Research on the energy mix
Thirty-three scientists from the Oil, Gas & Nuclear Cluster are in Russia studying how oil and natural gas can be extracted efficiently and with minimal environmental impact.
Petroleum reserves are steadily diminishing, and drilling companies are using increasingly complex technologies to bring this black gold to the surface as efficiently as possible and with the least environmental impact. The mixture pumped from the earth consists of petroleum, water, and gas. But since the relative quantities of these constituents are in constant flux during the extraction process, it is difficult to estimate how much oil can actually be obtained. Researchers from the Oil & Gas Field Development Technology Field have invented a new method for quickly and precisely analyzing the composition of the fluid pumped to the surface. They are currently working on a prototype flow meter that can be mounted directly at the mouth of an intake pipe.
The device analyzes the oil-water-gas mixture using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. In contrast to the time-consuming method that is customarily used, here it is not necessary to separate the pumped fluid and study it in a laboratory to determine the percentage of oil present. Many conventional meters use gamma rays to determine the composition of the mixture. Whenever these devices are transported, installed, or operated, complex safety procedures must be observed. The new flow meter, by contrast, contains no radioactive material.
While methods of petroleum extraction are being further refined, engineers have found it necessary to develop completely new approaches for the oil reserves trapped in oil sands. Oil sand has become increasingly important in recent years. Specialists estimate that two thirds of the world’s current oil reserves are contained in such deposits. Until now, the bitumen contained in oil sand has usually been extracted with hot steam. The bitumen liquefies and drips from the sand into a collection well. The drawback of this process, known as SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage), is that it consumes a great deal of water and energy.
Inductor cable in the earth
Scientists from CT have developed a variation that is much more environmentally friendly. Inductor cables are laid in the earth and used to generate a high-frequency electromagnetic field. The field creates eddy currents which heat and liquefy the bitumen in the oil sand. This makes it easier to separate the oil from the sand. Compared with the conventional SAGD process, the new technique yields 20 percent more bitumen, and water consumption is reduced by up to 50 percent. As well as supplying the induction technology, CT researchers are simulating the induction process on computers and planning the construction of a pilot system.
OGN experts are developing solutions for oil extraction, including an environmentally-friendly way to obtain oil from tar sands
In addition to fossil fuels, CT researchers in Russia are also devoting their attention to nuclear energy. As a CO2-free energy source, nuclear energy is being widely discussed once again in conjunction with new ideas for harnessing it. The job of the experts working in the Technology Field Nuclear Technologies is to assess various approaches regarding the fourth generation of nuclear reactors, which will be even safer than the last.
The complex processes for managing steam in a nuclear reactor require a large number of technical systems, such as separators and heat exchangers. These are of major importance for the safety and effectiveness of the power plants. CT experts are developing new ideas for improving the steam-processing systems and satisfying the stringent safety standards for nuclear power plants. They are also evaluating concepts for new fuels for light-water reactors, particularly with a view to solutions that produce less radioactive waste than in the past. Research into the transmutation of atomic nuclei into other, less harmful isotopes is still in the early stages. Here, researchers are currently studying a technique hat uses a particle accelerator.
Developments in the field of particle accelerators are opening up new treatment methods in medicine too. Together with the Budker Institute in Siberia, one of the world’s leading facilities for nuclear research, Siemens experts are developing new component systems for particle accelerators. One objective is to improve diagnostic techniques with the help of positron emission tomography (PET).