Patent ID: 9709477
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A method for characterizing properties of a manufactured rock sample, comprising: a) providing a first test apparatus including a sample holder and associated upstream and downstream pressure sensors, wherein the sample holder has a configuration that contains the manufactured rock sample under pressurized confinement and allows for a pulse of test fluid to flow through the manufactured rock sample contained within the sample holder, and wherein the pressure sensors of the first test apparatus have a configuration that measures pressure on the upstream and downstream sides of the manufactured rock sample as the pulse of test fluid flows through the manufactured rock sample contained within the sample holder; b) providing a second test apparatus including a sample cell and associated pressure sensor, wherein the sample cell has a configuration where the sample cell is filled with test fluid under pressure and isolated from other parts of the second test apparatus, and wherein the pressure sensor of the second test apparatus has a configuration that measures pressure of the sample cell when the sample cell is isolated from other parts of the second test apparatus; c) using the first test apparatus with the manufactured rock sample loaded within the sample holder to characterize bulk properties of the manufactured rock sample; d) using the second test apparatus with the manufactured rock sample loaded within the sample cell to characterize bulk properties of the manufactured rock sample; e) dividing the manufactured rock sample into a number of pieces of different sizes; f) partitioning the pieces of the manufactured rock sample resulting from e) into size-groups of different sizes; g) performing a sequence of operations for each given size-group of the pieces resulting from f), wherein the sequence of operations of g) includes