Learn more about low shear

Typhonix Low Shear Day 2020 was held as a webinar, focusing on how to get a cleaner and more cost-efficient oil production by reducing unwanted shear and turbulence. At the Low Shear Day Webinar, we discussed our experiences and understandings, highlighting the following subjects:

• What are the effects of shear in oil production?
• Where can you find sources of shear?
• What can you do to minimize shear forces or mitigate the effects of shear on downstream separation equipment?
• How can your process layout and equipment be optimized to reduce potential separation issues? 

The webinar consisted of two presentations and a Q&A session, covering the most frequently asked questions. The presentations were called:

• Low shear oil production: Droplet breakup in valves and pumps
• Next generation process control equipment: Coalescing valves and pumps 

Understanding the effects that different levels of shear have on the separation of oil and water is vital when designing an efficient and compact production and processing facility.

The location and type of valves and pumps used in the processing facility have a direct impact on the separation efficiency and profitability. Utilizing low shear technologies reduces the number and size of the separation stages required, and reduces the need for heating and chemicals.

Removing high intensity shear zones by using low shear alternatives, and applying technologies that cause droplet coalescence, has a direct impact on CAPEX and OPEX.

Conventional valves and pumps break oil droplets while handling produced water, leading to reduced efficiency of downstream treatment processes. Typhonix has designed both valves and pumps, where the magnitude of shear forces are controlled and optimized to the benefit of downstream separation processes.

In the coalescing valve, the turbulent energy that controls flow rate or pressure, promotes droplet growth rather than droplet breaking in multiphase flow. The coalescing pump is a multistage centrifugal pump with high hydraulic efficiency. The pump layout and configuration of the individual stages are custom designed to control shear forces and optimize oil droplet coalescence.

Low droplet shearing is important for optimizing the downstream separation efficiency.

The droplet shearing is related to turbulence in pipes and equipment. A good way of illustrating high and low shear is by shaking two bottles, where one is shaken intensely and the other lightly. The lightly shaken bottle illustrates a low shear flow regime, where the droplets remain large and separate easily in downstream separation equipment.

In Typhonix low shear valves, a larger volume is used to dissipate the energy. This results in a lower turbulence intensity and therefore also reduced droplet break-up.

In Typhonix low shear centrifugal pumps, pressure is generated over a larger number of stages. Combined with optimized internals, this results in a robust and reliable pumps design with low droplet break-up.

In Typhonix coalescing valves and pumps, the concept of low shear is taken a step further, where the turbulence is used in a constructive way to form larger droplets.

These technologies are designed with an optimal turbulence intensity. This optimal level of turbulence is large enough to bring droplets and promote coalescence, while at the same time maintaining the large droplets.

To reduce droplet breakup and maximize oil/water separation efficiency, replacing conventional equipment with the low shear alternatives is an effective, quick, and cost-efficient solution.

Typhonix also offer low shear studies, collaborating with independent third parties for objectivity, to estimate and demonstrate the potential benefits of low shear debottlenecking of your specific asset.

Typhonix low shear valves, low shear pumps and coalescing pumps are available today, and have been adapted by several of the major companies all over the world. The equipment is tailored for each specific application, offering the best possible low shear performance.