Streaming Potential Collection and Data Processing Techniques

Abstract

To date, no comprehensive comparison of streaming potential coupling coefficient collection or processing techniques has been made. Here, time-varying streaming potential and dc streaming potential data collection and processing techniques are presented and compared. The time-varying streaming potential data include sinusoidal and transient data. The collection techniques include acquiring dc streaming potentials at various pressures, acquiring time-varying streaming potentials at varying pressure, acquiring streaming potentials as a function of frequency, and collecting time-varying raw data. The processing techniques include dc filtering, rms processing, cross-correlation, spectral analysis, and plotting of raw time-varying streaming potential versus raw pressure data. The results show that all processing methods yield the same coupling coefficient within 3%. The analysis also shows that if there is a good signal-to-noise ratio, all processing methods perform satisfactorily. If the signal-to-noise ratio is poor, then the spectral analysis outperforms the other processing methods. The data collection methods are all adequate, but individual applications may make one method superior to another.