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Remarkable decrease in the viscosity of waxy crude oil under an electric field
Ankita Jain1, Jyoti R Seth, Vinay A Juvekar
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India. jyoti@che.iitb.ac.in.
Soft Matter
|October 21, 2020
Summary
Applying a DC electric field to waxy crude oil below its pour point breaks down wax networks and significantly reduces viscosity. This method offers a novel solution for preventing pipeline blockages in the petroleum industry.
Area of Science:
- Petroleum Engineering
- Materials Science
- Rheology
Background:
- Waxy crude oil transport faces pipeline blockage risks below pour point.
- Wax deposition can lead to complete pipeline obstruction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of DC electric fields on waxy crude oil viscosity.
- To understand the wax network dynamics under electric field application.
Main Methods:
- Application of DC electric fields to waxy crude oil below its pour point.
- Measurement of viscosity changes during and after electric field application.
- Microscopic analysis of wax network structure.
- Dielectric and conductivity measurements of crude oil components.
Main Results:
- Electric fields reduce viscosity by up to two orders of magnitude.
- Viscosity decrease follows first-order kinetics dependent on electric field strength.
- Network breakage and fragmentation observed, followed by wax fragment aggregation.
- Viscosity recovery rate depends on the viscosity at field cessation.
Conclusions:
- DC electric fields effectively break wax networks in crude oil without shear.
- Maxwell stress induced by electric fields is the primary mechanism for network disruption.
- This technique presents a viable method for mitigating waxy crude oil pipeline issues.
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