Method and apparatus for a downhole gas generator

• US 8,387,692 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: World Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: World Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Tilmont, Daniel, Alifano, Joseph Anthony, Jos, Cyril Cherian, Ware, Charles H., Folsom, Blair A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neuder, William P
• Application Number:
  US12/836,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20110127036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 166/272.3, 166/272.4, 166/272.6
• US Class Current: 166/272.3
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/02 using burners
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems

Abstract

A downhole steam generation apparatus and method of use are provided. The apparatus may include an injection section, a combustion section, and an evaporation section. The injection section may include a housing, injector elements, and injector plate. The combustion section may include a liner having channels disposed therethrough. The evaporation section may include conduits in fluid communication with the channels and the combustion chamber, and a nozzle operable to inject a fluid from the channels to the combustion chamber in droplet form. A method of use may include supplying fuel, oxidant, and fluid to the apparatus; combusting fuel and oxidant in a chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through a liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner; and injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber and evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce steam.

Claims

1. A downhole steam generation apparatus for injecting a heated fluid mixture into a reservoir, comprising:

an injection section including a housing, a plurality of injector elements disposed in the housing, and an injector plate coupled to the housing;

a combustion section including a body coupled to the housing and forming a combustion chamber, wherein the injector elements are in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; and

an evaporation section including a nozzle coupled to the body, wherein the nozzle is operable to inject fluid droplets into the combustion chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body includes a plurality of channels disposed through a wall of the body that are in fluid communication with the nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the evaporation section further includes a plurality of conduits coupled to the nozzle and the body.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the channels are in fluid communication with the nozzle via the conduits.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exit nozzle located adjacent the evaporation section and operable to inject the heated fluid mixture into the reservoir.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an igniter port disposed through the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the injector elements are in fluid communication with each chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an upper portion having an inner chamber surrounded by an outer chamber and a lower portion having an inner chamber surrounded by an outer chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the injector elements are in fluid communication with the inner chambers of the upper and lower portions.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the injector elements are in fluid communication with the outer chambers of the upper and lower portions.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the injection section further includes a first manifold in fluid communication with the inner chamber of the lower portion and a second manifold in fluid communication with the outer chamber of the lower portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second manifolds include circular shapes.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further includes an inlet manifold and an exit manifold each in fluid communication with a plurality of channels disposed through a wall of the body.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body is formed from a beryllium-copper alloy.

16. A method for injecting a heated fluid mixture into a reservoir, comprising:

positioning an apparatus in an injection wellbore that is in communication with the reservoir, wherein the apparatus includes a liner having a chamber;

supplying a fuel, an oxidant, and a fluid to the apparatus;

combusting the fuel and the oxidant in the chamber while flowing the fluid through a plurality of channels disposed through the liner, thereby heating the fluid and cooling the liner;

injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber counter flow to injection of the fuel and oxidant into the chamber; and

evaporating the droplets by combustion of the fuel and the oxidant to produce the heated fluid mixture.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fuel includes natural gas, wherein the oxidant includes an oxygen and carbon dioxide mixture, and wherein the fluid includes water.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the oxygen and carbon dioxide mixture includes about 5 percent nitrogen.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising flowing the heated fluid through a plurality of conduits that radially extend into the chamber.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising injecting droplets of the heated fluid into the chamber using a nozzle coupled to the conduits.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising injecting the heated fluid mixture into the reservoir, wherein the heated fluid mixture includes a carbon dioxide concentration of about 10 percent to about 30 percent and an oxygen concentration of about 0.5 percent or about 5 percent.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the heated fluid mixture includes steam having a steam quality in a range of about 90 percent to about 95 percent.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining a combustion flame temperature in the chamber in a range of about 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit to about 5,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising injecting the heated fluid mixture into the reservoir at a temperature up to about 600 degrees Fahrenheit and at a pressure up to about 1800 psi.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the injection wellbore includes an internal pressure in a range of about 800 psi to about 1600 psi.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid may include a solvent comprising at least one of water, steam, oxygen, natural gas, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrogen, hydrogen, hydrocarbons, oxygenated-hydrocarbons, and combinations thereof.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling reservoir pressure using the apparatus positioned in the injection wellbore.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling reservoir pressure using a pressure control device located at a production wellbore that is in communication with the reservoir.