Systems and methods for detection of mercury in hydrocarbon-containing fluids using optical analysis of slug flow
First Claim
1. A system for detecting mercury in hydrocarbon-containing fluid, comprising:
- a first reservoir storing a sample of said hydrocarbon-containing fluid;
a second reservoir storing a liquid phase reagent solution comprising nanoparticles having an affinity to mercury suspended as a colloid in the liquid phase reagent solution;
a fluidic device having a first input port, a second input port, and a flow channel that includes a mixer section upstream from a reactor section, wherein the first input port is fluidly coupled to the first reservoir and receives a flow of the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid delivered from the first reservoir, wherein the second input port is fluidly coupled to the second reservoir and receives a flow of the liquid phase reagent solution delivered from the second reservoir, wherein the mixer section is configured to produce slug flow from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample and the liquid phase reagent solution introduced into the first and second input ports, and wherein the reactor section is configured to extract mercury of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample where it adsorbs on the nanoparticles of the liquid phase reagent solution to form amalgam particles contained in slug flow that is produced by the fluidic device; and
an optical analyzer that analyzes the slug flow produced by the fluidic device and determines concentration of mercury in the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid.
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Abstract
A method and system for detecting mercury in a hydrocarbon-containing fluid stores a sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid in a first reservoir. A liquid phase reagent solution is stored in a second reservoir. The liquid phase reagent solution includes nanoparticles with an affinity to mercury, wherein the nanoparticles are suspended as a colloid in the liquid phase reagent solution. The sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid is delivered from the first reservoir into a first port of a fluidic device while the liquid phase reagent solution is delivered from the second reservoir into a second port of the fluidic device such that the fluidic device produces slug flow. The slug flow is subject to optical analysis that determines concentration of mercury in the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system for detecting mercury in hydrocarbon-containing fluid, comprising:
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a first reservoir storing a sample of said hydrocarbon-containing fluid; a second reservoir storing a liquid phase reagent solution comprising nanoparticles having an affinity to mercury suspended as a colloid in the liquid phase reagent solution; a fluidic device having a first input port, a second input port, and a flow channel that includes a mixer section upstream from a reactor section, wherein the first input port is fluidly coupled to the first reservoir and receives a flow of the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid delivered from the first reservoir, wherein the second input port is fluidly coupled to the second reservoir and receives a flow of the liquid phase reagent solution delivered from the second reservoir, wherein the mixer section is configured to produce slug flow from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample and the liquid phase reagent solution introduced into the first and second input ports, and wherein the reactor section is configured to extract mercury of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample where it adsorbs on the nanoparticles of the liquid phase reagent solution to form amalgam particles contained in slug flow that is produced by the fluidic device; and an optical analyzer that analyzes the slug flow produced by the fluidic device and determines concentration of mercury in the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for detecting mercury in hydrocarbon-containing fluid, comprising:
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storing a sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid in a first reservoir; storing a liquid phase reagent solution in a second reservoir, wherein the liquid phase reagent solution includes nanoparticles with an affinity to mercury that are suspended as a colloid in the liquid phase reagent solution; providing a fluidic device having a first input port, a second input port, and a flow channel that includes a mixer section upstream from a reactor section, wherein the first input port is fluidly coupled to the first reservoir, and wherein the second input port is fluidly coupled to the second reservoir; delivering the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid from the first reservoir into the first port of the fluidic device while delivering the liquid phase reagent solution from the second reservoir into the second port of the fluidic device such that the mixer section of the fluidic device produces slug flow from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample and the liquid phase reagent solution introduced into the first and second input ports and the reactor section of the fluidic device extracts mercury of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample where it adsorbs on the nanoparticles of the liquid phase reagent solution to form amalgam particles contained in slug flow that is produced by the fluidic device; and optically analyzing the slug flow produced by the fluidic device to determine concentration of mercury in the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for detecting mercury in hydrocarbon-containing fluid, comprising:
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a first reservoir storing a sample of said hydrocarbon-containing fluid; a second reservoir storing a liquid phase reagent solution comprising nanoparticles having an affinity to mercury suspended as a colloid in the liquid phase reagent solution; a fluidic device having a first input port, a second input port, a flow channel that includes a mixer means upstream from a reactor means, the first input port being fluidly coupled to the first reservoir and receiving a flow of the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid delivered from the first reservoir, the second input port being fluidly coupled to the second reservoir and receiving a flow of the liquid phase reagent solution delivered from the second reservoir, the mixer means for producing slug flow from the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample and the liquid phase reagent solution introduced into the first and second input ports, and the reactor means for extracting mercury of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid sample where it adsorbs on the nanoparticles of the liquid phase reagent solution to form amalgam particles contained in slug flow that is produced by the fluidic device; and an optical analyzer that analyzes the slug flow produced by the fluidic device and determines concentration of mercury in the sample of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification