A parametric study of the hydrodynamic roughness produced by a wall coating layer of heavy oil

Rushd, Sayeed; Sanders, R. Sean

doi:10.1007/s12182-016-0144-z

Cited by 7 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The most probable reason for the difference is the wall‐fouling layer, which is appropriately neglected in the analysis of CAF but obviously plays an important role in CWAF. The experiments described here demonstrate that μ o has a significant influence on ΔP/L in CWAF, while previous analysis has shown that this influence is exerted through the relationship between μ o and the thickness of the wall‐fouling layer, t c …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 48%

“…As mentioned earlier, the dependence of k s and t c on other flow parameters was studied previously by conducting idealized experiments with water flowing over wall coating layers of very viscous oils . The results of those experiments demonstrated a proportional correlation between k s and t c .…”

Section: Determination and Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Roughnessmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The k s value for a rough wall must be specified for the simulations. Since the values of k s produced by the stationary oil‐layer on the pipe wall for the given flow conditions were unknown for any given CWAF data set, a trial‐and‐error procedure was adopted, which is summarized here but was discussed elsewhere in greater detail . The boundary conditions are summarized in Table .…”

Section: Development Of Proposed Modelling Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Reynolds stress term in RANS was modelled using an omega‐based Reynolds Stress Model, ω‐RSM. This model was previously shown to be effective in modelling the hydrodynamic roughness produced by the wall‐coating layers of different viscous oils . The typical length of the computational flow domain was 1.0 m; however, a 2.0 m length was also tested to confirm the length independence of the simulations.…”

Section: Development Of Proposed Modelling Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This kind of agreement was ensured for all data points with a CFD‐based iterative procedure to determine k s . The iteration steps are outlined in Figure (Appendix A) and are described in greater detail elsewhere . The values of k s required to produce the simulation results of Figure a are presented in Figure b.…”

Section: Determination and Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Roughnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new approach to model friction losses in the water‐assisted pipeline transportation of heavy oil and bitumen

2019

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Continuous water-assisted flow (CWAF), where a water layer surrounds a viscous oil core, provides low energy, long distance transport of heavy oil and bitumen without requiring heating or solvent addition. In industrial applications of CWAF, the pipe wall is fouled by a thin coating of oil, an effect not considered in many studies of water-lubricated pipe flows. In the present study, a new method to model pressure loss in the water-assisted pipeline flow of heavy oil is introduced. The hydrodynamic effects produced by the wall-fouling layer are incorporated in the model as input parameters for CFD simulations. The most important of these parameters are the thickness of the wall-fouling layer and the equivalent hydrodynamic roughness it produces. The CFD methodology described here was developed on the ANSYS-CFX platform and is able to capture the effects of the wall-fouling layer, the hydrodynamic roughness produced by this layer, and the water hold-up. The new CFD model was validated using previously collected data from tests conducted in two separate pipeline loops (100 and 260 mm in diameter), using a range of oil viscosities, water fractions, and mixture velocities. Compared to existing models, the one presented here provides more accurate predictions and requires significantly fewer computing resources. Because the model was developed using a physics-based approach, it is a useful tool in evaluating the effects of pipe diameter, oil viscosity (or temperature), water cut, and mixture velocity on pressure losses in water-assisted heavy oil pipelines.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 48%

Section: Determination and Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Roughnessmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Development Of Proposed Modelling Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Development Of Proposed Modelling Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Determination and Analysis Of Hydrodynamic Roughnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A new approach to model friction losses in the water‐assisted pipeline transportation of heavy oil and bitumen

2019

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Applications of drag reducers for the pipeline transportation of heavy crude oils: A critical review and future research directions

et al. 2023

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The long‐distance pipeline transportation of heavy crudes demands optimal pumping procedures to abate overhead expenditures in the midstream phase. This can be facilitated by reducing both the oil viscosity and the frictional losses induced by the turbulent flow zone. The dualistic approach of reducing both viscosity and drag requires the optimization of several parameters such as concentrations and types of diluents and additives. This manuscript critically reviews various technologies being undertaken to facilitate the pipeline transportation of heavy crude oils by highlighting the technique of dilution coupled with the addition of drag reducing agents (DRA). DRA such as surfactants, nanoparticles, bio‐additives, polymers, and fibres are blended with the diluted crudes to suppress the proliferation of turbulent eddies which in turn assist in pumping the oil at a higher flow rate under constant pressure conditions. Several investigations have reported that drag reduction is significantly enhanced by varying the molecular structure of the DRA. In addition, an optimum flow rate coupled with a specific surfactant concentration at an ideal temperature can significantly reduce head losses and pumping expenditures. Further research is imperative to study the effect of the polymer structure with respect to the induced shear degradation and dissolution behavior of the crude.

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A mechanistic model of heat transfer for gas–liquid flow in vertical wellbore annuli

Yin

Liu

2017

Pet. Sci.

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The most prominent aspect of multiphase flow is the variation in the physical distribution of the phases in the flow conduit known as the flow pattern. Several different flow patterns can exist under different flow conditions which have significant effects on liquid holdup, pressure gradient and heat transfer. Gas–liquid two-phase flow in an annulus can be found in a variety of practical situations. In high rate oil and gas production, it may be beneficial to flow fluids vertically through the annulus configuration between well tubing and casing. The flow patterns in annuli are different from pipe flow. There are both casing and tubing liquid films in slug flow and annular flow in the annulus. Multiphase heat transfer depends on the hydrodynamic behavior of the flow. There are very limited research results that can be found in the open literature for multiphase heat transfer in wellbore annuli. A mechanistic model of multiphase heat transfer is developed for different flow patterns of upward gas–liquid flow in vertical annuli. The required local flow parameters are predicted by use of the hydraulic model of steady-state multiphase flow in wellbore annuli recently developed by Yin et al. The modified heat-transfer model for single gas or liquid flow is verified by comparison with Manabe’s experimental results. For different flow patterns, it is compared with modified unified Zhang et al. model based on representative diameters.

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A parametric study of the hydrodynamic roughness produced by a wall coating layer of heavy oil

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

A new approach to model friction losses in the water‐assisted pipeline transportation of heavy oil and bitumen

A new approach to model friction losses in the water‐assisted pipeline transportation of heavy oil and bitumen

Applications of drag reducers for the pipeline transportation of heavy crude oils: A critical review and future research directions

A mechanistic model of heat transfer for gas–liquid flow in vertical wellbore annuli

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