ABOUT STWA Applied Oil Technology [AOT™] PRODUCT FACT ...

ABOUT STWA Applied Oil Technology [AOT]
PRODUCT FACT SHEET AOT MIDSTREAM
On-Demand Crude Oil Viscosity Reduction Industrial Hardware Products
• STWA’s AOT Viscosity Reduction System is a suite of commercial crude
oil pipeline flow assurance products, designed for installation at pipeline
pump stations.
• AOT is an industrial efficiency product that is based upon technology
developed by STWA Intellectual Property development partner, Temple
University of Philadelphia Department of Physics.
• AOT Viscosity Reduction System offers pipeline system operators key
advantages for flow assurance and is available in Upstream, Gathering, and
Midstream configurations.
• The AOT Viscosity Reduction System is comprised of commercial grade
hardware, designed to allow multiple units to be skid-mounted, and installed
in parallel to accommodate an operator’s flow rate requirements.
• AOT is available in ANSI 150#, 300#, 600# and 900# fittings with maximum
flow rates of up to 5,000gpm per unit (AOT Midstream).
• AOT systems carry the necessary certifications and product approval
stamps as required for use in industrial installations, and can be delivered to
the user for horizontal or vertical orientation installations. Each AOT has
a maximum power consumption of 5kW, and is available in 120/240v 60hz,
and 208v 3ph configurations.
• AOT is available with accessories such as power and control monitoring
systems, and can be adapted for ultra-remote installations by customer
request.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
• Increased maximum flow
rates for given MAOP ratings
• Increased margins of safety
via reduced pressures
required to achieve constant
flow rates
• Reduced power consumption
OPEX for midstream pump
stations
• Reduced wear on midstream
pump and motor assemblies
• Reduced pourpoint and wax
appearance temperatures
• Reduced reliance on bulk
heating systems
• Reduced reliance on
chemical pourpoint WAT
depressants.

AOT MIDSTREAM INSTALLATION
AOT SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW
STWA’s AOT uses a novel,
new method by which to achieve
viscosity reduction, independent
of and supplemental to traditional
methodologies. AOT reduces
viscosity of crude oil without requiring
chemicals, polymers, or application of
heat.
AOT products are based upon a
set of physics principals developed
by Dr. Rongjia Tao, Chair, Department
of Physics, Temple University of
Philadelphia.
The physics principles that operate
within the AOT product line are
DEP-BASED PARTICLE AGGREGATION
Untreated paraffin molecules orient at
random within the base fluid creating
drag between the molecules and
suspending fluid.
AOT Midstream may be installed in either a horizontal or vertical configuration. Vertical “4-pack” shown.
derived from research conducted within
Dr. Tao’s specialization within the field
of electrorheology. Electrorheology is
the study of molecular dynamics within
the presence of electric fields. Dr. Tao’s
research yielded the basic scientific
fundamentals upon which the AOT
product line was derived.
The mechanism by which the AOT
Midstream reduces viscosity is by
introducing a molecular conformational
change phenomenon to the paraffin
and/or asphalt content of the crude oil
by using a function of electrorheology
known as dielectrophoresis (DEP).
DEP induces a dipole moment at the
interface of the molecules/particulate
matter and the surrounding medium.
These dipole moments provide a
net Coulombic force that pulls the
molecules/particulate matter together,
thereby inducing aggregation.
Dielectrophoresis (DEP) allows paraffin
and/or asphalt content of the crude
oil to aggregate into sub-micron
particulate matter clusters (known as
a “conformational change”). These
sub-micron clusters reduce the total
surface area of the paraffin / asphalt
content suspended in the base fluid of
gasoline and diesel, which inherently
reduces the drag of the bulk fluid. It
is this change in conformation that
reduces the viscosity of the fluid itself,
independent of chemical pour point
depressants, diluent, chemical additives
or application of heat.
Once the molecules have been pulled
sufficiently close together, Van der
Waals forces can act to maintain the
aggregated state. However, entropic
forces will eventually cause the
aggregated particles to de-aggregate,
and eventually return to the initial unaggregated
state. The fluid can then
be re-treated to recover the aggregated
state as desired.