Surfactant incorporated nanostructure for pressure drop reduction in oil and gas lines
AssigneesUniversity of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc., CC Technologies Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsSudipta Seal, William P. Jepson, Sameer Deshpande, Suresh C. Kuiry, Swanand H. Patil
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Abstract
Nano-sized rare earth metal oxide particles are prepared from aqueous reverse micelles. The engineered nanoparticles have large surface area to volume ratios, and uniformly incorporate a surfactant in each particle, so that when applied to the inner surface of a pipeline or sprayed onto a fluid stream in a pipeline, the particles reduce the roughness of the inside surface of pipe being used to transport fluid. The application of a nanolayer of this novel nanoceria mixture causes a significant reduction in pressure drops, friction, and better recovery and yield of fluid flowing through a pipeline.
Claims16
An efficient method of providing non-agglomerated, nano-sized particles, suspended in a non-polar hydrocarbon solvent, which uniformly incorporates a surfactant and reduces pressure drop of fluid streams in pipelines, comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing an aqueous solution of a rare earth metal salt;
- b) dissolving a surfactant in a nonpolar hydrocarbon solvent;
- c) combining the aqueous solution of the rare earth metal salt with the nonpolar solvent and surfactant of step b) into a mixture;
- d) stirring the mixture of step c) to form micelles;
- e) treating the micelles with hydrogen peroxide;
- f) allowing nucleation and growth of nano-particles of a rare earth metal oxide;
- and
- g) inputting the rare earth metal oxide nano-particle reaction product of step f) into a pipeline.
A method for decreasing pressure drop generated by fluid flow in a pipeline, comprising:
- providing a pipeline having roughness on the inner wall;
- conveying a fluid stream in the pipeline;
- providing a gas/liquid interface having an interfacial roughness;
- spraying a mixture of nano-sized cerium oxide particles onto the fluid stream;
- and
- monitoring the flow rate of the fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.