Heavy Oil Properties & Processing
Research Program

 

 

Research Facilities



We are located in the Schulich School of Engineering in the new Energy, Environment & Experiential Learning (EEEL) building.

 

The research group employs a range of techniques using state-of-the-art apparatus such as:

 

       PVT cell equipped for solids
      detection:

          o       Maximum of 70 MPa and 200oC

          o       High Pressure Microscope stage
    
o    Near IR solids detector

          o       Modified to collect and separate
          asphaltenes
in a "centrifuge tube"
          pressure vessel

          o       In-line Cambridge viscometer

          o       In-line Anton Parr density meter



 

                            
                         
                      
  Capillary viscometer:
 

           o  Capable of measuring viscosities up to one hundred

               thousand centipoise

           o  Measurements at temperatures from 20 to 150oC

                    and pressures up to 70 MPa

 

 

                
          
           
Diffusivity Apparatus (gas-liquid):

                o  Diffusivity up to 200oC and 1500 psi

                o  Diffusivity up to 300oC and 1500 psi




 

 

   

              Modified Hele-Shaw Cell:

                 o       Dynamics of drainage of Heavy
                  Oil-Solvent Systems

                 o       Measure liquid flow rates, density
                   & interface profile over time

    

 

                     

             

    Drop shape analyzer tensiometer:
 

    o  Capable of measuring interfacial rheology
    over a range of temperatures and pressure

o
  Equipped to measure interfacial tension,
    visco-elastic properties, time dependent
    behaviour and contact angles
o   Equipped to measure interfacial tension,
    visco-elastic properties, time dependent
    behaviour & contact angles
 

    

       

    Vapour pressure osmometers (VPO):

   o  used to determine molar mass of asphaltenes, resins, aromatics and saturates and to define self-association behaviour *


 









     
 Deep vacuum fractionation & vapour pressure apparatus:

          o  static high vacuum apparatus with operating range of 100 to
         1x10-9 kPa and 25 to 300
oC
     o  capable of generating physical fractions of heavy oil and
         bitumen up to 60% in mass
     o  capable of measuring vapour pressures from 1 to 1x10-4 kPa
         and 25 to 200oC



                                                

    Advanced Distillation Curve (ADC)

 o  For atmospheric distillation of light to heavy oil
 o  Capable of dewatering oil
 o  Convert data to TBP without collecting fractions


                                                
                                           

                                        
                               
 Spinning Band Distillation (SBD)

                        o  Ideal for separation of close-boiling compounds
                   o  Collects 4 fractions
                   o  May be run under light vacuum, 2 to 760 Torre
 

 

 


  
A broad range of other oil characterization and surface science apparatus, including:

      
SARA Analysis for determination of Saturates, Aromatics, Resins and Asphaltenes in heavy oil
 

          
             Rag Layer Apparatus                                        Emulsion Preparation & Stability Determination
 for measurement of growth/decay
            of emulsion rag layers


        
                                            

     Zeiss Axiovert S100 Microscope              Kruss K12 Tensiometer             Anton Paar Abbemat Refractometer
                                                         (Wilhelmy Plate, Du Nuoy Ring)             operating range 10-70
oC *

 

   A broad range of other laboratory apparatus, including:

                                 
                Analytical Balances                     Batch Extraction Unit (BEU)              Karl Fischer Titration
                                                                   for oil sand (froth) extraction          for water determinations  
 

                   
                                   Centrifuges      *                                                  Anton Paar DMA4500 Density Meter
                                                                                                            operating range 10 - 80oC
                                                                                       

         
Vacuum ovens *                                         Ovens                  
 

               
               Rotary evaporators
                           

The PVT laboratory is located in EEEL 433.  The Emulsion & Characterization Lab is located in EEEL 567.

 

We are on the main University of Calgary campus in beautiful Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

* photo credit to James McMenamin


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