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Method of Using Nanoparticle Tracers to Evaluate Flow-Remediating Additives

Detailed Technology Description

The invention is a method of using nanoparticle tracers in laboratory columns to evaluate fluid flow-remediating additives.

Others

Publications
https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/39481

*Abstract

Cornell researchers have developed and optimized laboratory column experiments that use inert nanoparticle tracers to screen the effectiveness of flow-modifying additives of fluids. The uniformity of fluid flow through porous media is important to many industrial and academic fields, including oil and gas recovery, geothermal energy extraction and CO2 sequestration. Developing and testing flow control methods in a laboratory setting is significantly less expensive than testing with field experiments that are often difficult to interpret.

 
The Cornell researchers developed specific experiments varying permeability contrast, core diameter and injection rate to determine optimum column design and operation. Further, using nanoparticle tracers offers several advantages when monitoring flow rate. The nanoparticle tracers used do not bind to existing sand particles during soil flow tests and therefore have little to no effect on experimental results. In addition, nanoparticle tracers are much better for detecting flow “dead zones” than chemical tracers because nanoparticles have much less tendency to fill the dead zones by diffusion. For a specific example, the designed experiments can evaluate the flow modifying additives used to improve oil recovery from a reservoir.

 

Potential Applications
. Oil and gas recovery
. Geothermal energy extraction
. CO2 sequestration

 

Advantages
. Allows for testing ahead of significantly more expensive field experiments
. Experimental columns eliminate residual air, which can lead to non-uniform and unrepeatable results

*Licensing

Martin Teschl, Sr. Technology Licensing Officermt439@cornell.edu(607) 254-4454

Country/Region

USA