The Effect of Magnetic Radiation on Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil
The deposition of paraffin wax during the pipeline transportation impedes the flow of crude oil and eventually blocks the pipelines. The hot oiling method is extensively used to control the wax deposition in the oil industry. Consequently, a huge amount of energy is consumed to heat the crude oil by hot water or electrical power every year. In order to save the energy cost, the magnetic paraffin control technology is presented and evaluated with the hot oiling method, and accordingly the effect of the magnetic radiation on the oil transportation is detailed. The experiments carried out have demonstrated that the magnetic treatment can compensate for the resistance rising of the pipeline caused by the hot water reduction. Especially, the transportation of crude oil (at the surrounding temperature of -10°C~-30°C) without any heating has been observed in the Daqing oil field under the radiation of a magnetic field of 120 mT. In addition, the effect of the length of pipelines on the performance of magnetic treatment was also investigated.
Reducing the Viscosity of Crude Oil by Pulsed Electric or Magnetic Field
A method with pulsed electric or magnetic field to reduce the viscosity of crude oil is developed. Specifically, for paraffin-base crude oil, a magnetic field pulse can effectively reduce its viscosity for several hours, while, for asphalt-base crude oil or mixed-base crude oil, an electric field pulse can do the same. The method does not change the temperature of the crude oil; instead, it temporary aggregates paraffin particles or asphaltene particles inside the crude oil into large ones. This particle aggregation changes the rheological property of the crude oil and leads to the viscosity reduction. While this viscosity reduction is not permanent, it is suitable for many important applications, such as oil transport via deepwater pipelines, since it lasts for several hours and is repeatable.
Some effects of alternating current on pipeline operation
Consumers Power Co. coupled field-test data with results of an IIT Research Institute study on powerline-pipeline interaction to characterize a pipeline's reaction to alternating current. An analysis of impedance relationships revealed that values of a-c pipe resistance for wall thicknesses over 0.188 in. (48 mm) vary in direct proportion to the pipe diameter. The corrosion engineer can measure the a-c current and calculate the voltage, attenuation constant, coating resistance, and input impedance with equipment normally available to corrosion personnel. Because the input impedance can vary significantly along a pipeline, the most dependable values are obtained from voltage attenuation data in both directions from an energizing point. Approximations made from soil-resistivity data and the estimated coating resistance can be misleading. These and other relationships can aid the corrosion engineer in minimizing the number and severity of voltage peaks on a pipeline in the design stage of either the pipe or the electric facility; designing grounding systems of optimum effectiveness; and if electric loading is known for a particular peak voltage, estimating the maximum and minimum peaks for other loading.