HYDRATE INHIBITION TEST LOOP
First Claim
1. A test apparatus for the formation of hydrates comprising:
- a length of hollow pipe forming a loop;
at least one opening in the loop;
a cooler for cooling a fluid in the loop;
a pressurizer for pressurizing the fluid in the loop;
at least one pig within the loop; and
at least one impeller adjacent the loop that remotely impels the pig to circulate the loop in the fluid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The detecting and monitoring of solid structure or phase transformation, such as those used for testing the formation of gas hydrates and their inhibition by chemical additives may be conducted in a multi-test assembly of laboratory bench scale loops. The test loop contains a fluid that includes water and hydrate-forming guest molecules such as methane, ethane, carbon dioxide and the like at hydrate-forming conditions of low temperature and high pressure. A small bit or “pig” may be circulated through the test loop at variable speeds. The pig may be moved or impelled through the test loop remotely. The formation of hydrates may be monitored with consistent and reproducible results.
9 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A test apparatus for the formation of hydrates comprising:
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a length of hollow pipe forming a loop; at least one opening in the loop; a cooler for cooling a fluid in the loop; a pressurizer for pressurizing the fluid in the loop; at least one pig within the loop; and at least one impeller adjacent the loop that remotely impels the pig to circulate the loop in the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A multi-test apparatus for the formation of hydrates comprising:
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at least two lengths of hollow pipe each forming a loop; at least one opening in each loop; a cooler for cooling a fluid in each loop, where the cooler is capable of cooling the fluid to a temperature of about 30°
F. (about −
1°
C.) and below;a pressurizer for pressurizing the fluid in each loop, the where pressurizer is capable of pressurizing the fluid to a pressure of about 1000 psig (about 7 MPa) or above; at least one pig within each loop, where the pig is selected from the group of shapes consisting of spheres, cylinders, eggs, spheres with surface features, cylinders with surface features, eggs with surface features, and combinations thereof, where the surface features are selected from the group consisting of indentations, bumps, passageways, and mixtures thereof; and at least one impeller adjacent the loops that remotely impels the pigs to circulate their respective loops in their respective fluids. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of testing the formation of hydrates in a test apparatus for the formation of hydrates comprising:
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a length of hollow pipe forming a loop; at least one opening in the loop; a cooler for cooling a fluid in the loop; a pressurizer for pressurizing the fluid in the loop; at least one pig within the loop; at least one impeller adjacent the loop that remotely impels the pig to circulate the loop in the fluid, the method comprising; introducing a fluid into the loop through the opening, where the fluid comprises water and hydrate-forming guest molecules that form hydrates at hydrate forming conditions; cooling the fluid to a temperature of about 30°
F. (about −
1°
C.) or below and pressurizing the fluid to a pressure of about 1000 psig (about 7 MPa) or above to create hydrate forming conditions;circulating the pig through the loop using the impeller; and monitoring the fluid for hydrate formation. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification