Influence and Mechanism Study of Ultrasonic Electric Power Input on Heavy Oil Viscosity

The reserves of heavy oil are enormous. However, its high viscosity and other characteristics make heavy oil extraction and transportation extremely difficult. Power ultrasonic (US) reforming technology on heavy oil has the advantages of environmental protection and fast results, so it is important to understand the mechanism of ultrasonic reforming. We examine the influence law of the electric power input of the US transducer on the viscosity of heavy oil. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography (GC) are applied to explain the changes in different functional groups, heavy components, and carbon chains before and after US irradiation. The cavitation noise method is also used to study the influences of variance in the intensity of cavitation on the viscosity of heavy oil. The results indicate that the viscosity of heavy oil first decreases, and next increases with an increase in electric power. The functional groups and chromatographic distillation also change in different forms, and with an increase in electric power, the cavitation effect is gradually enhanced. These findings suggest that it is not that the stronger the cavitation, the greater the influence on the viscosity of heavy oil.