Abstract
Summary An experimental and theoretical investigation of surfactant-stabilized oil/water emulsion characteristics was carried out under water sweep (WS) and oil sweep (OS) conditions. Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfactants were used, with concentrations less than and more than the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Experimental data were acquired for detection of the phase-inversion region, which was measured simultaneously by several independent methods. These include a circular differential dielectric sensor (C-DDS), a rectangular differential dielectric sensor (R-DDS) (both sensors accurately detect the phase-inversion region), a pressure transducer, and a mass flowmeter. The addition of an emulsifier surfactant to an oil/water mixture generated a stable emulsion, which resulted in a phase-inversion delay. For water-continuous to oil-continuous flow, a hydrophilic surfactant was a better emulsifier, while for oil-continuous to water-continuous flow, a hydrophobic surfactant was a better emulsifier for creating more stable emulsions. The surfactant/oil/water emulsion resulted in an increase of the dispersed-phase volume fraction required for phase inversion, as compared to the case of oil/water dispersions without surfactant. For emulsions with surfactant concentrations above CMC, the presence of micelles contributed to further delay of the phase inversion, as compared to those with surfactant concentrations below CMC. The phase-inversion region exhibits a hysteresis between the OS and WS runs, below CMC and above CMC, which was due to the difference in droplet sizes caused by different breakup and coalescence processes for oil-continuous and water-continuous flow. This research shows that the DDS is an efficient instrumentation that can be used to detect the region where the emulsion phase inversion is expected to occur. Moreover, the experimental results and the pertinent analysis and discussion provide useful insights for a more informed design of surface facilities (including emulsion separators) in oil and gas production operations.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.