Our High-Pressure Foam Analyzer – HPFA is the world’s only measuring instrument for simultaneously analyzing the amount and structure of liquid foams under high pressure. The instrument provides various options for investigating foam behavior under the real process conditions of foam-assisted flooding methods in EOR as well as hydraulic fracturing.
Measurement of foam height and structure with two cameras
While a gas flow is used to produce foam, two high-resolution cameras operating in parallel record the foam height and images of the foam lamellae. Supported by the real-time image evaluation of our ADVANCE software, the instrument determines the foamability and the foam decay. Within one and the same measurement, it also captures the change in bubble count per area and the absolute bubble size as well as its statistical distribution.
Simulation of extreme pressure conditions of oil reservoirs
The measuring cell works at pressures up to 350 bar and temperatures up to 120 °C, thus making it possible to observe the foam behavior under reservoir conditions. Sensors continuously transmit the pressure and the temperature to the ADVANCE software.
Flexible foaming conditions
Filters with different pore sizes are available for foaming to enable different lamella dimensions to be investigated. This option can be used to approach foaming conditions inside a particular reservoir with its characteristic rock porosity. Foaming can be carried out with air as well as carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are frequently used for gas flooding.
Additional dosing during the experiment
How stable does aqueous foam remain when it comes into contact with a foam-inhibiting oil phase? The heatable Mini Dosing System – MDS of the HPFA enables this question to be answered exactly. As the analysis progresses, any required liquids can be dosed into the foam from above or into the liquid phase from below while maintaining the pressure. The effects on the foam can be observed live and based on the continuous data recording.
Tasks and applications
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Foam-assisted gas flooding
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Foam as fracking and fracking stimulation liquid
Measuring methods and options
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Measurement of foamability and foam stability based on the foam height and volume with respect to time
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Analysis of foam structure and its variation with respect to time based on the number, size and statistical size distribution of the foam bubbles
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Measurements at pressures up to 350 bar and temperatures up to 120 °C
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Foaming with a diverse range of gasses such as air, N2 or CO2
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Option of adding liquids during the measurement
All you need to run your factory !
