| 摘要 |
A mixing device has an elongate shell, an inlet, an outlet and at least one shear orifice between the inlet and the outlet. A hydration passage is located between the shear orifice and the outlet. The hydration passage has a flow area greater than a total shear flow area of the shear orifice, greater than an inlet flow area of the inlet and greater than an outlet flow area of the outlet. During operation, a polymer is mixed in a fluid flow flowing to the intake of a positive displacement pump, which pumps the fluid through the mixing device and into an injection conduit leading into a well. The shear orifice produces high shear separation of molecules of the polymer. The hydration passage causes hydration under pressure of the various polymer molecules in addition to blending the various chemicals and/or gases with other components of the fluid flow stream. |
| 主权项 |
1. A method of mixing and injecting a fluid into a well, comprising:
(a) providing a mixing device with an elongate shell, an inlet, an outlet, at least one shear producing element between the inlet and the outlet, and a hydration passage between the shear producing element and the outlet, the hydration passage having a flow area greater than a total shear flow area of the at least one shear producing element, greater than an inlet flow area of the inlet and greater than an outlet flow area of the outlet; (b) connecting the inlet of the mixing device to the discharge of a positive displacement pump, and the outlet of the mixing device to an injection conduit leading into the well; (c) introducing a viscosifier into a fluid flow, creating a partially mixed fluid, and flowing the partially mixed fluid to an intake of the positive displacement pump; (d) with the pump, increasing the pressure of the partially mixed fluid to at least 250 psi and pumping the partially mixed fluid into the mixing device; (e) flowing the partially mixed fluid through the shear producing element, causing separation of molecules in the viscosifier, and into the hydration passage, blending the molecules of the viscosifier with other components in the fluid flow in the hydration passage to create a more viscous fluid with greater viscosity than the partially mixed fluid flowing into the mixing device; (f) discharging the more viscous fluid through the injection conduit into the well; and wherein flowing the partially mixed fluid into the shear producing element in step (e) creates turbulence, and the flow of the more viscous fluid within the hydration passage in step (f) is laminar. |
