Bancada para avaliação de sensores para a detecção da formação de hidratos

Abstract

Hydrate formation is an important safety challenge and an obstacle to hydrocarbons flow in oil and gas pipe lines. Hydrates are inclusion compounds composed of water and guest molecules, which stabilize the crystalline structure of hydrogen bounds between water molecules, forming a solid structure above the solidification temperature of water. Hydrates are formed at high pressures and low temperatures and are influenced by a variety of chemical and thermodynamic factors. The detection of hydrates on early stages of their formation would be a great advantage for the oil industry, both from the point of view of greater financial returns, and from the point of view of operational safety. Given this opportunity, this work was developed a workbench that allows the evaluation of sensors performance for the detection of the formation and growth processes of hydrates. An equilibrium cell with optical access was built(with tempered glass windows), bearing in mind the sensors that would be evaluated. Cyclopentane was employed to promote hydrate formation, in view of the possibility to form hydrates under pressures considerably below those normally observed for other hydrocarbons. In order to promote hydrate formation a thermal control system and a stirring system were developed, allowing the formation of hydrates in appreciable scale. It was possible to observe growth, agglomeration and gradual hardening of the hydrate layer. Ultrasound sensors were employed, revealing difficulty in extracting information from a full hydrates system. Suggestions for further works were proposed, in view of the challenges and obstacles encountered during the course of this study.