Effect of Surfactant (Foamer) Delivery Location on Horizontal Wells Deliquification

Author(s):  
Carolina V. Barreto ◽  
Hamidreza Karami ◽  
Eduardo Pereyra ◽  
Cem Sarica

One of the methods to unload liquid from gas wells is foam-assisted lift. The applied surfactant reduces the liquid surface tension facilitating foam stability, and consequently, reducing mixture density and gas slippage. In this experimental study, a 2-in ID facility consisting of a 64-ft lateral section followed by a 41-ft vertical section is used to determine the optimum surfactant delivery location in horizontal wells. Water and compressed air are the liquid and gas phases, and an anionic surfactant is applied continuously with fixed concentration. Lateral section inclination is varied between ±1°, and four injection points are tested, including one with a static mixer, used as an external source of agitation. Recorded parameters are flow pattern, pressure gradient, liquid holdup, and foam quality. In the lateral section, the highest efficiency is obtained by using a static mixer causing significant drop in liquid holdup and increase in pressure drop due to frictional losses. All other injection points show similar behavior to the air-water case, due to negligible generated foam amid the existing flow pattern agitation. In the vertical section, all injection points show similar and significant drops in liquid holdup and delays in liquid loading onset compared to air-water case, and foam quality decreases as gas flow rate is reduced. Increasing the liquid flow rate causes increases in liquid holdup and pressure drop and shifts liquid loading onset to higher gas flow rates. The experimentally observed liquid loading onset is compared to the predictions of Turner et al. (1969), and a modification is proposed in this correlation to consider the effects of surfactant injection. The number of experimental studies investigating foam effects on liquid loading is limited especially for off-vertical configurations. The results of this study provide an experimental source to optimize foam lift in deviated wells.

2014 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 37-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatef A. Khaledi ◽  
Ivar Eskerud Smith ◽  
Tor Erling Unander ◽  
Jan Nossen

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Goel Paridhi ◽  
K. Nayak Arun

Abstract Post Fukushima, nuclear plants are being retrofitted with severe accident mitigation measures. For attaining depressurization of the containment and mitigate the consequences of the release of the radioactivity to the environment during a severe accident condition, filtered containment venting systems (FCVS) are proposed to be installed in existing reactors and being designed for advanced reactors. The design of FCVS is particular to the reactor type. The FVCS configuration considered in this paper comprises of a manifold of venturi scrubber enclosed in a scrubber tank along with metal fiber filter and demister for an advanced Indian reactor. This study focuses on the assessment of the design of the venturi scrubber for the reactor conditions at which venting is carried out through a numerical model. The numerical model is first validated with experiments performed for prototypic conditions. The predicted pressure drop and the iodine absorption efficiency were found to be in good match with the experimental measurements. Subsequently, the model is implemented for predicting the hydrodynamics, i.e., pressure drop, droplet sizes and distribution, and iodine absorption for prototypic conditions. The hydrodynamics, i.e., pressure profile in the venturi scrubber showed a decrease in the converging section and in the throat section. The diverging section showed decrease in recovery of pressure with the decrease in gas flow because of the increased liquid loading to the scrubber. The iodine absorption efficiency showed a value of 92% for high gas velocity which decreased to 68% for the lowest gas flow rate.


1968 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Brennen ◽  
Robert L. Brown

Author(s):  
J. S. Hu ◽  
Christopher Y. H. Chao

Experiments were carried out to study the condensation flow pattern in silicon micro condenser using water as medium. Five flow patterns were identified under our experimental conditions. Slug-bubbly flow and droplet/liquid slug flow were found to be the two dominant flows in the micro condenser. These two flow patterns subsequently determined the heat transfer and pressure drop properties of the fluid. It was observed that only slug-bubbly flow existed in low steam mass flow and high heat flux conditions. When the steam mass flow rate increased or the heat flux dropped, mixed flow pattern occurred. An empirical correlation was obtained to predict when the transition of the flow pattern from slug-bubbly flow to mixed flow could appear. In the slug-bubbly flow regime, heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop in the micro condensers were studied. It was found that micro condensers with smaller channels could exhibit higher heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. At constant heat flux, increasing the steam mass flow rate resulted in a higher heat transfer coefficient and also the pressure drop.


1985 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 916-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Skogerboe ◽  
S. J. Freeland

This paper describes the results of the first stage of an investigation designed to extend present knowledge of the factors affecting aerosol production, transport, vaporization, and atomization in analytical spectroscopy systems. It focuses on factors controlling aspiration of aqueous solutions. The results demonstrate that the effect of gas flow on the pressure drop induced at the tip of the solution draw tube can be described by a simple linear equation; that the relationship between gas flow rate and solution nebulization rate can also be modelled by a simple equation; and that these relationships are not adequately represented by the Hagen-Poiseulle equation, as is often claimed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10708
Author(s):  
Adel Almoslh ◽  
Falah Alobaid ◽  
Christian Heinze ◽  
Bernd Epple

An experimental study was conducted in the sieve tray column to investigate the influence of gas flow rate on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the sieve tray, such as total tray pressure drop, wet tray pressure drop, dry tray pressure drop, clear liquid height, liquid holdup, and froth height. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the sieve tray were investigated for the gas/water system at different gas flow rates from 12 to 24 Nm3/h and at different pressures of 0.22, 0.24, and 0.26 MPa. In this study, a simulated waste gas was used that consisted of 30% CO2 and 70% air. The inlet volumetric flow rate of the water was 0.148 m3/h. The temperature of the inlet water was 19.5 °C. The results showed that the gas flow rate has a significant effect on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the tray. The authors investigated the effect of changing these hydrodynamic characteristics on the performance of a tray column used for CO2 capture.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Ozan Sayman ◽  
Eduardo Pereyra ◽  
Cem Sarica

Summary The objective of this study is the experimental and theoretical investigation of the fall mechanics of continuous flow plungers. Fall velocity of the two-piece plungers with different sleeve and ball combinations and bypass plungers are examined in both static and dynamic conditions to develop a drag coefficient relationship. The dimensionless analysis conducted included the wall effect, inclination, and the liquid holdup correction of the fall stage. A fall model is developed to estimate fall velocities of the ball, sleeve, and bypass plungers. Sensitivity analysis is performed to reveal influential parameters to the fall velocity of continuous flow plungers. In a static facility, four sleeves with different height, weight, and outer diameter (OD); three balls made with different materials; and a bypass plunger are tested in four different mediums. The wall effect on the settling velocity is defined, and it is used to validate the ball drag coefficient results obtained from the experimental setup. Two-phase flow experiments were conducted by injecting gas into the static liquid column, and the liquid holdup effect on the drag coefficient is observed. Experiments in a dynamic facility are used for liquid holdup and deviation corrections. The fall model is developed to estimate fall velocities of the continuous flow plungers against the flow. Dimensionless parameters obtained in the experiments are combined with multiphase flow simulation to estimate the fall velocity of plungers in the field scale. Reference drag coefficient values of plungers are obtained for respective Reynolds number values. Experimental wall effect, liquid holdup, and inclination corrections are provided. The fall model results for separation time, fall velocity, total fall duration, and maximum flow rate to fall against are estimated for different cases. Sensitivity analysis showed that the drag coefficient, the weight of plungers, pressure, and gas flow rate are the most influential parameters for the fall velocity of the plungers. Furthermore, the fall model revealed that plungers fall slowest at the wellhead conditions for the range of gas flow rates experienced in field conditions. Lower pressure at the wellhead had two opposing effects; namely, reduced gas density, thereby reducing the drag and gas expansion that increased the gas velocity, which in turn increased the drag. Estimating fall velocity of continuous flow plungers is crucial to optimize ball and sleeve separation time, plunger selection, and the gas injection rate for plunger-assisted gas lift (PAGL). The fall model provides maximum flow rate to fall against, which is defined as the upper operational boundary for continuous flow plungers. This study presents a new methodology to predict fall velocity using the drag coefficient vs. Reynolds number relationship, wall effect, liquid holdup, deviation corrections, and incorporating multiphase flow simulation.


SPE Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (05) ◽  
pp. 2221-2238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendy T. Rodrigues ◽  
Eduardo Pereyra ◽  
Cem Sarica

Summary This paper studied the effects of system pressure on oil/gas low–liquid–loading flow in a slightly upward inclined pipe configuration using new experimental data acquired in a high–pressure flow loop. Flow rates are representative of the flow in wet–gas transport pipelines. Results for flow pattern observations, pressure gradient, liquid holdup, and interfacial–roughness measurements were calculated and compared to available predictive models. The experiments were carried out at three system pressures (1.48, 2.17, and 2.86 MPa) in a 0.155–m–inside diameter (ID) pipe inclined at 2° from the horizontal. Isopar™ L oil and nitrogen gas were the working fluids. Liquid superficial velocities ranged from 0.01 to 0.05 m/s, while gas superficial velocities ranged from 1.5 to 16 m/s. Measurements included pressure gradient and liquid holdup. Flow visualization and wire–mesh–sensor (WMS) data were used to identify the flow patterns. Interfacial roughness was obtained from the WMS data. Three flow patterns were observed: pseudo-slug, stratified, and annular. Pseudo-slug is characterized as an intermittent flow where the liquid does not occupy the whole pipe cross section as does a traditional slug flow. In the annular flow pattern, the bulk of the liquid was observed to flow at the pipe bottom in a stratified configuration; however, a thin liquid film covered the whole pipe circumference. In both stratified and annular flow patterns, the interface between the gas core and the bottom liquid film presented a flat shape. The superficial gas Froude number, FrSg, was found to be an important dimensionless parameter to scale the pressure effects on the measured parameters. In the pseudo-slug flow pattern, the flow is gravity–dominated. Pressure gradient is a function of FrSg and liquid superficial velocity, vSL. Liquid holdup is independent of vSL and a function of FrSg. In the stratified and annular flow patterns, the flow is friction–dominated. Both pressure gradient and liquid holdup are functions of FrSg and vSL. Interfacial–roughness measurements showed a small variation in the stratified and annular flow patterns. Model comparison produced mixed results, depending on the specific flow conditions. A relation between the measured interfacial roughness and the interfacial friction factor was proposed, and the results agreed with the existing measurements.


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