Upgrading heavy oil

Abstract

Methods, systems and other embodiments associated with upgrading heavy oil are presented. A method of upgrading heavy oil comprising heating heavy oil to produce heated heavy oil. The method further comprises creating high pressure pulses in the heated heavy oil to crack the heated heavy oil to produce an oil with a lower viscosity than the heavy oil.

1 . A method of upgrading heavy oil comprising:
 heating heavy oil to produce heated heavy oil; and   creating high pressure pulses in the heated heavy oil to crack the heated heavy oil to produce an oil with a lower viscosity than the heavy oil.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of creating high pressure pulses further comprises:
 pumping the heated heavy oil through a cavitation valve; and 
 creating the high pressure pulses in the cavitation valve. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of the creating high pressure pulses is generated by fluid hammering action in the cavitation valve. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating microscopic bubbles in the heated heavy oil; and 
 allowing the microscopic bubbles to expand and implode to raise the temperature at the interface of the microscopic bubbles and the heated heavy oil to facilitate cracking the heated heavy oil. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating microscopic bubbles in the heated heavy oil, the microscopic bubbles expanding and imploding to form radicals and cleavage of bonds to facilitate cracking the heated heavy oil. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  where the step of creating high pressure pulses further comprises:
 creating the high pressure pulses in a cavitation valve, wherein the high pressure pulses have a frequency in a range of 10-100 hertz. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 changing the length of a pipe feeding oil into the cavitation valve to change the frequency.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating the high pressure pulses by sliding a piston back and forth in a cavitation valve. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of creating high pressure pulses further comprises:
 pumping the heated heavy oil through a cavitation valve, wherein the residency time of the heated heavy oil in the cavitation valve is less than one second; and 
 creating the high pressure pulses in the cavitation valve. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of creating high pressure pulses further comprises:
 pumping the heated heavy oil through a cavitation valve, wherein the residency time of the heated heavy oil in the cavitation valve is less than three seconds; and 
 creating the high pressure pulses in the cavitation valve. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating the high pressure pulses that change pressure from about −2000 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) to about 4000 psig. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 before the step of creating the high pressure pulses, mixing the heavy oil with at least one of the group of: CO2, flue gases, steam, hydrogen, a precipitate and a catalyst. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of heating heavy oil further comprises heating the heated heavy oil to about 450 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 a heater for heating heavy oil to create heated heavy oil; and   a reaction chamber configured to receive the heated heavy oil and to generate a controlled cavitation with high pressure differentials to facilitate the local cracking of the heated heavy oil to produce an oil that has a lower viscosity than the heated heavy oil.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a chamber for mixing the heavy oil with one or more hydrocarbon gasses before the heavy oil is received by the reaction chamber. 
 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the reaction chamber is a cavitation valve. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a piston within the cavitation valve, wherein the high pressure differentials are created, at least in part, by a back-and-forth action of the piston.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the reaction chamber is configured to generate a controlled cavitation to create gas that implodes to raise the temperature at the interface of the gas bubbles and the heated heavy oil to facilitate cracking the heated heavy oil. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the residency time of the heavy oil in the reaction chamber is less than one second. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the residency time of the heavy oil in the reaction chamber is less than three seconds. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the reaction chamber further comprises:
 a cavitation valve;   a first conduit and a second conduit connected to the cavitation valve configured to supply heated heavy oil to the cavitation valve; and   a movable member within the cavitation valve configured to create the controlled cavitation by moving between a first position and a second position, wherein when the movable member is in the first position the first conduit is configured to supply heated heavy oil to the cavitation valve and the second conduit is blocked from supplying heated heavy oil to the cavitation valve, and wherein when the movable member is in the second position the second conduit is configured to supply heated heavy oil to the cavitation valve and the first conduit is blocked from supplying heated heavy oil to the cavitation valve.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the heavy oil to about 450 degrees Celsius, and wherein the reaction chamber is configured to create pressure differentials between −2000 psig and 4000 psig and between 10 to 100 hertz.