WSEAS Transactions on Heat and Mass Transfer
Print ISSN: 1790-5044, E-ISSN: 2224-3461
Volume 14, 2019
Turbulence Characteristics Study of the Emulsified Flow
Authors: ,
Abstract: The presence of emulsions brings numerous undesirable effects to the oil and gas industry; it affects the flow regimes and flow behavior in the pipeline, reduces the quality of crude oil, requires longer retention time in the separation vessels, causes corrosion to the transport system, contaminates catalyst used in the refining process that leads to huge economic losses. The formation of emulsions; dynamic break-up and coalescence of the dispersed droplets tend to diminish the turbulence in the flow. This suggests that turbulence is consumed during the emulsification process. The turbulence characteristics of the water-oil emulsions flow in the pipeline are examined and discussed. The Reynolds stress and turbulence intensity analysis show that turbulence activities and transport influence the formation of emulsions and it is induced from the constriction of pipeline. The largest amount of fluctuating components are observed nearest to the constriction and the turbulence is diminishing as the flow flows further away from the constriction. This research work enables the oil industry to provide a better strategy in treating the emulsification phenomena in the pipeline transportation system.
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Keywords: constrictions, crude oil, emulsions, Reynolds stress, turbulent intensity, UVP, water cuts
Pages: 45-50
WSEAS Transactions on Heat and Mass Transfer, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1790-5044 / 2224-3461, Volume 14, 2019, Art. #5