Paper: The Use Of The Coulter Counter In Oil Field Applications

Two predominant methods, millipore filtration and turbidity, have been used in the past to measure the efficiency of filters. These methods are useful for empirical measurements of filtration but do nothing to quantify the various sizes of interest. The introduction of the Coulter Counter to industrial application has presented a new method for monitoring filter performance. Now, the efficiency of the filter can be determined at any size from 0.4 to 800 microns. This paper illustrates the use of the Coulter Counter in the development of a new filter design. The testing involved laboratory testing of the pilot filter, on site location of the pilot filter, and final onsite testing of a full size vessel.