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HPFA – High Pressure Foam Analyzer

Analysis of foam behavior under oil reservoir conditions

The HPFA High Pressure Foam Analyzer is the world’s only measuring instrument for simultaneously analyzing the amount and structure of liquid foams under high pressure. The instrument provides various options for investigating foam behavior under the real process conditions of foam-assisted flooding methods in EOR as well as hydraulic fracturing.

  • Foam-assisted gas flooding
  • Foam as fracking liquid and for fracking stimulation

MEASURING METHODS

  • Foam height and foam structure simultaneously analyzed under high pressure

MEASURING RESULTS

  • Maximum foam volume and liquid volume in foam at maximum
  • Decay curves: total height and volume as well as foam and liquid height and volume at each measured point in time
  • Time values for the reduction of liquid volume in foam and foam volume to 75% and 50% (foam half-life)
  • Bubble count per mm², mean bubble size, and standard deviation
  • Histogram showing bubble size distribution
  • Geometrical parameters of the bubbles, expressed in different kinds of radii

INSTRUMENT DIMENSIONS

Footprint 1100 mm × 640 mm (W × D)
Height 1070 mm
Weight (without accessories) 190 kg

POWER SUPPLY

Voltage 100 to 240 V
Power consumption 30 W
Frequency 50 to 60 Hz

ENVIRONMENT

Operating temperature 10 to 40 °C
Humidity without condensation

TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Type of temperature control electrical
Range of temperature control room temperature to 120 °C

INTERFACES

PC 1× USB 3.0

ACCESSORIES

Filter plates for sparging Diameter: 30 mm
Filter plate porosities G2: nominal maximum pore size: 40 to 100 μm (recommended)
G3: nominal maximum pore size: 16 to 40 μm
G4: nominal maximum pore size: 10 to 16 μm
Material of columns and frits borosilicate glass (norm: ISO 4793)
Material of sealings PTFE with glass fibers (inner) and graphite (outer) for the windows
HNBR for the filter plates

POWER SUPPLY FOR HEATING

Voltage 115 to 230 V
Power consumption 1880 W
Frequency 50 to 60 Hz

TEMPERATURE SENSOR

Sensor 1 thermocouple
Location in the high-pressure cell (top/middle/bottom)

MINI DOSING SYSTEM

Dosing manual
Location in the high-pressure cell (top/middle/bottom)
Temperature maximum 180 °C

PRESSURE MEASUREMENT

Maximum pressure 350 bar (5000 psi)
(additional external syringe pump needed)

ILLUMINATION

Type LED
Wave length, dominant (height detection) 469 nm
Wave length, dominant (structure detection) 633 nm

STRUCTURE CAMERA

Connection USB 2.0
Performance 2 fps at 1280 × 1024 px
Mean field of view 25 × 13 mm²
Diameter of minimum detectable bubble 150 μm
Focus manual

HEIGHT CAMERA

Connection USB 2.0
Performance 5 fps at 1280 × 1024 px
Spatial resolution 200 dpi | 0.12 mm/px
Mean field of view 85 × 5.2 mm²
Focus manual

SOFTWARE

Software type ADVANCE
Available software modules foam analysis – high pressure

MEASUREMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Analyzed foam characteristic foamability and foam stability
foam structure: homogeneity, stability and aging
Results foam height
liquid height
total height
foam capacity (additional flow sensor needed)
maximum foam density
expansion rate
foam half life time
drainage half life time
sample temperature
gas temperature
pressure
mean bubble area
bubbl