skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: New findings in low-temperature oxidation of crude oil

Conference ·
OSTI ID:103917
 [1]
  1. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

Clay and sand fines reduced the permeability of sand packs in combustion tube experiments and also provided a large reaction surface area. Consequently, residual oil saturation and hence fuel concentration increased, resulting in high-temperature oxidation (HTO). In contrast, low-temperature oxidation (LTO) resulted from low fuel concentration. A combustion front temperature of 500 C (932 F) was obtained for HTO runs, compared to only 350 C (662 F) for the LTO run. During HTO, practically all injected oxygen was consumed, whereas during LTO, oxygen moved through the combustion front resulting in the formation of an oxygenated hydrocarbon fuel (atomic oxygen-carbon ratio of 0.3 was measured). As a result of distillation, the viscosity and specific gravity of the produced oil in HTO runs were reduced significantly. In contrast, LTO resulted in an increase in viscosity and specific gravity of the produced oil. A new method was developed to estimate the heat of reaction of oxygenated hydrocarbon fuels. Kinetic tube experiments showed oxidation of crude oil to consist of two stages: low-temperature oxidation followed by high-temperature oxidation, with reaction peaks at about 250 C (482 F) and 400 C (725 F) respectively. Kinetic and combustion tube experimental results indicated that an oxygenated hydrocarbon fuel was formed during low-temperature oxidation. A new oxidation model for kinetic tube experiments was developed. Oxygen consumption based on the new model agreed well with experimental data.

OSTI ID:
103917
Report Number(s):
CONF-950326-; TRN: IM9541%%356
Resource Relation:
Conference: Annual SPIE Asia Pacific oil and gas conference and exhibition: towards more cost effective technology and quality management in the petroleum industry, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), 20-22 Mar 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Asia Pacific oil and gas conference: Proceedings; PB: 592 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English