Session: 11-10-02 Sustainability and Green Transition in Petroleum Industry

Submission Number: 157024

Innovative and Eco-Friendly Ice Air Jet for Surface Treatment in the Petroleum Industry: A Numerical and Experimental Study on Jet Performance and Sustainability 

The demand for environmentally friendly and efficient surface treatment technologies is growing, especially in the petroleum industry, where traditional methods such as sandblasting and chemical treatments present significant challenges, including environmental pollution, high resource consumption, and secondary waste management. This study explores the potential of ice air jet (IAJ) technology as a sustainable alternative, offering minimal environmental impact, effective cleaning, and substrate protection.

A comprehensive numerical simulation was conducted using a six-factor, seven-level L49 orthogonal array design to evaluate the influence of nozzle structural parameters on jet performance in free-flow conditions. The independent variables included nozzle inlet aspect ratio, contraction angle, expansion angle, throat diameter, throat-to-outlet ratio, and throat shape (circular, elliptical, and rectangular variants). Key dependent variables were peak ice particle velocity, nozzle wear rate, and effective cleaning area. The numerical results comprised main effect and interaction effect analyses, along with Spearman correlation assessments.

Main effect analysis revealed that throat diameter was the sole significant factor influencing all three performance metrics. Interaction effects highlighted that the expansion angle and throat diameter significantly affected nozzle wear. In contrast, combinations of contraction angle and throat-to-outlet ratio, contraction angle and throat diameter, and expansion angle and inlet aspect ratio significantly impacted the effective cleaning area. Correlation analysis indicated that throat diameter, throat-to-outlet ratio, and expansion angle strongly influenced ice particle velocity, while throat diameter, contraction angle, and expansion angle affected nozzle wear rate. Effective cleaning area was significantly influenced by throat diameter and throat shape.

To validate the simulation and assess the technology’s applicability in petroleum surface treatment, experimental tests were conducted using a fixed-design Laval nozzle. The experiments targeted three cleaning scenarios: rust removal from steel, paint stripping from epoxy-coated substrates, and scale removal from simulated carbonate deposits. Ice particle velocity was measured in the free flow field to validate the numerical model.

Experimental results demonstrated that the IAJ technology is highly effective for scale removal, moderately effective for rust removal, and less efficient for paint stripping due to the higher energy required to overcome coating adhesion. However, all tests confirmed minimal substrate damage, showcasing the technology’s potential for environmentally friendly surface cleaning.

Finally, an economic assessment indicated that while the initial cost of IAJ technology is slightly higher than conventional sandblasting, its virtually pollution-free operation and high efficiency make it a revolutionary alternative for sustainable surface treatment in the petroleum sector.

This work provides a foundational understanding of the relationship between nozzle structure and jet performance and establishes IAJ technology as a promising solution for green surface treatment in industrial applications. Future studies will explore the optimization of nozzle design for broader field applications and further assess the lifecycle benefits of this innovative technology.

Presenting Author: Jingru Hu China University of Petroleum-Beijing

Presenting Author Biography: Jingru Hu (Female, born in October 1998, Hefei, Anhui Province, China) is a second-year Ph.D. candidate at the School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing). She conducts her research in the High-Pressure Water Jet Drilling and Completion Laboratory, focusing on the mechanisms of ice particle air jet surface treatment.