# US 9,752,430 B2 · Apparatus and method for measuring phase behavior

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- Number: US 9,752,430 B2
- Document ID: US9752430B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/346,965
- Filed: 2012-07-03
- Published: 2014-08-28
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-08
- Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
- Applicants: Farshid Mostowfi; Shahnawaz Hossain Molla
- Inventors: Farshid Mostowfi; Shahnawaz Hossain Molla
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752430B2

## CPC

- E21B 49/00: Testing the nature of borehole walls; Formation testing; Methods or apparatus for obtaining samples of soil or well fluids, specially adapted to earth drilling or wells
- B01L 3/5027: {by integrated microfluidic structures, i.e. dimensions of channels and chambers are such that surface tension forces are important, e.g. lab-on-a-chip}
- G01N 21/05: Flow-through cuvettes (G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10)
- G01N 21/55: Specular reflectivity
- G01N 33/2823: {Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures}
- G01N 35/1097: {characterised by the valves (valves in general F16K)}
- B01L 2200/0673: Handling of plugs of fluid surrounded by immiscible fluid
- B01L 2300/0816: Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions
- B01L 2300/0883: Serpentine channels
- B01L 2300/14: Means for pressure control
- B01L 2400/0406: capillary forces
- B01L 2400/049: vacuum
- B81B 2207/03: Electronic circuits for micromechanical devices which are not application specific, e.g. for controlling, power supplying, testing, protecting
- G01N 2021/0346: {Capillary cells; Microcells}
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)

## Abstract

An apparatus for measuring phase behavior of a reservoir fluid comprises a first sample container and a second sample container in fluid communication with a microfluidic device defining a microchannel. A first pump and a second pump are operably associated with the sample containers and the microfluidic device to fill the microchannel with a reservoir fluid and to maintain a predetermined pressure of reservoir fluid within the microchannel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for measuring phase behavior of a reservoir fluid, comprising:
a microfluidic device defining an entrance passageway, an exit passageway, and a microchannel in fluid communication with the entrance passageway and the exit passageway;
a first sample container;
a first pump operably associated with the first sample container;
a second sample container;
a second pump operably associated with the second sample container;
an outlet valve fluidly coupled between the exit passageway of the microfluidic device and the second sample container;
a bypass line in fluid communication with the second sample container; and
an input switching valve fluidly coupled to the first sample container, the bypass line and the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device, wherein the input switching valve has a first configuration where reservoir fluid disposed in the first sample container is introduced from the first sample container into the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device while inhibiting the flow of the reservoir fluid through the bypass line, and wherein the input switching valve has a second configuration where reservoir fluid flows through the bypass line to the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device while reservoir fluid disposed in the first sample container does not flow into the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device;
wherein the first pump and the first configuration of the input switching valve are used to urge reservoir fluid disposed in the first sample container into the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device; and
wherein the second pump and the second configuration of the input switching valve are used to maintain a desired pressure within the microchannel of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic device comprises:
a first substrate defining the microchannel, an entrance well, and an exit well, the microchannel extending between and in fluid communication with the entrance well and the exit well; and
a second substrate attached to the first substrate to form the microfluidic device, the second substrate defining the entrance passageway in fluid communication with the entrance well and the exit passageway in fluid communication with the exit well.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an inlet pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of the reservoir fluid urged into the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device; and
an outlet pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of the reservoir fluid in the exit passageway of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer for operating the first pump and the second pump based at least upon a pressure of the reservoir fluid urged into the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device and a pressure of the reservoir fluid urged into the exit passageway of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a camera operably associated with the microfluidic device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the bypass line is fluidly coupled between the outlet valve and the input switching valve.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an inlet pressure sensor operably associated with the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device;
an outlet pressure sensor operably associated with the exit passageway of the microfluidic device;
a camera operably associated with the microfluidic device; and
a computer operably associated with the first pump, the inlet pressure sensor, the second pump, and the outlet pressure sensor for operating the first pump and the second pump to provide a desired pressure drop across the microchannel of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer is operably associated with the camera for analyzing images of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a light source for illuminating the microfluidic device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
the first pump and the first configuration of the input switching valve are used to inject a reservoir fluid into a microchannel of a microfluidic device at a pressure resulting in a substantially single phase in the reservoir fluid;
the second pump and the second configuration of the input switching valve are used to lower the pressure of the reservoir fluid in the microchannel until a second phase forms in the reservoir fluid; and
the camera and the computer are used to determine a distribution of the phases of the reservoir fluid in the microchannel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein both the first pump and the second pump are operated to inject the reservoir fluid into the microchannel of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations of the first pump and the second pump are controlled by a computer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations of the first pump and the second pump are controlled by using the inlet pressure sensor to monitor pressure of the reservoir fluid proximate the entrance passageway of the microfluidic device and by using the outlet pressure sensor to monitor pressure of the reservoir fluid proximate the exit passageway of the microfluidic device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the camera is configured to produce an image of the reservoir fluid in the microchannel.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer is configured to analyze the image of the reservoir fluid in order to determine distribution of the phases of the reservoir fluid in the microchannel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a light source that illuminates the microfluidic device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the second pump and the second configuration of the input switching valve are used to iteratively lower pressure of the reservoir fluid in the microchannel in predetermined steps; and
the camera and the computer are used to determine distribution of the phases of the reservoir fluid in the microchannel for each iteration.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
with the input switching valve in its second configuration, pressure of the reservoir fluid in the microfluidic device is controlled by operation of the second pump.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the reservoir fluid is an oil, and the second phase is a gaseous phase.

### Claim 20 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the reservoir fluid is a gas condensate, and the second phase is a liquid phase.