Ground supporting energy recovery medium with carbohydrate-based thickener, salt and proppant in base liquid
AssigneeMontanuniversaität Leoben
InventorHerbert Hofstätter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Energy recovery medium for insertion into a ground hole in a ground comprising a recoverable energy carrying medium, wherein the energy recovery medium comprises a base liquid, a carbohydrate-based thickener mixed in the base liquid, a salt dissolved in the base liquid and configured for increasing a density of the base liquid, and proppant particles dispersed within the mixture of the base liquid, the thickener and the salt.
Claims18
Energy recovery medium for insertion into a ground hole in a ground comprising a recoverable energy carrying medium, wherein the energy recovery medium comprises:
- a base liquid;
- a carbohydrate-based thickener mixed in the base liquid forming a first mixture;
- a salt dissolved in the first mixture forming a second mixture, wherein the salt is configured for increasing a density of the base liquid, and wherein the salt comprises potassium carbonate;
- and
- proppant particles dispersed within the second mixture of the base liquid, the carbohydrate-based thickener and the salt,
- wherein a ratio between a mass of the salt and a volume of the base liquid is in a range between 500 g/l and 1500 g/l.
A method of producing an energy recovery medium for insertion into a ground hole comprising a recoverable energy carrying medium, wherein the method comprises:
- mixing a carbohydrate-based thickener with a base liquid forming a first mixture;
- dissolving a salt in the first mixture forming a second mixture, wherein the salt is configured for increasing a density of the base liquid, and wherein the salt comprises potassium carbonate;
- and
- adding proppant particles so that the proppant particles float within the second mixture of the base liquid, the carbohydrate-based thickener and the salt,
- wherein a ratio between a mass of the salt and a volume of the base liquid is in a range between 500 g/l and 1500 g/l.
A method of recovering an energy carrying medium, wherein the method comprises:
- forming a ground hole;
- inserting an energy recovery medium into at least a part of the ground hole for interaction with the ground, the energy recovery medium including,
- a base liquid;
- a carbohydrate-based thickener mixed in the base liquid forming a first mixture;
- a salt dissolved in the first mixture forming a second mixture, wherein the salt increases a density of the base liquid, the salt comprising potassium carbonate;
- and
- proppant particles dispersed within the second mixture of the base liquid, the carbohydrate-based thickener and the salt,
- wherein a ratio between a mass of the salt and a volume of the base liquid is in a range between 500 g/l and 1500 g/l;
- removing part of the energy recovery medium from the ground after the interaction with the ground;
- and
- subsequently transporting the energy carrying medium from the ground via channels at least partially delimited by proppant particles of the energy recovery medium, out of the ground hole.
An arrangement for recovering an energy carrying medium from a ground, wherein the arrangement comprises:
- a ground hole formation unit configured for forming a ground hole;
- an energy recovery medium for insertion into at least a part of the formed ground hole for interaction with the ground, the energy recovery medium including,
- a base liquid;
- a carbohydrate-based thickener mixed in the base liquid forming a first mixture;
- a salt dissolved in the first mixture forming a second mixture, wherein the salt increases a density of the base liquid, the salt comprising potassium carbonate;
- and
- proppant particles dispersed within the second mixture of the base liquid, the carbohydrate-based thickener and the salt,
- wherein a ratio between a mass of the salt and a volume of the base liquid is in a range between 500 g/l and 1500 g/l;
- and
- a transport unit for transporting the energy carrying medium from the ground via channels at least partially delimited by proppant particles of the energy recovery medium, out of the ground hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.