Showing papers on "Brine published in 1984"

Hydrolysis and Precipitation of Polyacrylamides in Hard Brines at Elevated Temperatures

Abstract: Laboratory data are used to show that commercial polyacrylamides hydrolyze to an equilibrium degree that depends on the temperature of hydrolysis but is largely independent of the brine composition. At greater than 20 ppm hardness levels, polyacrylamide solutions pass through a sharp cloud point as their temperature is raised. This cloud-point temperature depends primarily on the hardness level of the brine and the degree of hydrolysis of the polymer, with lesser dependency on polymer molecular weight and polymer concentration. Indications are that these cloudy solutions cause plugging of porous media. Therefore, a polymer solution is potentially useful only below its cloud-point temperature. For application in a given reservoir, the temperature and frequently the hardness of the water are fixed. If a polyacrylamide hydrolyzes at reservoir conditions to where its cloud point in the field water falls below the reservoir temperature, it is not suitable for polymer flooding in that reservoir.

Solubility of methane in brines from 0 to 300.degree.C

Abstract: The solubility of methane was measured in brines at temperatures from 0 to 300/sup 0/C by the technique of gas extraction. Results, expressed in terms of the Henry's law constant, were fit to a smoothing and interpolation formula for subsequent interpretation and analysis. The results can be extrapolated to temperatures above 300/sup 0/C. The Henry's law constant exhibits maximums in the temperature range 80 to 100/sup 0/C. Methane is salted out with increased concentration of dissolved salts. The salting-out coefficient is strongly dependent upon temperature. The effect of temperature on solubility in a hypersaline geothermal brine is different from that for the simpler sodium chloride brines owing to the more complex chemistry of the geothermal brine.

Ice making machine

Abstract: An ice-making machine (10) includes a housing (12) having a brine solution inlet to receive brine solution from which ice is to be made and having an ice-brine slurry outlet to permit the egress of an ice-brine slurry from the housing. A heat exchanger within the housing has a heat exchange surface (30). The heat exchanger further includes a refrigerant inlet, a refrigerant outlet and at least one refrigerant circuit (32) interconnecting the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet to permit a flow of refrigerant through the heat exchanger to extract heat from the brine solution contacting the heat exchange surface. The at least one refrigerant circuit is constituted by refrigerant passages (34) integrally formed in a body portion of the housing. A blade assembly (90) within the housing carries a plurality of blades each of which is in contact with the heat exchange surface. The blade assembly is mounted on a shaft (80) which is rotatable by a motor to move the blades across the heat exchange surface to remove cooled fluid therefrom and inhibit the deposition of ice crystals on the heat exchange surface.

Polyalkoxy sulphonate, co.sub.2 and brine drive process for oil recovery

Abstract: A B S T R A C T POLYALKOXY SULPHONATE, CO2 AND BRINE DRIVE PROCESS FOR OIL RECOVERY Oil is displaced within a subterranean reservoir by injecting a combination of substantially liquefied CO2, brine and surfactant material into the reservoir, with the surfactant material being a polyalkoxy aliphatic sulphonate surfactant material which has specified dispersing and partitioning properties in contact with the brine and the fluids in the reservoir at the reservoir temperate and a pressure sufficient to substantially liquefy the CO2 within the reservoir.

Inductively coupled plasma spectrometric determination of minor elements in concentrated brines following precipitation

Abstract: The procedure described overcomes matrix effects associated with the direct analysis of concentrated brine solutions. Mg, present in brine solutions, was used as a carrier of trace elements, by adjusting the pH between 8.0 and 9.0 with NaOH. The resultant redissolved precipitate was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for 14 cation and 3 anion species. The influence of NaCl and Mg on the extraction efficiency was investigated. Elemental concentrations lower than 4 ng/mL were observed for many of the elements tested when using 200 mL of original brine solution. The significance of ion complex formation in precipitation from concentrated brines is fully discussed. 24 references, 1 figure, 4 tables.

Method of evaporating liquid from a solution

Abstract: A starting solution is concentrated to a desired end solution by contacting the starting solution with a gaseous medium under the conditions that the heat content of the starting solution in contact with the gaseous medium is smaller than the heat content of the medium, and the duration of contacting is such that most of the solution that evaporates does so under conditions of constant enthalpy. When the starting solution is a brine, and the gaseous medium is air whose relative humidity is less than the relative humidity at the air/brine interface, the brine can be sprayed into the air to form a shower of droplets within which heat and vapor transfer take place during the transit time of the droplets in the air. When the ratio of droplets to air is sufficiently small, the heat content of the droplets is much smaller than the heat content of the air. When the temperature of the brine exceeds the wet-bulb temperature of the air, the latent heat flux is greater than the sensible heat flux, and the temperature of the droplets rapidly approaches the wet-bulb temperature of the air as the droplets are cooled by evaporation. Once the wet-bulb temperature at the air/brine surface is substantially equal to the wet-bulb temperature of the air, a different process takes place, wherein the latent heat flux is substantially equal to the sensible heat flux, and the temperature of the brine approaches the temperature of the air without involving a change in enthalpy.

Continuous vacuum process for recovering bromine

Abstract: A continuous process for the extraction of bromine from a bromide-rich brine in high efficiency while dramatically reducing the steam requirement for the distillation by operating a contact tower under vacuum. The contact tower is designed to operate near the boiling point of the feed brine so that only stripping steam is needed to remove elemental bromine from the brine.

High temperature stable aqueous brine fluids

Abstract: An aqueous brine fluid, particularly useful as a drilling fluid, and containing a high salt concentration, a vinyl sulfonate amide copolymer such as a water soluble copolymer of acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonic acid salts, and a thermal stability enhancing additive, is provided. The aqueous brine fluid is particularly useful at elevated temperatures in the range of about 150°-220° C.

Corrosion inhibition of aqueous brines

Abstract: of the Disclosure A method and composition for reducing the corrosion effect of aqueous mediums such as brines on ferrous metals by incor-porating in the brine an effective amount of a mixture of a sulfur compound wherein the oxidation state of the sulfur is zero or less and a reducing sugar.

Process for reducing the concentration of heavy metals in geothermal brine sludge

Abstract: A process is provided for reducing the total concentration of heavy metals, notably lead, copper and zinc, naturally occurring in silica-rich sludge precipitated from geothermal brine in a brine handling system such as a geothermal brine electric generating plant. The process includes washing the sludge with hot water to displace any brine entrapped in the sludge, dewatering the washed sludge and leaching the silicious solids residue with hydrochloric acid having a concentration of between about 2 and about 9 weight percent and an acid-to-sludge weight ratio between about 0.10 and about 0.33. The acid-sludge mixture is heated to a temperature of at least about 50° and the leaching time is at least about one hour. The leaching solution is separated from the leached sludge and the solids residue are washed with water. Preferably the water used in both washing steps is condensate of steam derived from the geothermal brine. Effluent from the process is preferably combined with the brine for reinjection.

Electrolysis of sodium chloride with the use of ion exchange membranes

Abstract: Reducing the content of iodine in an aqueous brine solution to less than 1 ppm prior to electrolysis in an electrolytic cell separated into an anode chamber and a cathode chamber by a cation exchange membrane improves the electrolytic performance thereof.

Process for the recovery of sodium carbonate from salt mixtures

Abstract: Mined salt mixtures comprising sodium-carbonate, -bicarbonate, -chloride, -sulfate, and -double salts, such as trona and burkeite, are leached with a bicarbonate-saturated solution and added carbon dioxide to selectively dissolve the sodium chloride, sodium sulfate and burkeite and to precipitate additional trona, leaving a leach residue consisting essentially of trona. The trona is calcined and dissolved, and the carbonate solution is purified, crystallized and dehydrated in a non-convective solar pond yielding high purity sodium carbonate monohydrate which is converted into dense soda ash. The brine solution from the leach may be treated for the recovery of a further amount of trona.

High sweep efficiency steam drive oil recovery method

Abstract: In a steam flood oil recovery process wherein the oil-containing formation has a natural brine salinity concentration within the range of 10 to 20% by weight, sweep efficiency is improved by injecting steam until steam breakthrough occurs at the production well after which a mixture of steam, a noncondensible gas, and a surfactant comprising a C 12 alpha olefin sulfonate is injected into the formation. The C 12 alpha olefin sulfonate forms a stable foam with the formation oil at formation conditions that reduces the permeability of the highly permeable steam swept zones thereby diverting the steam to other portions of the formation containing unswept oil. If the formation does not contain a natural brine salinity concentration, then the salinity of the mixture of steam, noncondensible and surfactant is controlled to a concentration of about 10% by weight by adding a salt thereto.

Recovering metal values from geothermal brine

Abstract: A process is provided for recovering valuable metals from geothermal brine comprising introducing donor metallic particles into a geothermal zone which is dominated with hot-pressurized geothermal brine which contains a metal value selected from the group consisting of gold value, silver value, copper value, lead value, tin value and mixtures thereof. The donor metallic particle contains a donor metal selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, aluminum and mixtures thereof. The process further comprises forming a deposit on the donor metallic particles by replacing at least a part of the donor particle with the metal values, producing a stream of the hot-pressurized geothermal brine containing the donor metallic particles which, in turn, contain the deposit of metal values, and separating the donor metallic particles from the thusly produced stream of hot-pressurized geothermal brine.

Method for cleaning organically fouled anion exchange resins

Abstract: of The Disclosure A method for cleansing organically fouled anionic exchange resins is disclosed wherein, in addition to cleansing with caustic and/or brine, the fouled resin is contacted with an effective di-ethylene glycol compound or derivative thereof.

Process for regenerating media filters used to filter geothermal brine

Abstract: A process for regenerating media filters used to filter geothermal brine, especially flashed and clarified, silica-rich brine, comprises flowing steam through the filter in a backflush direction at a rate and for a time duration agitating the filter media and filtered-out material. The process includes, preferably after the steam flow is stopped, flowing brine, for example, filtered brine, through the filter in the backwash direction to flush out the material loosened and broken up by the steam scour and restratify the media bed components, and may include partially draining the filters prior to the steam scour. Preferably, the steam used for the steam scour is low pressure steam obtained from low pressure flashing of the brine being filtered. Steam flow rates are preferably between about 2 and about 10 SCFM per square foot of filter cross-sectional area in the region of the filter media; steam flow rate is preferably about 5 minutes after any steam quenching has ceased. Backflush brine flow rate is preferably between about 15 and about 30 gpm per square foot of filter cross-sectional area in the filter media region. The brine flow duration is preferably between about 5 and about 15 minutes.

Gamma and Alpha Radiolysis of Salt Brines

Abstract: Gamma radiolysis of Permian Basin brine leads to equilibrium gas pressure of about 100 atm. at 75°C and about 40 atm. at 150°C, providing the gas space is very small and/or the total dose is very high. Dose rate dependence is being investigated but is not yet established. Alpha radiolysis of Permian Basin brine is still being evaluated, but it is clear that equilibrium gas pressures will be much higher than with gamma radiolysis. In addition, alpha radiolysis of brine results in a very high solution redox potential. Gas compositions in all cases have been about two parts H2 to one part O2. Efforts to simulate these results with computer models have been quite successful.

Process for removing available halogen from anolyte brine

Abstract: A process is disclosed for substantially reducing the dissolved halogen and hypohalite ion concentration in a recycled brine from a membrane electrolytic cell with a closed loop brine system comprising the addition of a non-sulfate generating reducing agent to the brine in a less than conventional stoichiometric molar quantity in relation to each mole of available halogen and hypohalite present in the brine after the steps of dehalogenation, precipitation and pH adjustment.

Pressure and Temperature Effects on Brine Completion Fluid Density

Abstract: A model has been developed to predict the density of a brine containing CaCl/sub 2/, CaBr/sub 2/, and ZnBr/sub 2/ from its composition. The model accounts for the effects of pressure and temperature using experimental results and literature data. The theoretical framework and equations used are presented. Brine completion fluids are used to control wells during gravel-packing and other open perforation completion work. Since they are usually filtered to minimize particulate invasion, careful adjustment of the overbalance pressure is required to minimize fluid loss to the formation. The methods presented here will allow the engineer to more accurately estimate the density requirements for the fluid. The model has been compared to published brine density data and matches that data well. The model predicts the effects of temperature on CaCl/sub 2/, CaBr/sub 2/ and ZnBr/sub 2/ solutions. The effect of pressure on these fluids is small and less documented, but where data are available for comparison purposes the model matches the data well up to 200/sup 0/F. Methods of predicting the density of brine completion fluids are needed for well control pressure calculations and cost control of fluids, and are major factors in brine completion fluid optimization. This work represents themore » first application of modern solution thermodynamics to field completion brine problems.« less

Process for removing sulphate from electrolysis brine

Abstract: Sulfate impurities are removed from alkali metal chloride brine electrolysis cell effluent by diluting the effluent to an alkali metal chloride content of less than 150 grams per liter and then contacting the diluted effluent with a weakly basic anion exchange medium.

Process to remove settled solids from completion brines

Abstract: Drilling fluid solids (mud, solids and oil) can be removed from completion/packer brines in a well system by employing a small effective amount of an aliphatic alcohol and a surface active chemical aid mixed with the contaminated brines. Under some conditions, the brine can become recontaminated in a well with a small amount of solids which settle to the production zone in the well bore. These settled solids obscure acoustic logging and plug perforations into the production zone. These settled solids are removed by spotting a chemical aid in selected volume and concentration. These solids now become buoyant and rise upwardly in the well bore leaving in the well the production zone with clean solids-free brine. As a result, the entire volume of brine does not require treatment.

Interfacial composition of microemulsions: modified schulman-bowcott model

Abstract: The interfacial composition of oil-external microemulsions formed with sodium stearate, pentanol, brine and various oils (octane, dodecane and hexadecane) was determined in terms of moles of alcohol per mole of surfactant present at the interface (nii a/n3,) using a modified three compartment Schulman-Bowcott model. The modified model takes into account the solubility of pentanol in aqueous and hydrocarbon phases. For a constant brine/surfactant ratio, it was found that the value of (nii a/n3,) was highest for dodecane containing microemulsion which corresponded to the maximum solubilization of brine in this microemulsion at optimal salinity. This behavior is explained on the basis of chain length compatibility in microemulsions. The optimal salinity for solubilization increased with the chainlength of oil.

Convective transport of brine and thaw of subsea permafrost: Results of numerical simulations

Abstract: A two-dimensional numerical simulation is used to investigate the circulation of brine in the thawed porous bottom sediments which overlie ice-bearing permafrost on the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean. The brine motion is assumed to be governed by Darcy's Law and is effective in transporting salt to the ice-bearing sediments and therefore effective in determining their thaw rate. The simulations are initiated by assuming that the initial brine concentration in the thawed sediments matches the average annual salinity of the overlying sea water. A diffusive layer along the phase boundary develops at the base of the thawed sediments and thickens to the point where it becomes convectively unstable. The system is followed in time to observe the development of a stable convective flow pattern. Simulations were run at Rayleigh numbers of 1750 and 17,500. In the 1750 Rayleigh number run the boundary layer and convective plumes had characteristic thicknesses of about 2 meters in a 20-m thick thaw layer. The high Rayleigh number run had thicknesses of only a few tenths of a meter. The high Rayleigh number run is more consistent with the observations, but the results are at sufficient variance with the observations to suggest there is some not yet identified process affecting the transport of brine to the phase boundary.

An Ultrafiltration Activated Carbon Treatment System for Renovating Fishery Refrigeration Brines

Abstract: An ultrafiltration-activated carbon system has been developed to renovate contact refrigeration brines, used on fishing vessels, before reuse and to salvage usable byproducts. The spent brines were first ultrafiltered with 30,000 Mw cut off membranes then treated with activated coconut charcoal. Brine chemical oxygen demand was reduced by 64.2%, Kjeldahl nitrogen by 71% and volatile matter by 79.4%. Material salvaged in the retentate exhibited a balanced amino acid profile and showed no accumulation of heavy metals. These materials may be used as animal feeds.

A finite element formulation for brine transport in rock salt

Abstract: A set of coupled field equations is developed for transport of liquid brine in natural rock salt. The natural rock salt consists of individual crystals brought together so that only a portion of the crystal faces or grain boundaries contribute to the hydraulically connected pore space. Transport of brine inclusions within individual crystals is considered to be thermally driven; whereas transport along crystal interfaces or grain boundaries is considered to be pressure driven. The field equations for both transport mechanisms are developed and incorporated in a finite element program. An analytical solution to a one-dimensional boundary value problem is derived and compared to the finite element solution. An application of the finite element code to radioactive waste emplacement is briefly discussed.

Stability of polyacrylamides in hard brines at elevated temperatures

Abstract: Laboratory data are used to show that commercial polyacrylamides hydrolyze to an equilibrium degree which depends on the temperature of hydrolysis, but is largely independent of the brine composition. In brines containing large amounts of sodium chloride, but less than 20 ppm total hardness, polyacrylamides appear to be indefinitely stable, at least at temperatures up to 204/sup 0/C (400/sup 0/F). At hardness levels greater than this, polyacrylamide solutions pass through a sharp cloud point as their temperature is raised. This cloud point temperature depends primarily on the hardness level of the brine and the degree of hydrolysis of the polymer, with lesser dependency on polymer molecular weight and polymer concentration. Indications are that these cloudy solutions cause plugging of porous media. Therefore, a polymer solution is potentially useful only below its cloud point temperature. For application in a given reservoir, the temperature and frequently the hardness of the water is fixed.

Secondary recovery method

Abstract: Hydrocarbons are recovered from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation penetrated by an injection well and a production well by displacing hydrocarbons toward the production well using a drive fluid such as water or brine, thickened with a copolymer of acrylamide and diacetone acrylamide alkoxylated with an alkylene oxide or glycidol, optionally sulfated or sulfonated. If desired, said drive fluid can be saturated with carbon dioxide, nitrogen, natural gas or mixtures of these gases at the injection pressure.

A system for draining liquid refrigerant from a subcooler in a vapor compression refrigeration system

Abstract: A vapor compression refrigeration system with a tube in shell subcooler for use in low temperature cooling applications such as in a brine chilling application is disclosed. The subcooler has a drain system for draining liquid refrigerant from the shell side of the subcooler at shutdown of the refrigeration system to prevent undesirable amounts of water from freezing in the tubes of the subcooler after shutdown of the refrigeration system.