Method and Apparatus for Determining Wettability of Materials

• US 20150285725A1
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Stukan, Mikhail, Ligneul, Patrice
• Application Number:
  US14/646,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 13/00 Investigating surface or boundary effects, e.g. wetting power; Investigating diffusion effects; Analysing materials by determining surface, boundary, or diffusion effects scanning-probe techniques or apparatus G01Q
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/00 Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means G01N3/00 - G01N23/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/18 by investigating thermal conductivity by calorimetry G01N25/20; by measuring change of resistance of an electrically-heated body G01N27/18

Abstract

An apparatus to measure temperature difference between a first side of a wall of at least one known material and a fluid contacting said first side. A method to determine wettability of at least one known material for a given fluid comprising measuring the thermal difference between a first side of a wall of the at least one known material and the given fluid contacting said first side.

Claims

1. An apparatus to measure temperature difference between a first side of a wall of at least one known material and a fluid contacting said first side.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one channel of the at least one known material through which the fluid is flowing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one channel is a micro-channel having a diameter of about hundredths of micro-meters.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one channel comprises diamond layers over which the at least one known wall material is deposited.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one known material is deposited by microdeposition.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one known material comprises calcite crystals, carbonate rocks or sandstones.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises brine and/or oil of various composition.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising thermally insulating material surrounding the at least one known material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising heat exchanger means connected to the second side of the wall of the at least one known material.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising thermal sensors to measure said temperature difference.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the thermal sensors comprise micro thermal sensors located along the at least one known material.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the thermal sensors comprise RTD platinium resistance temperature sensors.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a plurality of channels.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of channels comprise series of capillaries coated with a plurality of known materials.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each capillary is thermalized at a temperature and is long enough to enable the fluid flowing at the end of the capillary to be at equilibrium with said temperature.

8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the Peltier cell is connected with the second side of the wall of the at least one known material and with a diamond channel used as a thermal duct.

20. (canceled)

21. A method to determine wettability of at least one known material for a given fluid comprising measuring the thermal difference between a first side of a wall of the at least one known material and the given fluid contacting said first side.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the thermal difference comprises the Kaptiza thermal jump between the first side of the wall of the least one known material and the given fluid.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the wettability of the fluid with the least one known material is inversely proportional to the Kaptiza thermal jump.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the thermal difference is measured for a plurality of fluids and the at least one known material.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising heating the second side of the wall of the least one known material.

25. (canceled)

27. A method to determine wettability of at least one known material with a given fluid by analysis of the temperature distribution in the given fluid in the vicinity of a solid surface of the at least one known material when said solid surface is heated by a thermal gradient.