WSEAS Transactions on Fluid Mechanics
Print ISSN: 1790-5087, E-ISSN: 2224-347X
Volume 16, 2021
A Review on Electrical Submersible Pump Head Losses and Methods to Analyze Two-Phase Performance Curve
Authors: , , , , ,
Abstract: Electrical submersible pumps (ESP) are referred to as a pump classification whose applications are
based upon transporting fluids from submersible elevations towards a fixed pipeline. Specific ESP pumps are
utilized in offshore oil and gas facilities that are frequently employed in transport of Liquefied Natural Gas
(LNG) terminals. Transport of LNG is a multiphase process that causes operational challenges for ESP due to
presence of air pockets and air bubbles; presenting difficulties, such as cavitation and degradation to pump
components. This performance degradation causes an economic risk to companies as well as a risk to pump
performance capabilities, as it will not be able to pump with the same pressure again. Operational references for
multiphase flow in ESP are limited; thus, this research paper reports multistage pumping, review of
fundamentals, previous experimental as well as modelling work benefitting future literature for a potential
solution. Industries consume power to cope up with the losses associated with pumping two-phase fluids
causing company’s fortune. Preceding experimental work on single along with multiphase flow illustrate a
distinct flow pattern surrounding the area around pump impeller while the pump is in operation. Through
experimental observation, four flow patterns were observed and studied when gas was varied at different flow
rates. Increasing the intake pressure proved to increase pump performance at two-phase flow. Experimental
study of multiphase flow with LNG fluid is expensive; thus, experimental validation is accomplished on a
single stage pump with external intervention of air bubbles to simulate LNG vaporization at fixed pressure and
temperature difference
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Keywords: Electrical Submersible Pump, Head loss, LNG, Multiphase, Performance curve, CFD,
Turbulence
Pages: 14-31
DOI: 10.37394/232013.2021.16.3