Flow of power-law fluid in a partially blocked eccentric annulus

CFD Analysis of Turbulent Flow of Power-Law Fluid in a Partially Blocked Eccentric Annulus

“…According to Kozicki et al [18], dimensionless geometric parameters can be utilized to determine the Reynolds number to estimate the pressure loss in a non-circular duct of any arbitrary cross-section. For a partially blocked eccentric annulus, Rojas et al [7] presented correlations for determining the geometric parameters. Kozicki et al [18] proposed a generalized Reynolds number for non-circular duct flows.…”

“…The bed shear stress (τ bed ) governs the movement of bed particles by affecting the hydrodynamic forces (lift and drag) acting on the bed particles. By determining the pressure loss, the overall wall shear stress (τ w ) can be predicted and hydraulic optimization can be performed to ensure efficient hole cleaning in highly deviated wells [7,8,19,20]. Previous studies [10,12] were conducted to investigate the impact of blockage on annular flows.…”

“…A CFD investigation is frequently preferred approach to study the connection among relevant flow parameters (pressure loss, bed shear stress, and flow rate) in eccentric annuli. Previously, CFD models [7][8][9][10][11][12] for partially blocked annuli were established considering laminar flow conditions. Similar studies [13][14][15][16][17] were performed to analyze laminar flows in concentric and eccentric annuli.…”

“…Based on the CFD analysis of eccentric annular flow, Rojas et al [7] showed the impact of the level of annular blockage on the bed shear stress under laminar flow conditions. The bed shear stress exhibited significant reduction with a decrease in the bed thickness.…”

“…The flow regime in inclined wells can be laminar or turbulent depending on fluid viscosity, borehole geometry, and fluid velocity. Even the effects of bed formation on the hydraulics of annular flows have been studied recently [7][8][9][10][11][12], the impact of bed thickness on the hydraulic parameters (pressure loss and bed shear stress) of turbulent flow in a partially blocked eccentric annulus has not been previously investigated. The goal of this investigation is to study the turbulent flow of power-law fluid in wellbores considering eccentric annuli with blockage and develop a relationship between bed shear stress and the level of blockage.…”