Systems and methods of determining fluid properties
Systems and methods of determining fluid properties are disclosed. An example apparatus to determine a saturation pressure of a fluid includes a housing having a detection chamber and a heater assembly partially positioned within the detection chamber to heat a fluid. The example apparatus also includes a sensor assembly to detect a property of the fluid and a processor to identify a saturation pressure of the fluid using the property of the fluid.
1. An apparatus to determine a saturation pressure of a fluid, comprising:
a housing having a detection chamber;
a heater assembly partially positioned within the detection chamber controlled by an electronics and processing system configured to temporarily heat only a local portion of a fluid resulting in thermal nucleation and then the fluid returning to an ambient temperature and comprising;
current transporting conductors; and
a wire within the detection chamber and electrically coupled to the current transporting conductors that temporarily heats the local portion of the fluid;
wherein a cross-sectional area of the current transporting conductors is larger than a cross-sectional area of the wire;
a sensor assembly to detect a property of the fluid;
a pressure controller to control a pressure of the fluid; and
wherein the electronics and processing system identifies a saturation pressure of the fluid using the property of the fluid, and wherein the heater assembly is to temporarily heat the local portion of the fluid without increasing a temperature of the detection chamber by more than approximately 0.1° C.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the property is associated with one or more of an optical measurement, an acoustic contrast measurement, or a thermal conductivity measurement.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection chamber comprises an optical chamber.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the saturation pressure comprises at least one of a bubble point pressure or a dew point pressure.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an optical path extends through the detection chamber and at least a portion of the heater assembly is positioned within the optical path.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wire is to extend across or along a flowpath that is to receive the fluid.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the heater assembly is to at least partially define the flowpath.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more lenses or windows to enable the sensor assembly to identify the property of the fluid.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the lenses defines a flowpath that is to receive the fluid.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein one or more of the lenses defines a groove in which a portion of the heater assembly is positioned.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises one or more of an optical sensor, a spectrometer, an optical fiber, a fluorescence detection channel, a spectrometer channel, or a sensor.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a plurality of apertures to receive at least a portion of one or more of the heater assembly or the sensor assembly.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure controller comprises a piston.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the piston is to provide a controlled pressure change.
15. A method of determining a saturation pressure of a fluid, comprising:
A) temporarily thermally nucleating only a localized portion of the fluid within a detection chamber, and allowing the fluid to return to ambient temperature;
B) detecting a property of the fluid; and
C) determining a saturation pressure of the fluid using the property.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising performing processes A, B and C in a first wellbore region and performing processes A, B and C in a second wellbore region.
17. A downhole tool, comprising:
a microfluidic device, comprising:
a detection chamber;
a heater assembly at least partially positioned within the detection chamber controlled by an electronics and processing system configured to temporarily heat only a local portion of a fluid resulting in thermal nucleation, wherein the heater assembly only heats the local portion of the fluid without increasing a temperature of the detection chamber by more than approximately 0.1° C., the heater assembly comprising;
current transporting conductors; and
a wire within the detection chamber electrically coupled to the current transporting conductors that temporarily heats the local portion of the fluid;
wherein a cross-sectional area of the current transporting conductors is larger than a cross-sectional area of the wire; and
a sensor assembly to detect a property of the fluid; and
wherein the electronics and processing system determines a parameter of the downhole fluid using the property of the fluid.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the heater assembly generates heat pulses, each pulse having shorter duration of heat than duration of no heat.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein thermally nucleating a fluid within a detection chamber comprises:
supplying heat pulses, each pulse having shorter duration of heat than duration of no heat.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the duration of heat is between 100 ns and 100 ms.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the heat pulse has a frequency at least 1 Hz or higher.
22. The method of claim 19 ,
wherein the temperature increase of the detection chamber caused by the heat pulses is no more than 0.1° C.
23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection chamber is located proximate to a bubble trap.