Experimental Studies of Liquid Holdup in the Impeller of Electric Submersible Pump

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirill Goridko ◽  
Vladimir Verbitsky ◽  
Evgeny Nikonov ◽  
Max Nikolaev

Abstract Artificial lift of oil by electric submersible pumps (ESP) is often complicated by free gas in production. Free gas content in production leads to ESP performance degradation in rate and head. Gas slip in the ESP impeller is one of the reasons of ESP performance degradation. Thus, the goal of the work is to determine the gas slip coefficient i.e. liquid holdup in the ESP impeller. It is known that a gas-liquid mixture (GLM) flow characterized by a slippage effect. Gas slippage relative to the liquid determines the GLM structure (bubble, dispersed-bubble, slug, stratified or annular), as well as the difference between the GLM densities calculated by liquid holdup or liquid volume content. Special stand was designed and created to determine the liquid holdup at the Department of Oil Fields Development and Operation of Gubkin University. Liquid holdup in the impeller of the ESP was measured by the method of cutting off the flow. This paper shows the results of experimental studies of liquid holdup and gas slip velocity in the ESP impeller (ESP5-50) at a rotational speed n = 2997 rpm, at an absolute intake pressure Pin = 0.4 MPa. The dependence of the liquid holdup on liquid volume content (i.e. the dependence of the gas void fraction on gas volume fraction) was determined for the model GLM "water-air", "water-surfactant-air" with different foaming capacity. The degradation of the ESP characteristics, boundaries of surging and gas locking limits are determined taking into account liquid holdup. The dependence of gas holdup was experimentally obtained over the entire range of ESP operation (from 0.5∙Qopt to Qmax). A comparison of the obtained correlation with existing models is presented too. A new correlation for predicting liquid holdup in the ESP impeller for the low-rate wells operation is obtained. A new approach to determining the liquid holdup and consequently gas slip velocity in the ESP impeller is proposed.

2019 ◽  
Vol 219 (3) ◽  
pp. 1818-1835
Author(s):  
Hélène Massol

SUMMARY Explosive eruptions involve the fragmentation of magma that changes the flow regime from laminar to turbulent within the volcanic conduit during ascent. If the gas volume fraction is high, magma fragments and the eruption style is explosive, but if not, the magma flows effusively out of the vent. Gas escape processes depend on how the magma can rupture, and recent experimental studies measured rupture stress thresholds of the order of a few megapascals. It is thus critical to model the gas content and state of stress evolution in the flowing magma within the conduit. We present a new self-consistent model of an explosive eruption from the magma chamber to the surface, based on a critical gas volume fraction. Our model allows to explore irregular geometries below the fragmentation level (2-D). We first compare our model with classical 1-D models of explosive eruptions and find that in the case of straight conduits and fragmented flows, 1-D models are accurate enough to model the gas pressure and vertical velocity distribution in the conduit. However, in the case of an irregular conduit shape at depth, 2-D models are necessary. Despite a certain conduit radius visible at the surface, very different stress fields within the flow could be present depending upon the position and shape of any conduit irregularities. Stresses of the order of more than 1 MPa can be attained in some locations. High tensile stresses are located at the centre of the conduit, while high shear stresses are located at the conduit walls leading to several potential rupture locations. Due to the interplay between the velocity field and decompression rate, similar conduit radius visible at the surface might also lead to very different fragmentation depths with a difference of more than 1500 m between an enlarged conduit shape at some depth and a straight conduit. At depth, different conduit sizes might lead to the same order of magnitude for the mass flux, depending on the conduit geometry.


Author(s):  
Hamidreza Karami ◽  
Carlos F. Torres ◽  
Mazdak Parsi ◽  
Eduardo Pereyra ◽  
Cem Sarica

Low Liquid Loading is a very common occurrence in wet gas pipelines where very small amounts of liquid flow along with the gas, mainly due to condensation of hydrocarbon gases and water vapor. The effects of low liquid loading on different flow characteristics, and flow assurance issues such as pipe corrosion prove the necessity of analyzing the flow behavior in more depth. In this study, CFD simulations are conducted for a horizontal pipe where liquid and gas are supplied at separate constant rates at the inlet. The liquid is introduced at the bottom to help shorten the developing section. The simulations are conducted with Ansys Fluent v14.5 using Volume Of Fluid (VOF) as the multiphase model. The analysis targets, mainly, the shape of the interface, velocity fields in both liquid and gas phases, liquid holdup, and shear stress profile. On the other hand, experiments are conducted in a 6-inch ID low liquid loading facility with similar testing condition. Experiments are conducted with water or oil as the liquid phase for a liquid volume fraction range of 0.0005–0.0020 of the inlet stream. For all cases, several flow parameters are measured including liquid holdup and interface wave characteristics. A comparison is conducted between CFD simulation results, model predictions, and experimental results, and a discussion of the sources of discrepancy is presented. Overall, the results help understand the low liquid loading flow phenomenon.


Author(s):  
S.S. Andreyko ◽  
O.V. Ivanov ◽  
T.A. Lyalina ◽  
E.A. Nesterov

The results of the mine and the laboratory studies of the free gas content of the sylvinite and sylvinite-carnallite zones of the Upper Kama districts are presented. In the process of the experimental studies, the quantitative characteristics of the free gas content were obtained for sylvinite, carnallite and rock salt layers. In the process of the laboratory studies by the gas chromatography of the natural gas samples, the component composition of the free gases was assessed. Based on the geological structure analysis and the gas content study, the assessment of the composition, the volume, the location and the intensity of the natural gases release is given. Based on the experimental studies results of the free gas content, and an analysis of the locations, the volume and the intensity of the gas emissions, the probable places of the free gases accumulation are installed. The main which are the anticlinal folds inflection the rupture and the crushing, the fractures, the tectonic disturbances, the transition of the sylvinites into the carnallite and the composition changes of the layers.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirill Alexandrovich Goridko ◽  
Rinat Alfredovich Khabibullin ◽  
Vladimir Sergeevich Verbitsky ◽  
Arturas Rimo Shabonas ◽  
Guzel Kazakbaeva

Abstract One of the most common complications in the operation of wells with electric submersible pumps (ESP) is the presence of free gas in the produced well product. The work considers a model of ESP operation taking into account a large share of free gas in the flow obtained on the basis of bench tests and its applicability for analyzing the operation of real producing wells equipped with ESPs. Tests of ESP5-50 (118 radial stages) with model gas-liquid mixtures in a wide range of inlet gas volume-flow rate (0-60%), inlet pressure (0.6-2.1 MPa), shaft speed (2400-3600 rpm) with simultaneous pressure measurement along the pump length and direct measuring of power at the shaft by means of motor weights were performed at the oilfield development and operation department. Mathematical model is obtained by means of regression analysis of experimentally received characteristics of ESPs on gas liquid mixtures; a simple engineering method of calculating the degradation of ESPs characteristics by flow, head and power is suggested. The experience of building similar models described in the literature was taken into account. Experimental studies and creation of a mathematical model of ESP were carried out during Kirill Goridko's PhD thesis. As a result of the research we obtained the degradation dependencies of the pump's delivery and the head of ESP while pumping mixtures of different foam capacity, which simulate the pump operation in low and high watercut wells. The patterns of delivery and head coefficients depending on the zone (left, optimum, right) of ESP characteristic are revealed. The degradation of ESP power during pumping gas liquid mixture is clarified, which allows to calculate more accurately the specific energy consumption of well products lifting. The developed method of recalculation of the pressure and power characteristics of ESPs is implemented in the form of calculation modules designed for engineering calculations in oil production. The proposed tool has been tested on the data of the Western Siberia fields while analyzing the operation of wells with high gas content in the produced product. Calculation modules have been made publicly available. A new simple engineering method was developed to account for the degradation of the pressure and flow and power characteristics of ESPs for low- and medium-rate wells based on a large number of benchmark studies. Оbtained degradation dependences are programmed in the form of calculation modules, which allows to analyze the operation of a large number of wells on the basis of their technological mode, as well as to propose optimization measures to change the ESP operation at a higher level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ramzan ◽  
Jae Dong Chung ◽  
Seifedine Kadry ◽  
Yu-Ming Chu ◽  
Muhammad Akhtar

Abstract A mathematical model is envisioned to discourse the impact of Thompson and Troian slip boundary in the carbon nanotubes suspended nanofluid flow near a stagnation point along an expanding/contracting surface. The water is considered as a base fluid and both types of carbon nanotubes i.e., single-wall (SWCNTs) and multi-wall (MWCNTs) are considered. The flow is taken in a Dacry-Forchheimer porous media amalgamated with quartic autocatalysis chemical reaction. Additional impacts added to the novelty of the mathematical model are the heat generation/absorption and buoyancy effect. The dimensionless variables led the envisaged mathematical model to a physical problem. The numerical solution is then found by engaging MATLAB built-in bvp4c function for non-dimensional velocity, temperature, and homogeneous-heterogeneous reactions. The validation of the proposed mathematical model is ascertained by comparing it with a published article in limiting case. An excellent consensus is accomplished in this regard. The behavior of numerous dimensionless flow variables including solid volume fraction, inertia coefficient, velocity ratio parameter, porosity parameter, slip velocity parameter, magnetic parameter, Schmidt number, and strength of homogeneous/heterogeneous reaction parameters are portrayed via graphical illustrations. Computational iterations for surface drag force are tabulated to analyze the impacts at the stretched surface. It is witnessed that the slip velocity parameter enhances the fluid stream velocity and diminishes the surface drag force. Furthermore, the concentration of the nanofluid flow is augmented for higher estimates of quartic autocatalysis chemical.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Wilms ◽  
Jan Wieringa ◽  
Theo Blijdenstein ◽  
Kees van Malssen ◽  
Reinhard Kohlus

AbstractThe rheological characterization of concentrated suspensions is complicated by the heterogeneous nature of their flow. In this contribution, the shear viscosity and wall slip velocity are quantified for highly concentrated suspensions (solid volume fractions of 0.55–0.60, D4,3 ~ 5 µm). The shear viscosity was determined using a high-pressure capillary rheometer equipped with a 3D-printed die that has a grooved surface of the internal flow channel. The wall slip velocity was then calculated from the difference between the apparent shear rates through a rough and smooth die, at identical wall shear stress. The influence of liquid phase rheology on the wall slip velocity was investigated by using different thickeners, resulting in different degrees of shear rate dependency, i.e. the flow indices varied between 0.20 and 1.00. The wall slip velocity scaled with the flow index of the liquid phase at a solid volume fraction of 0.60 and showed increasingly large deviations with decreasing solid volume fraction. It is hypothesized that these deviations are related to shear-induced migration of solids and macromolecules due to the large shear stress and shear rate gradients.


2007 ◽  
Vol 353-358 ◽  
pp. 687-690
Author(s):  
Yan Dong Yu ◽  
De Liang Yin ◽  
Bao You Zhang

Cavity growth is a typical microstructure feature in superplastic forming (SPF) of materials. Substantial growth and interlink of cavities in superplastic deformation usually lead to reduction in elongation, even to failure. Consequently, it is necessary to investigate the mechanism and model of cavity growth. In this paper, experimental studies on cavity growth were carried out by means of superplastic tension of ZK60 magnesium alloys. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) was employed for observation of fractography. Experimental cavity radius and volume fraction were determined by optical microscopy and corresponding picture-based analysis software. It is found that, the fractured surfaces after a superplastic elongation have a mixed characteristic of intergranular cavities and dimples. Further, the cavity growth is identified to follow a exponentially increasing mode.


2005 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 179-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bock ◽  
H. Eicken

AbstractThe microstructural evolution of brine inclusions in granular and columnar sea ice has been investigated through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for temperatures between –28 and –3˚C. Thin-section and salinity measurements were completed on core samples obtained from winter sea ice near Barrow, Alaska, USA. Subsamples of granular (2–5cm depth in core) and columnar sea ice (20–23 cm depth) were investigated with morphological spin-echo and diffusion-weighted imaging in a Bruker 4.7T MRI system operating at field gradients of 200 mTm–1 at temperatures of approximately –28, –15, –6 and –3˚C. Average linear pore dimensions range from 0.2 to 1 mm and increase with bulk liquid volume fraction as temperatures rise from –15 to –3˚C. Granular ice pores are significantly larger than columnar ice pores and exhibit a higher degree of connectivity. No evidence is found of strongly non-linear increases in pore connectivity based on the MRI data. This might be explained by shortcomings in resolution, sensitivity and lack of truly three-dimensional data, differences between laboratory and field conditions or the absence of a percolation transition. Pore connectivity increases between –6 and –3˚C. Pore-number densities average at 1.4±1.2mm–2. The pore-number density distribution as a function of cross-sectional area conforms with power-law and lognormal distributions previously identified, although significant variations occur as a function of ice type and temperature. At low temperatures (< –26˚C), pore sizes were estimated from 1H self-diffusivity measurements, with self-diffusivity lower by up to an order of magnitude than in the free liquid. Analysis of diffusional length scales suggests characteristic pore dimensions of <1 μm at < –26˚C.


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