Specimen for evaluating pressure pulse cavitation in rock formations

• Main Authors: Wang, Hong, Ren, Fei, Wang, Jy-An John, Cox, Thomas S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.03.2020
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; HEATING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

An apparatus 300 for simulating a pulsed pressure induced cavitation technique (PPCT) from a pressurized working fluid (F) provides laboratory research and development for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), oil, and gas wells. A pump 304 is configured to deliver a pressurized working fluid (F) to a control valve 306, which produces a pulsed pressure wave in a test chamber 308. The pulsed pressure wave parameters are defined by the pump 304 pressure and control valve 306 cycle rate. When a working fluid (F) and a rock specimen 312 are included in the apparatus, the pulsed pressure wave causes cavitation to occur at the surface of the specimen 312, thus initiating an extensive network of fracturing surfaces and micro fissures, which are examined by researchers.