The Mechanism of Microgel Formation in Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide

TLDR: In this paper, an equation that allows a more realistic calculation of the steam zone area by including consideration of both the latent heat and the sensible heat in saturated steam is presented, which can be used to predict the growth of steam zone for the two extreme cases of vertical conformance, severe steam channeling and uniform vertical contact.

Abstract: An equation is presented that allows a more realistic calculation of the steam zone area by including consideration of both the latent heat and the sensible heat in saturated steam. Equations are given which can be used to predict growth of the steam zone for the 2 extreme cases of vertical conformance--severe steam channeling and uniform vertical contact. The equations can also be used to interpret results of an actual field test. For example, calculations indicate the extent of the hot water bank to be expected in each case. This might be correlated with temperature response of a producing well to determine if steam is channeling. The equations do not provide the temperature distribution in the hot water bank ahead of the steam zone. However, a reasonable approximation is a linear distribution starting from steam temperature at the steam front and passing through the mid-point of the heat front.