Flow Pattern Transitions in Horizontal Pipelines Carrying Oil-Water Mixtures: Full-Scale Experiments

2000 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri V. Fairuzov ◽  
Pedro Arenas-Medina ◽  
Jorge Verdejo-Fierro ◽  
Ruben Gonzalez-Islas
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Needle Valve ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Special Device ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Water Fraction ◽  
Oil Water

Full-scale experiments were conducted in order to investigate flow pattern transitions in horizontal pipelines carrying oil-water mixtures. In the experiments, a 16-in. pipeline conveying light crude oil was used. The line was connected to a freshwater network to control the input water volume fraction. A gate valve installed at the pipeline inlet controlled the oil flow rate. The transition from stratified flow to dispersed flow was determined by measuring the transversal water fraction profile. For this purpose, a special device, the multi-point sampling probe, was designed and installed into the pipeline. The probe has movable sampling tubes that allow taking samples simultaneously at six points along the diameter of the pipe. The rate of withdrawal of each sample was adjusted by a needle valve according to the mixture velocity in order to minimize the effect of the probe on the measured water fraction profile. The samples were analyzed for water content in a laboratory using a standard method for determining the water fraction in crude oils. Based on the data obtained, a flow pattern map was constructed. The experimental stratified/nonstratified transition boundary was compared with two theoretical criteria obtained in the linear stability analysis of stratified two-phase liquid-liquid flow. The results of this study can be useful for the design and operation of pipelines transporting crude oil, as well as for the validation of multifield multidimensional models of two-phase flow. [S0195-0738(00)00404-0]

scholarly journals Modeling of Two-Phase Flow in Rough-Walled Fracture Using Level Set Method

Geofluids ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunfeng Dai ◽  
Zhifang Zhou ◽  
Jin Lin ◽  
Jiangbo Han
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Level Set Method ◽  
Level Set ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Contact Angles ◽  
Immiscible Fluids ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase

To describe accurately the flow characteristic of fracture scale displacements of immiscible fluids, an incompressible two-phase (crude oil and water) flow model incorporating interfacial forces and nonzero contact angles is developed. The roughness of the two-dimensional synthetic rough-walled fractures is controlled with different fractal dimension parameters. Described by the Navier–Stokes equations, the moving interface between crude oil and water is tracked using level set method. The method accounts for differences in densities and viscosities of crude oil and water and includes the effect of interfacial force. The wettability of the rough fracture wall is taken into account by defining the contact angle and slip length. The curve of the invasion pressure-water volume fraction is generated by modeling two-phase flow during a sudden drainage. The volume fraction of water restricted in the rough-walled fracture is calculated by integrating the water volume and dividing by the total cavity volume of the fracture while the two-phase flow is quasistatic. The effect of invasion pressure of crude oil, roughness of fracture wall, and wettability of the wall on two-phase flow in rough-walled fracture is evaluated.

scholarly journals Volume Fraction Measurement in Crude Oil-Water Two-Phase Mixture using a Neutron Beam

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
Abdullah A. Kendoush ◽  
Hameed B. Mahood ◽  
Ibrahim G. Fiadh
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Neutron Source ◽  
Neutron Beam ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Water Mixture ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Oil In Water ◽  
Oil Water ◽  
Phase Mixture ◽  
Fraction Measurement

A neutron beam has been used to measure the volume fraction of crude oil in water of non- flow two-phase mixture experimentally.241Am-Be neutron source were used with an activity of 3.7x104 MBq. The volume fraction was simulated by using small plastic tubes filled with oil and immersed in non-flow water tube. The results show that it is feasible to measure the volume fraction of crude oil in a crude oil-water mixture.

Flow Pattern Map of Malaysian Crude Oil and Water Two-Phase Flow in a Pipe System

2014 ◽  
Vol 931-932 ◽  
pp. 1243-1247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Issham Ismail ◽  
Shahir Misnan ◽  
Ahmad Shamsul Izwan Ismail ◽  
Rahmat Mohsin
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Waxy Crude Oil ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Dispersed Flow ◽  
Oil Film ◽  
Waxy Crude ◽  
Oil Water

Water produced along with the crude oil during production and transported together in a pipeline is a common occurrence in a petroleum production system. Understanding the behavior of crude oil-water flow in a pipe is crucial to engineering applications such as design and operation of flow lines and wells, and separation systems. Presently, there was no two phase flow study done on the Malaysian waxy crude oil-water. Therefore, a research work was conducted at the Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation Institute for Oil and Gas, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to study the flow pattern of the Malaysian waxy crude oil-water flowing in a closed-loop system at the ambient condition through a 5.08 cm ID stainless steel horizontal pipeline. The research works comprised fluid characterization and flow pattern observation using a video camera camcorder. Five flow patterns have been identified, namely stratified wavy flow, stratified wavy with semi dispersed flow at interface and oil film, dispersion of water in oil and oil continuous with emulsion, dispersion of oil in water with water continuous, and the newly found semi dispersed flow with semi emulsion at interface and thin oil film. The experimental results could be used as a platform to understand better a more complex case of gas, oil, and water flow in a pipeline, which is of utmost importance in designing optimum surface facilities.

Measuring Flow Pattern Asymmetry of Oil-Water Two Phase Flows Using Multi-channel Rotating Electric Field Conductance Signals

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuansheng He ◽  
Yingyu Ren ◽  
Yunfeng Han ◽  
Ningde Jin
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Flow Pattern ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Two Phase Flow ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Time Asymmetry ◽  
Pipe Cross Section ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Oil Water

AbstractThe present study is a report on the asymmetry of dispersed oil phase in vertical upward oil-water two phase flow. The multi-channel signals of the rotating electric field conductance sensor with eight electrodes are collected in a 20-mm inner diameter pipe, and typical images of low pattern are captured using a high speed camera. With the multi-channel rotating electric field conductance signals collected at pipe cross section, multi-scale time asymmetry (MSA) and an algorithm of multi-scale first-order difference scatter plot are employed to uncover the fluid dynamics of oil-water two phase flow. The results indicate that MSA can characterise the non-linear behaviours of oil-water two phase flow. Besides, the MSA analysis also beneficial for understanding the underlying inhomogeneous distribution of the flow pattern in different directions at pipe cross section.

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