Numerical investigations and thermodynamic analysis of steam quality measurements

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Luxmux Technology Corporation (Luxmux) is commercializing an online steam quality analyser suitable for thermally Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery. Steam quality is a measure of vapor to liquid portion in the steam, the actual "heat" or energy that is desired for production resides in the vapor portion therefore the maximum steam quality is desired to most efficiently produce heavy oil with the least amount of greenhouse gases emitted. In heavy oil operations, treated re-used produced water is fed into the boiler. Currently, due to the Boiler Feed Water (BFW) quality the maximum steam quality allowed to avoid boiler tube failure is 80% (for operations near 2000 psig) for Once Through Steam Generators (OTSGs). There are new developments in the industry in which producers are attempting to run at higher steam qualities but the water quality is still the limiting factor for boilers to generate saturated vapor. Even with new boiler technologies there still exists a need and a gap in the industry for an inline steam quality analyser which will allow producers to operate more efficiently at the boilers and before injecting the steam into the reservoir at the pads. Since there is no accurate solution in the market today which continuously measure steam quality at the boiler and/or at the pads there exists room for producers to improve production while reducing Green House Gas emissions and water needs.