PIRE: Multi-scale, Multi-phase Phenomena in Complex Fluids for the Energy Industries

The PIRE project Complex fluids has addressed the investigation of microscopic phenomena occurring at the interfaces liquid-liquid, solid-liquid and gas-liquid. In particular, at a larger scale, the impact from the interfacial phenomena on bulk fluid flow and energy transport in multi-component liquids designed for achieving specific properties and functionalities has been studied. The project is supported by PIRE (Partnerships for International Research and Education), awards decided by National Science Foundation, USA. Lead institution is City University of New York (CUNY) with international collaboration partners from France (4), Germany (5) and Norway (3). For the three Norwegian partners; SINTEF, NTNU and UiO, SINTEF has been the coordinator, and the work has been financed by Research Council Norway. The collaborative research has targeted advancement of knowledge and transformative scientific discoveries as basis for both experimental and modelling methods. This has served to yield improvements in energy and process efficiency in industrial systems on a global scale. It has also accelerated education and training of students and early career researchers by providing them unique opportunities to participate in substantive international research experiences. The topics has addressed are the properties of artificially made emulsions and fluid structures covering a broad range of applications for the energy industries. Main topics for the Norwegian partners has been be particle sedimentation in drilling fluids, formation and control of gas hydrates, distribution of gas bubbles in complex fluids and the separability of oil-water systems as affected by the presence of surface active compounds. In connection with the storage of CO2 captured from industrial plants, many wells will be drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf. The work and results from the project will be very useful in reducing uncertainty and risks when drilling wells for CO2 storage, in addition to being important when drilling for petroleum-bearing reservoirs. In the project, methods have been developed to characterize changes in the properties of the drilling fluid when drilling into zones where CO2 is encountered, in so-called mature areas for CO2 storage. The methods that have been developed have been put into use in a project that will help prevent unwanted incidents when drilling wells for CO2 storage. Examples of such events are well kicks with gas blow-out or blocking of drilling fluid due to the formation of CO2 hydrates; crystals with CO2 and water. Key challenges for the studies have been the selection and design of fluid systems both for experimental studies and the mathematical description. This concerns the molecular interactions as well as the bulk properties of the fluids in the multi-phase mixtures. SINTEF and CUNY have, with support from the drilling fluid vendor MI-Swaco, developed approaches for the preparation of multi-component liquid mixtures with weight material added and which can be established with repeatedly equal properties. The drilling fluids are the category "non-newtonian" liquids which perform as a "stiff" liquid at stagnant conditions and which arrive fluent when circulated . In the project there are methods established for understanding the interaction between the fluid flow conditions of the fluid mixture and its ability to avoid the settling of the denser weight material particles. At laboratory scale there are established test set-ups both at the Norwegian and international partners, where the time evolution of the fluid mixture density is studied at different positions in a vertical column of non-newtonian fluid with weight material (particles) added. Further on, the spatial and local impact on efficient viscosity and the flow velocity field from shear exposure locally is being studied. This is important in order to characterise the relation between fluid mixture properties, flow conditions and the ability to avoid particle settling. It is shown that a certain, appropriate heat exposure of the fluid mixture is important for avoiding the settling of weight material (barite-particles) within the multi-component liquid. Parallel investigations at SINTEF/NTNU and CUNY have shown that such heat exposure also increases the viscosity and the durability of the fluid properties. In particular the use of a shear-oscillating rheometer, an instrument measuring the flowability of the fluid, has shown to be a very useful methodology for determining at which conditions the capability of weight material dispersion is lost.

Outcomes: Significant in-depth knowledge on fundamental mechanisms of fluid-fluid-particle interactions has been achieved throughout the project. This is especially important when it comes to the know-how on non-Newtonian flow behaviour or phase transition during change in process conditions. The project work has improved the performance prediction of non-Newtonian fluids and the understanding of its macroscopic behaviour. Specific topics addressed are the properties of artificially made emulsions and fluid structures covering a broad range of applications for the energy industries. Main topics for Norwegian partners have been particle sedimentation in drilling fluids, formation and control of gas hydrates, and separability impact in oil-water systems as affected by surface active compounds. Competence and analysis methodologies have in particular been developed for the qualifying and characterisation of drilling fluids for the drilling of wells for CO2-storage in in-fill regions. The methodologies are presently being used for safeguarding future drilling of wells for CO2 storage. The joint effort between the lead institution CUNY (The City College of New York of the City University of New York) and the partner institutions in Norway, France and Germany, including both academic staff, students and research institutions has contributed to gain new important insight into the addressed multi-phase phenomena. It has also provided training for education and training of students and early career researchers. The strong collaboration between Norwegian partners and the lead institute of CUNY have resulted in several joint publications. The results have a considerable potential for the Norwegian industries in order to maintain their high standard in safe, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly energy production, in particular relating to the utilisation of hydrocarbon resources and the allocation for subsurface CO2- storage. Impacts: The Norwegian Partner Institutions SINTEF, NTNU (The Norwegian University of Science and Technology), UIO (University of Oslo) have benefitted from the cross-disciplinary PIRE project by the strategically important connection to the lead institution CUNY. New collaboration initiatives have been established based on the PIRE project. Other important relations include the French institutes IRSTEA and ENSTA ParisTech. The analysis methodologies developed for the characterisation of drilling fluids for CO2 wells have been implemented for new ongoing technology qualification. As such the project results are believed to play an important role in the efforts for safely and efficiently realizing CO2 storage. Accordingly, the project results are used for CCS, one of the important climate actions for reaching the 2-degree scenario as defined by the UN Climate Action Framework.

This PIRE project will investigate microscopic phenomena occurring at liquid-liquid, solid-liquid and gas-liquid interfaces, and their effects on bulk fluid flow and energy transport in complex, multi-phase systems. The collaborative research will advance knowledge and make transformative scientific discoveries that will result in innovations in both experimental and modeling methods, leading to improvements in energy and process efficiency in industrial systems on a global scale. It will also accelerate education and training of students and early career researchers by providing them unique opportunities to participate in substantive international research experiences, taking advantage of the scope, scale, expertise, and facilities of the PIRE network. The Norwegian partners will collaborate with City College of New York (lead institution) and four partners each in France and Germany. The resources and research infrastructure available within and across institutions will be shared to build strong international partnerships and enable research advances in multi-phase fluids that could not occur otherwise. This PIRE project includes four research thrusts wherein microscopic-scale insight into molecular and interfacial control of transport phenomena would result in transformative improvements in commercial-scale energy processes: asphaltenes, gas hydrates, drilling fluids, and phase-change nano-emulsions, with diverse applications in oil & gas, CO2 storage, thermal energy storage, and environmentally friendly refrigeration.