This paper presents operating and performance characteristics of a nine-stack solid-oxide fuel cell combined-heat-and-power system. Integrated with a natural-gas fuel processor, air compressor, reactant-gas preheater, and diagnostics and control equipment, the system is designed for use in unconventional oil-and-gas processing. Termed a "Geothermic Fuel Cell" (GFC), the heat liberated by the fuel cell during electricity generation is harnessed to process oil shale into high-quality crude oil and natural gas. The 1.5-kW e SOFC stacks are packaged within three-stack GFC modules. Three GFC modules are mechanically and electrically coupled to a reactant-gas preheater and installed within the earth. During operation, significant heat is conducted from the Geothermic Fuel Cell to the surrounding geology.The complete system was continuously operated on hydrogen and natural-gas fuels for ∼ 600 hours. A quasi-steady operating point was established to favor heat generation (29.1 kW th ) over electricity production (4.4 kW e ). Thermodynamic analysis reveals a combinedheat-and-power efficiency of 55% at this condition. Heat flux to the geology averaged 3.2 kW m −1 across the 9-m length of the Geothermic Fuel Cell-preheater assembly. System performance is reviewed; some suggestions for improvement are proposed.
With the rising industry trend in multilateral completions, there is a cost and productivity benefit resulting from increasing the efficiency of entry and cleanout of lateral wellbores. Cleanout operations are proven to improve production from laterals and there exists a variety of different options of wash tools on the market. Among these wash tools, slow rotating wash tools have been proven to be more efficient during cleanout operations when compared to traditional wash nozzles. A new and commercially viable approach combines a hydraulically activated multilateral entry system with a slow rotating wash tool to increase the efficiency of downhole lateral cleanouts while utilizing technology and tools that are on the market today. This paper presents an improved method of lateral cleanout with a system consisting of a high torque indexing tool for orientation, a hydraulic knuckle joint with a bleed port to generate a pressure drop indication, a shearable choke sub to enable high rate cleanout and a rotating wash tool with modified centralizer body and interchangeable nozzles. For well cleanout efficiency, the articulated length of the toolstring and the centraliser OD can be optimised to ensure the slow rotating wash tool nose is as centralised as possible. The system was set up in an example job scenario and a mock cleanout performed to simulate operations. The job demonstrated the operation of the multilateral entry system and the confirmation pressure changes expected to be witnessed during the job. High rate cleanout rates were achieved by shearing the choke sub and considerations for setup and configurations discussed. The need for lateral entry and efficient cleanout will only increase as more laterals require stimulation intervention and this paper presents an option for providing a cost-effective, efficient cleanout operation.
This report w e prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its .endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or other.wise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.