US 11,712,694 B2
In-situ salinity and ionic concentration control for calcite coated microfluidic cell
Dong Kyu Cha, Dhahran (SA); Subhash C. Ayirala, Dhahran (SA); Ahmed Gmira, Al-Khobar (SA); and Ali Abdallah Al-Yousef, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Jul. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/924,817.
Prior Publication US 2022/0008920 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B01D 61/08 (2006.01); B01D 61/02 (2006.01)
CPC B01L 3/502715 (2013.01) [B01D 61/08 (2013.01); B01L 3/502707 (2013.01); B01D 61/027 (2013.01); B01L 2200/027 (2013.01); B01L 2200/0631 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0681 (2013.01); B01L 2300/16 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
introducing an inlet solution having an inlet salinity and an inlet ion concentration from a system inlet to a membrane filtration system;
passing the inlet solution through a first membrane of the membrane filtration system to provide a first permeate having a first salinity and a first ion concentration;
flowing the first permeate into a microfluidic cell;
determining a first wettability of a surface of the microfluidic cell associated with the first salinity and the first ion concentration;
adjusting the membrane filtration system, the adjusting comprising moving a second membrane into fluid communication with the system inlet and the microfluidic cell while the inlet solution is being flowed through the membrane filtration system;
passing the inlet solution through the second membrane of the membrane filtration system to provide a second permeate having a second salinity and a second ion concentration, wherein the second salinity is different from the first salinity or the second ion concentration is different from the first ion concentration;
determining a second wettability of a surface of the microfluidic cell associated with the second salinity and the second ion concentration; and
determining a wettability alteration based on the first wettability and the second wettability.