Foam Generation Research Articles

An experimental study of foam-oil interactions for nonionic-based binary surfactant systems under high salinity conditions

A key factor affecting foam stability is the interaction of foam with oil in the reservoir. This work investigates how different types of oil influence the stability of foams generated with binary surfactant systems under a high salinity condition. Foam was generated with binary surfactant systems, one composed of a zwitterionic and a nonionic surfactant, and the other composed of an anionic and a nonionic surfactant. Our results showed that the binary surfactant foams investigated are more tolerant under high salinity conditions and in the presence of oil. This was visually observed in our microscopic analysis and was further attributed to an increase in apparent viscosity achieved with binary surfactant systems, compared to single surfactant foams. To understand the influence of oil on foam stability, we performed a mechanistic study to investigate how these oils interact with foams generated with binary surfactants, focusing on their applicability under high salinity conditions. The generation and stability of foam are linked to the ability of the surfactant system to solubilize oil molecules. Oil droplets that solubilize in the micelles appear to destabilize the foam. However, oils with higher molecular weights are too large to be solubilized in the micelles, hence the molecules will have less ability to be transported out of the foam, so oil seems to stabilize the foam. Finally, we conducted a multivariate analysis to identify the parameters that influenced foam stability in different oil types, using the experimental data from our work. The results showed that the oil molecular weight, interfacial tension between the foaming liquid and the oil, and the spreading coefficient are the most important variables for explaining the variation in the data. By performing a partial least square regression, a linear model was developed based on these most important variables, which can be used to predict foam stability for subsequent experiments under the same conditions as our work.

Effects on neutrino propagation in space-time foam of D-branes revisited

Neutrinos from the cosmos have proven to be ideal for probing the nature of space-time. Previous studies on high-energy events of IceCube suggested that some of these events might be gamma-ray burst neutrinos, with their speeds varying linearly with their energy, implying also the coexistence of subluminal and superluminal propagation. However, a recent reanalysis of the data, incorporating revised directional information, reveals stronger signals that neutrinos are actually being slowed down compared to previous suggestion of neutrino speed variation. Thus, it is worth discussing its implications for the brane/string inspired framework of space-time foam, which has been used to explain previous observations. We revisit effects on neutrino propagation from specific foam models within the framework, indicating that the implied violation of Lorentz invariance could necessarily cause the neutrino to decelerate. We therefore argue that this sort of model is in agreement with the updated phenomenological indication just mentioned. An extended analysis of the revised IceCube data will further test these observations and stringy quantum gravity.

Pressure propagation mechanism of open-cell aluminium foam within a pipe under hypervelocity impact

Low-density open-cell aluminium (Al) foam exhibits a different deformation mode under hypervelocity impacts compared to being subjected to medium-low speed and quasi-static compression. In this case, material flows between cells in the form of metal jets and propagates forward. This paper establishes the open-cell Al foam model based on Voronoi tessellation. Using numerical methods, one-dimensional hypervelocity constant velocity impact experiments of 1–6 km/s inside a closed pipe are conducted on Al foam with different internal structure parameters (average cell diameter: 2–3.5 mm; ligament width: 0.251–1 mm). Propagation mechanism of pressure waves in foams and the key factors affecting the propagation velocity are investigated. Three zones are divided according to the condition of jet distribution along the impact direction: unaffected zone, jet influence zone, and particle accumulation zone. The variation of the length of different zones with impact velocity is discussed: higher velocities result in longer jet influence zones but shorter particle accumulation zones. Meanwhile, length of zones is closely related to the width of Al foam ligament and cell pore diameter: the larger the diameter of cell pores and the smaller the width of ligaments, the longer the length of the jet influence zone. Time dependence is exhibited in the length of jet influence zone for the large cell pore diameter specimens(≥0.03 cm). Particle pressures are extracted using the one-dimensional averaging method, which propagates forward significantly lower than in dense materials. Dominant factors affecting the pressure wave propagation of open-cell Al foam, i.e., the internal unloading space, are obtained by combining two-dimensional hypervelocity impact simulation experiments with different boundary conditions. A strong correlation between metal jet distribution and particle pressure propagation is observed.

Investigation of the Stability Mechanism of Stimulus-Responsive Wormlike Micelle-CO2 Foams in the Oil Phase.

Foam flooding is an important tool for reservoir development. This study aims to further investigate the interaction between stimulus-responsive wormlike micelle (WLM)-CO2 foams and crude oil. We performed micromorphology experiments as our major studies and used molecular dynamics simulations as an auxiliary tool for interfacial analysis. We utilized foam generation, liquid separation, and defoaming as the entry points of experimental research and energy as the quantitative assessment index to investigate the dynamic process of the action of different oil contents and oil phase types in a DOAPA@NaSal-H+ foam system. We also examined the role of NaSal in the generation and development of the foam system. Results indicated that the law of crude oil's effect on foam could be summarized as "low contents are beneficial and high contents are harmful." In addition, although the DOAPA@NaSal-H+ foam system has high compatibility for saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons, it is highly suitable for application in reservoir environments with relatively high asphaltene and resin contents. Through combined experimental and simulation approaches, we clarified the law governing the stability of the DOAPA@NaSal-H+ foam system in different oil-containing environments, identified the key role of NaSal, and provided a reference for the targeted application of the DOAPA@NaSal-H+ foam system in different oil reservoirs.

Can the recent sex-specific evolutions in elite running performances be attributed to advanced footwear technology?

Recent improvements in elite running performances across all distances have been largely attributed to the introduction of advanced footwear technology (AFT), which features a curved and stiff plate working synergistically with a new generation of midsole foams demonstrating enhanced resilience and compliance. These recent improvements appear to be considerably more pronounced in women's events, highlighted by improvements in road racing world records by an average of 3.7% (range: 2.6%-5.2%) compared to mean progressions of 1.5% (range: 1.3%-1.9%) in the same men's events. Although there is a growing body of research investigating the mechanisms underpinning running performance enhancements derived from AFT, there remains no explanation for potential sex-based differences in their benefits. We overview the currently available evidence and highlight why the recent direction of AFT research provides a barrier to progress by focusing primarily on male athletes. We subsequently provide our perspective on why women may be benefiting from the new generation of shoes more than men, suggest potential mechanisms leading to hypotheses that need to be further investigated in upcoming studies, and finally propose that factors outside of footwear innovation may have concurrently driven the recently observed performance evolutions.

Effects of alkyl polyglucoside on the self-assembly behavior and foam properties of the thermoresponsive triblock copolymer (EO)100(PO)65(EO)100

Thermoresponsive liquid foams stabilized with the triblock copolymer (EO)100(PO)65(EO)100 (PF127) have been proved to be effective in suppressing pool fire. Understanding how the low-molecular-weight surfactants affect the properties of thermoresponsive foam stabilized by PF127 is important in the development of fluorine-free firefighting foam. In this work, the effects of the non-ionic surfactant alkyl polyglucoside (APG) on the properties of the foam stabilized by the triblock copolymer PF127 were studied. The relationships among molecular self-assembly, interfacial properties, and foam properties were investigated by conducting scattering experiments and foam aging tests. The results demonstrated that the APG molecules participated in the organization of the mixed micelles with PF127 molecules and the competition of both components in the mixed micelles affected the foaming properties. For the systems containing APG and 20 wt% PF127, APG acted as a foam inhibitor, suppressing foam generation at low concentrations. In contrast, APG acted as the foam booster at high concentrations since the mixed micelles were relatively unstable, allowing more unimers to diffuse to the interfacial region. In the absence of APG, the liquid foam from PF127 exhibited high stability and elasticity under heat due to the ordered structure formed by PF127 micelles inside the foam. As the APG concentration increased, the transition of orderly packed PF127-rich mixed micelles into disordered APG-rich mixed micelles caused the originally inhibited liquid drainage to restart rapidly, making the foams unstable upon heating. The results of this work can give theoretical guidance for the development of thermoresponsive firefighting foams.

Experimental and numerical study on the pressure drop and flow pattern of liquid foam in a foam generator

In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of the pressure drop, flow pattern, and foam structural properties of vertical upward two-phase flow in a Kenics static foam generator of a compressed air foam system was carried out. A liquid with an extremely low surface tension (16.5 mN/m) was used for making the foam. The effects of the number of elements (number of individual elements combined into the mixer), aspect ratio (the ratio of length to diameter of each element), and transition angle (transition angle between elements) of the Kenics mixers on the pressure loss during foam generation were studied in detail over a wide range of Reynolds numbers through experiments and numerical simulation. A new pressure drop correlation was successfully obtained by scaling analysis and the modified Lockhart–Martinelli correlation was proposed to describe the pressure drop during foam generation. Furthermore, the experimental results validated the proposed correlation and exhibited good reliability and predictive accuracy. Finally, four flow patterns for foam generation in vertical pipes that were different from the classical gas–liquid two-phase flow patterns were proposed, and the relationships among the pressure drop, flow pattern, and foam structural properties were explored. This research expands the study of foam generation in vertical tubes containing a built-in spiral structure with low flow resistance. It provides new insights and guidance for developing continuous foam manufacturing.

Foam drainage modeling of vertical foam column and validation with experimental results

The understanding of the mechanisms behind foam generation and the structure of foam itself form the basis of foam-related experiments for its application in Enhanced Oil Recovery and overcoming gas injection limitations. Novel insights in this paper towards the theory of foam generation can help explain experimental results and lead to improved formulas of the applied substances and concentrations. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms behind foam generation and the structure of foam by specific laboratory experiments and theoretical analyses. The liquid drainage through interconnected Plateau borders was found to be the most critical foam decay mechanism for this particular research. The justification of the foam drainage equation was demonstrated by comparing the numerical solution with the outcome of a few bulk experiments. The discrepancies were described according to the limitations of both the theory and the experimental settings. Foam modelling gives more profound knowledge in more detail of the different stages in foam drainage than experimental data can deliver, which is because of the lack of continuous measurement of foam conductivity for the foam bulk test. Therefore, a comprehension of foam modelling investigation and comparison is required to gain a deeper understanding of foam behaviour.

Controlled release of foam from mesoporous silica-surfactant nanocomposite for enhanced natural gas production

Foam generated from solid foam sticks plays a crucial role in enhancing natural gas production by mitigating liquid accumulation in gas wells. Traditional solid foam sticks dissolve rapidly, releasing foam instantly, particularly at high downhole temperatures in gas wells. This necessitates frequent addition of surfactants to sustain foam generation. To address this issue, this study investigates the use of mesoporous silica nanocomposite to encapsulate the surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), as foam sticks, allowing for extended foam release. Mesoporous silica was synthesized through a sol–gel process involving a silica precursor and surfactant, utilizing alkali-acid catalysts in two steps. The resulting nanocomposite solid sticks were formed through aging and drying in a mold. The silica-surfactant nanocomposite was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD). Experimental results demonstrated the successful encapsulation of 68.2 % surfactant into an average size of 50 nm nanosized silica capsules with a mesoporous structure. Quantitative determination of surfactant release over time in brine at a high temperature (130 °C) was determined through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which showed 6.3 % surfactant remained in nanocomposite after 3 days. Foam performance from the released surfactants was evaluated using a dynamic foam apparatus and blender test. The study showed that foam could be control-released over a period of 7 days through surfactant diffusion from mesoporous nanoparticles. The release of CTAB follows the first-order release kinetic model. This research provides a sustainable solution by utilizing mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carriers for surfactants, resulting in longer-lasting foam for the gas well deliquification and the enhancement of gas production.

Nonylphenol ethoxylate degradation in detergents during shelf time, a new exposure pathway, and a perspective on their substitution.

Detergents are highly produced pollutants with environmental problems like foam generation and toxic effects in biota. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are efficient, economical, and versatile surfactants, used in detergents for more than 40years due to their detergency capacity. In the environment, NPE biodegrades into the metabolite nonylphenol (NP), classified as an endocrine disruptor. The identification and quantification of 4-NP in a designed detergent and 30 commercially available detergents were performed to prove the degradation of NPE into 4-NP during storage time. This investigation introduces the first evidence of NPE degradation during storage in commercially available detergents, demonstrating a novel exposure pathway in humans that has not been explored before, representing potential human health risks. Therefore, simple, easy, low-cost, and available approaches to remove and substitute NP is paramount. Alkyl polyglucoside (APG) was assessed as a substitute, and the feasibility of this substitution was proven according to physical and chemical properties, cleaning performance, and antimicrobial properties. NPE substitution in detergents is demonstrated as a viable strategy to minimize exposure risks in humans and the environment.

Rheological properties of fluorine-free foams stabilized by aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles and mixture of siloxane and hydrocarbon surfactants

Fluorine-free foam stabilized by nanoparticle (NP) is expected to become a new generation of environmental-friendly firefighting foam. Many problems on properties of NP-stabilized fluorine-free foams remain to be studied. The present paper focuses on the rheology and foam stability of fluorine-free foam stabilized by aluminum hydroxide NPs. The surface tension, conductivity, foamability, viscosity, and viscoelasticity of mixed dispersions were measured. The stability, viscosity, viscoelasticity, and thixotropy of foam was analyzed deeply by model fitting and mechanism explanation. The results show that the rheological properties and foam stability of mixed dispersions are both enhanced by the presence of NPs, and the enhancement amplitude increased with NP concentration. Both dispersions and NP-stabilized foams exhibit shear thinning behavior, and the viscosity variations in dispersions conform to the Cross model well. As NP concentration increases, the linear viscoelastic range of foam becomes wider, the flow point of NP foam is delayed, demonstrated enhanced viscoelasticity. The thixotropic recovery of foam decreases with the increasing NP concentration, and foam thixotropic recovery decreases with the increase of irreversible deformation degree. This study can provide design idea for the development of fluorine-free firefighting foam.

Methane foam performance evaluation in fractured oil-wet carbonate systems at elevated pressure and temperature conditions

This study investigates the potential of foam flooding for enhanced oil recovery in oil-wet fractured systems under reservoir conditions. Two surfactants with distinct ionic properties were employed in combination with methane to generate foam via simultaneous injection into propped fractures, aiming to optimize the diversion of gas from fractures to the matrix for improved oil recovery. Core flooding experiments demonstrated the critical roles of total injection rate and foam quality in controlling foam performance. Increasing the total injection rate from 1 to 3 cm³/min enhanced foam generation rates and foam lamella stability, facilitating better interactions between fractures and the matrix. However, beyond an injection rate of 4 cm³/min, there was a decline in apparent viscosity and mobility reduction factor. Foam strength was directly proportional to higher foam quality within the 50 to 80% range, but beyond 85% foam quality, fluctuations in pressure drop signaled the formation of weaker, less stable foams. Micro-scale experiments validated these macroscopic findings, revealing that smaller bubbles were associated with higher flow rates and lower foam qualities. This research contributes valuable insights into both micro and macro-scale in-situ foam generation, which can inform the design and application of foam-based enhanced oil recovery methods in fractured reservoirs.

Numerical study of the mechanisms of nano-assisted foam flooding in porous media as an alternative to gas flooding

Oil reservoirs are nearing maturation, necessitating novel enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques to meet escalating global energy demands. This demand has spurred interest in reservoir production analysis and forecasting tools to enhance economic and technical efficiency. Accurate validation of these tools, known as simulators, using laboratory or field data is pivotal for precise reservoir productivity estimation. This study delves into the application of nanoparticles in foam flooding for mobility control to improve sweep efficiency. Foam generation can occur in-situ by simultaneous injection of surfactants and gas or through pre-generated foam injection into the reservoir. In this work, a series of systematic simulations were run to investigate how much injected fluids can reduce gas breakthrough while also increasing oil recovery. Subsequently, we analyzed the most effective optimization strategies, considering their economic limits. Our primary objective is to numerically model nanofoam flooding as an innovative EOR approach, synergizing foam flooding mechanisms with nanotechnology benefits. In this work, modeling of nanoparticles in foam liquid was represented by the interfacial properties provided to the injection fluid. Additionally, we simulated Water-Alternating-Gas (WAG) injection schemes across various cycles, comparing their outcomes. Our results showed that nanofoam injection achieved a higher recovery factor of at least 38% and 95% more than WAG and gas injections, respectively. The superior efficiency and productivity of foam injection compared to WAG and gas injection suggest an optimal EOR approach within the scope of our model. These simulated optimization techniques contribute to the future development of processes in this field.

Foam Generation Through a Single Pore with Rectangular Cross-Section: Hysteretic Behavior and Geometric Limitation of the Volume Fraction of Bubbles.

We study foam production and destabilization through a flow-focusing geometry, namely a single pore of rectangular cross-section, by coinjecting gas and liquid at constant pressure, Pg, and constant flow rate, Qw. We observe that bubble production results from a Rayleigh-Plateau destabilization of the internal gas thread that occurs at the pore neck when its width becomes comparable to the height of the rectangular-section channel. Using a simple model and numerical approach, we (i) predict the shape of the gas jet and its stability range as a function of flow parameters and device geometry, which we successfully compare with our experimental results, and (ii) demonstrate the existence of a critical local pressure drop at the pore neck that determines whether or not a stable gas flow can form. We thus show that bubble foam generation exhibits hysteretic behavior due to hydrodynamic feedback and demonstrate that there is a maximum bubble volume fraction that the generated foam cannot exceed, the value of which is fixed by the geometry. Our results suggest that the foam collapse observed in porous media when the fractional gas flow becomes too large may result from hydrodynamic feedback inhibiting foam generation and not necessarily from coalescence between bubbles, as is usually claimed.

Factors Influencing the Rheology of Methane Foam for Gas Mobility Control in High-Temperature, Proppant-Fractured Reservoirs

Gas-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) through huff-n-puff (HnP) is an important method of recovering oil from fracture-stimulated reservoirs. HnP productivity is hampered by fracture channeling, leading to early gas breakthroughs and gas losses. To mitigate these issues, foam-generating surfactants have been developed as a method of reducing injected gas phase mobility and increasing oil recovery. This work investigates foam generation and propagation by a proprietary surfactant blend in high-temperature, high-pressure, high-permeability, and high-shear conditions that simulate the environment of a proppant-packed fracture. Bulk foam tests confirmed the aqueous stability and foaming viability of the surfactant at the proposed conditions. Through several series of floods co-injecting methane gas and the surfactant solution through a proppant pack at residual oil saturation, the effects of several injection parameters on apparent foam viscosity were investigated. The foam exhibited an exceptionally high transition foam quality (>95%) and strong shear-thinning behavior. The foam viscosity also linearly decreased with increasing pressure. Another flood series conducted in an oil-free proppant pack showed that swelling of residual oil had no effect on the apparent foam viscosity and was not the reason for the inversely linear pressure dependency. An additional flood series with nitrogen as the injection gas was completed to see if the hydrophobic attraction between the methane and surfactant tail was responsible for the observed pressure trend, but the trend persisted even with nitrogen. In a previous study, the dependence of foam viscosity on pressure was found to be much weaker with a different foaming surfactant under similar conditions. Thus, a better understanding of this important phenomenon requires additional tests with a focus on the effect of pressure on interfacial surfactant adsorption.

Measurement and control of foam generation in a mammalian cell culture.

Foam is generated in mammalian cell cultures by excessive agitation or gas sparging. This occurs particularly in cultures that generate recombinant proteins at high cell concentrations. Three antifoam agents were tested for their compatibility with antibody-producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. One agent (antifoam 204) was completely inhibitory to growth at a concentration of 10 ppm, one agent (antifoam C) showed partial inhibition and a third (antifoam SE-15) showed no inhibition at this concentration. A novel foam image analyzer (LabCam) was used to evaluate two antifoams (C and SE-15) for their ability to dissipate foam generated in cell culture media by enhanced agitation. The presence of antifoam in the media reduced significantly the foam layer that was generated and this was shown to be rapidly dissipated in the presence of 10 ppm SE-15. The antifoams were also tested for foam dissipation in cultures of CHO cells at >106 cells/mL. Supplementation of the cultures with SE-15 resulted in dissipation of foam generated by excessive gas sparging within 2 min. Under equivalent conditions 75% of foam dissipated in the presence of antifoam C, within 2 min but there was a residual foam layer up to 25 min. This study showed the value of an optical monitoring system (LabCam) for measuring foam generation and dissipation in a bioreactor to assess the efficiency of antifoam agents to reduce foam in a bioreactor. This has the potential for use as a control system that could be designed for continuous monitoring and foam control in a mammalian cell bioprocess.

Stability and thermodynamic property of TiO2/R141b nanorefrigerants by multi‐objective optimization

AbstractUtilizing nanorefrigerants as working fluids can significantly enhance the energy efficiency of low‐temperature waste heat recovery systems (≤ 50°C). Refrigerants with low viscosity and density require a substantial amount of surfactant to maintain a stable suspension of nanoparticles. However, the excessive use of surfactants, which have a notably low thermal conductivity, could lead to foam generation and reduce heat transfer coefficient. High viscosity lubricating oils with small amount of surfactant can prolong the stable suspension time and produce repulsive force. Therefore, a new combination of them improves the stability of TiO2/R141b nanorefrigerants. Additionally, viscosity and thermal conductivity of the nanorefrigerants were optimized using an implementation of a modified non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA‐II). The results show that adding lubricating oil inhibits aggregation of the nanoparticles leading to a stable suspension for more than 6 h at volumetric mixing ratios (lubricating oil: refrigerant) greater than 1:30. The best dispersion stability was achieved at surfactant polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) mass ratio of 0.5, and the average absorbance value was increased by 65.45%. Compared with pure refrigerants, the thermal conductivity of TiO2/R141b (0.15 vol.%) nanorefrigerant was enhanced by up to 12.59% under the optimum mixing ratio. Moreover, the studied nanorefrigerants exhibited shear thickening behavior throughout the studied shear rate range, with increased non‐Newtonianization with decreasing temperature. Finally, the Pareto points were divided into three representative groups based on thermal conductivity and viscosity. These findings suggest enhanced high heat transfer efficiency with pumping power of nanorefrigerant in the waste heat recovery systems.

Application of foam assisted water-alternating-gas flooding and quantification of resistivity and water saturation by experiment and simulation to determine foam propagation in sandstone

Foam flooding by Foam Assisted Water-Alternating-Gas (FAWAG) is an important enhanced oil recovery method that has proven successful in experimental and pilot studies. The present study is carried out to monitor the movement of the foam front once injected into the porous medium. This study aims to investigate applications of resistivity waves to monitor foam propagation in a sandstone formation. In the present lab-scale experiments and simulations, resistivity measurements were carried out to monitor the progression of foam in a sand pack, and the relationships between foam injection time and resistivity, as well as brine saturation, were studied. The brine saturation from foam simulation using CMG STAR is exported to COMSOL and calculated true formation resistivity. A diagram was produced summarizing the progression of foam through the sand pack in the function of time, which enabled us to establish how foam progressed through a porous medium. A surfactant and brine mixture was injected into the sand pack, followed by nitrogen gas to generate the foam in situ. As foam progressed through the sand pack, resistance measurements were taken in three zones of the sand pack. The resistance was then converted into resistivity and finally into brine saturation. As foam travels through the sand pack, it is predicted to displace the brine initially in place. This gradually increases each zone's resistivity (decreases the brine saturation) by displacing the brine. Also, an increase in the surfactant concentration results in higher resistivity. Finally, a comparison of three different surfactant concentrations was evaluated in terms of resistivity results, water saturation, and foam propagation monitoring to obtain the optimum surfactant concentration involved in foam flooding.

Experimental studies and computational exploration on an exceptionally salt/condensate resistant gas well foaming mixture compromising amino-betaine-ammonium surfactants and dodecanol

Liquid accumulation in natural gas wells is typically addressed by foam-based deliquification. This study systematically investigated the development of a green and cost-effective foaming mixture comprising lauramidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride (LATC), lauramidopropyl betaine (LAPB), sodium lauroyl glutamate (SLG) and dodecanol (LA). Properly combined LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA mixture demonstrated synergistic effects in enhancing foam generation, foam stabilization and liquid unloading. Remarkably, the LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA foam exhibited exceptional performance in unloading liquid, even at a condensate fraction of up to 50 %. Adding a chelator (NTA) to LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA further improved the foaming efficiency and liquid unloading performance at salinity levels of up to 33 × 104 mg/L, which was likely the highest salt tolerance according to the available literature. The negative effect of temperature on the performance of LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA foam was resolved by adding 15 % methanol. At 90 °C, almost all the liquid can be removed from the column by the LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA foam, which produced a liquid unloading efficiency of 90 % and a foaming efficiency of 100 %. Surface tension, viscosity and morphological analysis supported the observed synergistic effects, while molecular dynamic simulations revealed the mechanisms of the excellent salt/condensate resistance of the LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA foam. These findings demonstrated the promising potential of the LATC/SLG/LAPB/LA foam in gas well deliquification.

Evaluation of foaming agents for high‐temperature, high‐pressure, and high‐salinity reservoirs based on a new foam evaluator

AbstractIn this study, a novel high‐temperature and high‐pressure foam evaluator with variable diameters inner cell and cylinder flip function was designed on our own, which can solve the problems such as difficulties in foam generation and inaccurate determination of various foam parameters by the same type of instruments, through which the foaming performance of more than 10 betaine surfactants was evaluated. The results show that: (1) the higher the pressure, the higher the foaming rate of the foaming agent and the more stable the foam, but the foam stability of the foamers at low and high pressures, and low and high temperatures do not correspond exactly, and the foaming agent used needs to be screened under simulated reservoir conditions. (2) The comprehensive foaming performance of different types of foamers with different molecular structures found that hydroxy sulfobetaine with longer carbon chains has a relatively better foaming performance. Therefore, for the reservoir conditions of temperature 130°C, pressure 30 MPa, and salinity 22 × 104 mg/L, hydroxy sulfobetaine, which does not contain an amide group in the molecule, can be considered preferentially as a foaming agent. The results can guide the selection of foaming agents for high‐temperature and high‐salinity reservoirs.