Clint P. Aichele, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor
Education
Ph.D., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Rice University, 2009
B.S., Chemical Engineering
Oklahoma State University, 2004
Professional Experience
Professional Honors and Affiliations
Major Areas of Interest
Interfacial Phenomena
Emulsion Formation and Stability
Flow Assurance
Separations
Reservoir Wettability Alteration
Recent Research Activities
Interfacial Phenomena
Our motivation in this area is to understand the fundamental mechanisms that govern
solids partitioning at liquid-liquid and liquid-gas interfaces. We assembled a unique,
high pressure interfacial tensiometer that is capable of performing interfacial rheology
measurements at pressures up to 10,000 psia. Our work in this area has recently been
focused on the impact of brine on solids partitioning at liquid-liquid interfaces.
Emulsion Formation and Stability
Emulsions are ubiquitous in life and industry, having significant applications in
energy, agriculture, bio-products, and pharmaceuticals. Our current focus is on understanding
the impact of silica nanoparticles on surfactant partitioning in water-in-oil and
oil-in-water emulsions. Through the use of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance,
we quantify transient droplet size distributions and elucidate stability mechanisms.
The immediate application of our work is improved oil-water separation strategies
with significant environmental and economic impacts.
Flow Assurance
Flow assurance challenges arising from hydrate formation, wax deposition, and asphaltene
deposition continue to plague the energy industry. Our work focuses on hydrate formation
in emulsions and the impact of nanoparticles and wax on hydrate formation. We combine
molecular level understanding (through the use of nuclear magnetic resonance) with
macro-scale measurements (bulk rheology) to quantify hydrate behavior.
Separations
Our work in separations focuses on three fronts: 1) viscous distillation 2) entrainment
characterization and 3) high pressure gas evolution. We constructed an Oldershaw column
to quantify the impact of viscosity on mass transfer efficiency. For entrainment characterization,
we use phase doppler interferometry to interrogate dense sprays with the aim of developing
improved understanding and strategies for dealing with liquid entrainment in gas-liquid
systems. For high pressure gas evolution, we developed a unique experimental facility
designed to quantify the kinetics of gas evolving from liquid hydrocarbons at high
pressures (up to 6,000 psia).
Reservoir Wettability Alteration
We are developing new techniques to improve hydrocarbon recovery by altering reservoir
wettability. We combine high pressure (10,000 psia) contact angle measurements with
high resolution micro-CT measurements to interrogate factors that affect reservoir
wettability.