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Akpan, S. C.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P. M. B 7267, Umuahia, Abia State. Nigeria
Eze, C. C.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P. M. B 7267, Umuahia, Abia State. Nigeria
Ugwu, H. U.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P. M. B 7267, Umuahia, Abia State. Nigeria
Ubani, N. O.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P. M. B 7267, Umuahia, Abia State. Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study evaluates the effects of droplets in
offshore oil well. These droplets
are carried to the surface to avoid forming films on the tubing, accumulating
at the bottom of the well and resulting into liquid loading as the main effect;
which is disastrous. The focus has been on the eradication of liquid
loading in the oil well and this streamlined the determination of fluid properties, droplet sizes, velocity, flow rate
as well as the critical velocity to lift the droplets from bottom of the well
to the surface.The
fluid properties were determined using an engineering simulation software called ‘ASPEN HYSYS’ and was done based on a given composition of oil
well. The droplets (sizes) were modelled with the assumptions of the
droplets being spherical in shape and smooth. Based on the principle that if
gas flow provides sufficient energy to hold droplet(s) in suspension; the
gravity is equal to the sum of drag force and buoyancy. Also, if the droplet
deforms into a regular oblate spheroid of an ellipsoidal cross section as a
result of the flow regime and the surface still smooth; Turner’s et al model was applied and the maximum
droplet sizes were obtained as 0.001440m, 0.000648m, 0.000645m and 0.000647m at
the bottom, middle, surface and separator respectively. The velocities to lift
the droplets to the surface were obtained as 5.33 m/s and 5.32m/s while
critical velocity was 0.2358m/s. The rates to lift droplets were 0.0336m3/s
and 0.0335m3/s. Since liquid loading occurs where producing gas
velocity is less than the critical velocity, this means that the velocities at
these points are adequate.
Keywords: None
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Published
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Issue
Vol. 4 No. 2, DEC 2018
Article Section
GENERAL
The contents of the articles are the sole opinion of the author(s) and not of UJET.
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