submicron-size particles of a thermally conductive material having a thermal conductivity of at least 1 Watt/m° C.,
- wherein activating the heat transfer system and the injection device results in a reduction in thermal energy in the flowing fluid within the conduit thereby reducing or eliminating the flow of fluid through the conduit by precipitating or freezing at least a portion of the fluid within the conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.