Wax-Hydrate Visual Rig

Main applications:

1. Measuring wax appearance and disappearance temperatures by visual and QCM techniques.
2. Measuring the hydrate stability zone of various fluid systems.
3. Investigating the mechanism of hydrate inhibition by low dosage hydrate inhibitors, using the visual capabilities of the rig.
4. Studying the effect of gas hydrates on wax and vice versa.
5. Measuring the interfacial tension of various fluid systems by pendant drop technique.

Operating conditions:

Pressure: up to 7,500 psia (50 MPa)
Temperature: –30 ºC to 80 ºC

Description:

The Wax-Hydrate Visual Rig is comprised of a 100cc cell with a maximum operating pressure of 50 MPa. The ends of the cell are removable and are fitted with 4cm diameter sapphire windows giving good visibility of the entire contents of the cell. A jacket through which fluid can be circulated from a temperature controlled bath surrounds the cell, giving the Rig an operating temperature range of 243 to 353K. The cell is mounted on a compressed air powered rocking mechanism for mixing of contents. Cell pressure, temperature and QCM resonant frequency are recorded by a PC. A magnifying camera can be mounted on the rig, which is connected to a PC for digital image and video capture. The Rig is used for studying gas hydrates, wax and combinations of them.