US 12,072,346 B2
Determining demulsifier performance
Nagoorpitchai S. Meeranpillai, Al Khobar (SA); Ali Almuhaimeed, Al-Qatif (SA); and Osama Alzahrani, Dammam (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Dec. 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/550,906.
Prior Publication US 2023/0184654 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 9/00 (2006.01); C10G 33/06 (2006.01); G01N 1/40 (2006.01); G01N 13/02 (2006.01); G01N 33/28 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 9/00 (2013.01) [C10G 33/06 (2013.01); G01N 1/40 (2013.01); G01N 13/02 (2013.01); G01N 33/2823 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for evaluating a demulsifier performance from an emulsion mixture comprising a demulsifier, the system comprising:
a tensiometer configured to sense a buoyant force of the emulsion mixture, the tensiometer comprising:
a body with an open end;
a cover attachable to the body;
a sample holder sized to hold the emulsion mixture and the demulsifier, the sample holder sized to be received inside the body, wherein the body and the cover define a sealable chamber;
a handle attached to and extruding from the cover; and
a probe loaded onto the handle, the probe sized to be submerged inside the emulsion mixture in the sample holder below the cover, the emulsion mixture exerting the buoyant force on the probe when the probe is submerged inside the emulsion mixture;
an environmental control system positioned to enclose the tensiometer; and
a data acquisition and processing system in electronic communication with the tensiometer, and the environmental control system, the data acquisition and processing system configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving a signal representing the buoyant force of the emulsion mixture from the tensiometer; and
based on the buoyant force of the emulsion mixture, determining the demulsifier performance of the demulsifier.