Numerical modeling and experimental verification of ceramic membrane emulsification for stable emulsion production

Continuous ceramic membrane emulsification is a promising and scalable technique to prepare water-in-heavy oil (W/O) emulsions. The droplet size of W/O emulsions is comprehensively influenced by phase parameters, operational parameters, and membrane parameters, which collectively impact the forces acting on water droplets. In this work, a droplet size prediction model involving multiple factors is established. The forces are analyzed by considering the influence of transmembrane pressure and the viscosity ratio between the dispersed and continuous phases, which are not well considered by current researchers. Additionally, the effects of pore size, crossflow velocity, temperature, and transmembrane pressure were experimentally verified. The experimental results show a high degree of agreement with the predictions. Also, based on the relaxation time difference in oil and water, magnetic resonance imaging was used for the first time to assess the stability of W/O emulsions which was found to be stable for 4 months.