Inorganic Phase Characterization, Corrosion Modelling and Refractory Selection for Direct Contact Steam Generation
Creators: name: Bond, Nicole
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2021
Subjects: Refractory
Corrosion
Oil sands
Deposition modelling

description: Technological advances are required to reduce the environmental impact of the Canadian oil sands. Oxy-direct contact steam generation (DCSG) is one such way to move toward this goal, by producing steam for oil sands operations with a higher efficiency, lower fresh water consumption, and lower CO₂ emissions than traditional once-through steam generators. For DCSG, untreated process water, which may contain a variety of inorganics, is injected directly into the combustor to produce steam. The inorganic material that may deposit in the combustor as a result of that process water was studied for two applications of DCSG in the Canadian oil sands: (1) steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), and (2) mining, in order to inform refractory material selection for the combustor. For SAGD, free water knockout tank discharge was used as the process water and resulting deposits in the combustor were predicted to be high in silica and sodium oxide, and enriched with sodium sulfate as the potential operating temperature of the combustor was lowered. At the lowest combustor temperature studied (1075 °C), a low viscosity molten salt phase rich in sodium sulfate was also expected to form. It is recommended that the operating temperature of the combustor be as low as possible while still remaining above the formation temperature of this potentially corrosive salt phase, thus in the range of 1200-1250 °C in the regions of the wall where solids are expected to impact it. A number of candidate refractory materials were assessed through corrosion models and corrosion tests. Aluminosilicate based refractory materials should be avoided due to their potential reaction with the sodium oxide in the slag. This can result in formation of low density solid phases such as nepheline, which can damage the refractory material through volume expansion. Of the three refractories tested, mullite zirconia yielded the worst corrosion resistance, with dissolution of the binder phase and full penetration by sodium oxide. Chromia corundum yielded the greatest resistance to penetration of the materials tested, though some dissolution of the chromia in the slag was still evident. Further investigation into high chrome refractory materials is recommended for this application. For mining applications, mature fine tailings water (MFT) combined with an oil sands processing water (OPW) was used as the process water for injection. Due to the high liquidus of the resulting inorganic deposits, co-injection of a fluxant is recommended to reduce the liquidus and viscosity of the resulting slag solution, thereby maximizing the combustor efficiency by reducing the required operating temperature. Dolomite was identified as the optimal fluxant, at a concentration of 20 wt % CaMgO₂ in the fluxed slag. This mixture was found to have a viscosity of just under 25 Pa·s at 1300 °C, making this a good operating point for the DCSG combustor, as the slag should flow freely and not cause plugging. The corrosion resistance of several candidate refractory materials was assessed through modelling and laboratory scale testing for both the fluxed and non-fluxed slag. Similar to the results for SAGD, of the refractories tested, chromia corundum offered the greatest resistance to penetration, while mullite zirconia was most deeply penetrated by sodium oxide. Again, a chromia-containing refractory is recommended for further investigation for use in the DCSG combustor. Other candidate refractories investigated in the models that warrant testing are chromia spinel and magnesium aluminate spinel. For future work, further corrosion tests at multiple durations are recommended, as well as characterization of refractory samples from CanmetENERGY’s DCSG pilot plant and quantification of the effects of slag exposure on the mechanical strength of the refractory materials.