scholarly journals Eulerian–Eulerian Modeling of Multiphase Flow in Horizontal Annuli: Current Limitations and Challenges

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1426
Author(s):  
Amina Shynybayeva ◽  
Luis R. Rojas-Solórzano

Multiphase flows are present in many natural phenomena, processing technologies, and industries. In the petroleum industry, the multiphase flow is highly relevant, and special attention is paid to the development of predictive tools that determine flow conditions to guarantee safe and economic hydrocarbon extraction and transportation. Hydrodynamic aspects such as pressure drop and holdup are of primary relevance for the field engineer in daily operations like pumping power calculation and equipment selection and control. Multiphase flow associated with oil production is usually a mixture of liquids and gas. The hydrodynamic behavior has been studied in different pipeline configurations (i.e., vertical ascending/descending and horizontal/inclined pipelines). However, the available information about flow patterns as well as the general conditions present in horizontal annuli is incomplete, even if they are of fundamental relevance in today’s horizontal drilling, production, and well intervention in many oil wells around the world. This review aims to present an in-depth revision of the existing models developed to predict two-phase flow patterns and hydrodynamic conditions in annuli flow, focusing mainly on, but not limited to, horizontal configuration. Key flow parameters and effects caused by annuli geometry and the physical properties of fluids are extensively discussed in the present paper. Different empirical correlations and mechanistic and numerical models on two-phase flow through horizontal/inclined pipelines and in both concentric and eccentric annuli are analyzed. Some of these models partially agree with experimental results and show acceptable predictions of frictional pressure loss and flow patterns. Limitations in current models and challenges to be faced in the next generation of models are also discussed.

Fluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 226
Author(s):  
Rashal Abed ◽  
Mohamed M. Hussein ◽  
Wael H. Ahmed ◽  
Sherif Abdou

Airlift pumps can be used in the aquaculture industry to provide aeration while concurrently moving water utilizing the dynamics of two-phase flow in the pump riser. The oxygen mass transfer that occurs from the injected compressed air to the water in the aquaculture systems can be experimentally investigated to determine the pump aeration capabilities. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of various airflow rates as well as the injection methods on the oxygen transfer rate within a dual injector airlift pump system. Experiments were conducted using an airlift pump connected to a vertical pump riser within a recirculating system. Both two-phase flow patterns and the void fraction measurements were used to evaluate the dissolved oxygen mass transfer mechanism through the airlift pump. A dissolved oxygen (DO) sensor was used to determine the DO levels within the airlift pumping system at different operating conditions required by the pump. Flow visualization imaging and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed in order to better understand the effects of the two-phase flow patterns on the aeration performance. It was found that the radial injection method reached the saturation point faster at lower airflow rates, whereas the axial method performed better as the airflow rates were increased. The standard oxygen transfer rate (SOTR) and standard aeration efficiency (SAE) were calculated and were found to strongly depend on the injection method as well as the two-phase flow patterns in the pump riser.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 1763-1795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Saleh

This article is the first of two in which we develop a relaxation finite volume scheme for the convective part of the multiphase flow models introduced in the series of papers (Hérard, C.R. Math. 354 (2016) 954–959; Hérard, Math. Comput. Modell. 45 (2007) 732–755; Boukili and Hérard, ESAIM: M2AN 53 (2019) 1031–1059). In the present article we focus on barotropic flows where in each phase the pressure is a given function of the density. The case of general equations of state will be the purpose of the second article. We show how it is possible to extend the relaxation scheme designed in Coquel et al. (ESAIM: M2AN 48 (2013) 165–206) for the barotropic Baer–Nunziato two phase flow model to the multiphase flow model with N – where N is arbitrarily large – phases. The obtained scheme inherits the main properties of the relaxation scheme designed for the Baer–Nunziato two phase flow model. It applies to general barotropic equations of state. It is able to cope with arbitrarily small values of the statistical phase fractions. The approximated phase fractions and phase densities are proven to remain positive and a fully discrete energy inequality is also proven under a classical CFL condition. For N = 3, the relaxation scheme is compared with Rusanov’s scheme, which is the only numerical scheme presently available for the three phase flow model (see Boukili and Hérard, ESAIM: M2AN 53 (2019) 1031–1059). For the same level of refinement, the relaxation scheme is shown to be much more accurate than Rusanov’s scheme, and for a given level of approximation error, the relaxation scheme is shown to perform much better in terms of computational cost than Rusanov’s scheme. Moreover, contrary to Rusanov’s scheme which develops strong oscillations when approximating vanishing phase solutions, the numerical results show that the relaxation scheme remains stable in such regimes.


Author(s):  
Weilin Qu ◽  
Seok-Mann Yoon ◽  
Issam Mudawar

Knowledge of flow pattern and flow pattern transitions is essential to the development of reliable predictive tools for pressure drop and heat transfer in two-phase micro-channel heat sinks. In the present study, experiments were conducted with adiabatic nitrogen-water two-phase flow in a rectangular micro-channel having a 0.406 × 2.032 mm cross-section. Superficial velocities of nitrogen and water ranged from 0.08 to 81.92 m/s and 0.04 to 10.24 m/s, respectively. Flow patterns were first identified using high-speed video imaging, and still photos were then taken for representative patterns. Results reveal that the dominant flow patterns are slug and annular, with bubbly flow occurring only occasionally; stratified and churn flow were never observed. A flow pattern map was constructed and compared with previous maps and predictions of flow pattern transition models. Annual flow is identified as the dominant flow pattern for conditions relevant to two-phase micro-channel heat sinks, and forms the basis for development of a theoretical model for both pressure drop and heat transfer in micro-channels. Features unique to two-phase micro-channel flow, such as laminar liquid and gas flows, smooth liquid-gas interface, and strong entrainment and deposition effects are incorporated into the model. The model shows good agreement with experimental data for water-cooled heat sinks.


2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (13) ◽  
pp. 5056-5066 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. Sarkar ◽  
K. K. Singh ◽  
K. T. Shenoy ◽  
A. Sinha ◽  
H. Rao ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Jacqueline Barber ◽  
Khellil Sefiane ◽  
David Brutin ◽  
Lounes Tadrist

Boiling in microchannels remains elusive due to the lack of full understanding of the mechanisms involved. A powerful tool in achieving better comprehension of the mechanisms is detailed imaging and analysis of the two phase flow at a fundamental level. We induced boiling in a single microchannel geometry (hydraulic diameter 727 μm), using a refrigerant FC-72, to investigate several flow patterns. A transparent, metallic, conductive deposit has been developed on the exterior of rectangular microchannels, allowing simultaneous uniform heating and visualisation to be conducted. The data presented in this paper is for a particular case with a uniform heat flux of 4.26 kW/m2 applied to the microchannel and inlet liquid mass flowrate, held constant at 1.33×10−5 kg/s. In conjunction with obtaining high-speed images and videos, sensitive pressure sensors are used to record the pressure drop profiles across the microchannel over time. Bubble nucleation, growth and coalescence, as well as periodic slug flow, are observed in the test section. Phenomena are noted, such as the aspect ratio and Reynolds number of a vapour bubble, which are in turn correlated to the associated pressure drops over time. From analysis of our results, images and video sequences with the corresponding physical data obtained, it is possible to follow visually the nucleation and subsequent both ‘free’ and ‘confined’ growth of a vapour bubble over time.


2021 ◽  
pp. 117379
Author(s):  
Marciellyo Ribeiro de Oliveira ◽  
Marcio Ferreira Martins ◽  
Humberto Belich ◽  
Leandro Amorim

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianfu Zhao ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
Bin Li

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