Liquid holdup measurement with double helix capacitance sensor in horizontal oil-water two-phase flow pipes

This paper presents the characteristics of a double helix capacitance sensor for measurement of the liquid holdup in horizontal oil–water two-phase flow. The finite element method is used to calculate ...     

垂直管中零净液流量气液两相流的持液率研究

Zero net-liquid flow (ZNLF) is a special case of upward gas-liquid two-phase flow. It is a phenomenon observed as a gas-liquid mixture flows in a conduit but the net liquid flow rate is zero. Investigation on the liquid holdup of ZNLF is conducted in a vertical ten-meter tube with diameter of 76 mm, both for Newtonian and nonNewtonian fluids. The gas phase is air. The Newtonian fluid is water and the non-Newtonian fluids are water-based guar gel solutions. The correlations developed for predicting liquid holdup on the basis of Lockhart-Martinelli parameter are not suitable to ZNLF. A constitutive correlation for the liquid holdup of vertical ZNLF was put forward by using the mass balance. It is found that the liquid holdup in ZNLF is dependent on both the gas flow rate and the flow distribution coefficient.     

Prediction of curved oil–water interface in horizontal pipes using modified model with dynamic contact angle

In this study, interface shapes of horizontal oil–water two-phase flow are predicted by using Young-Laplace equation model and minimum energy model. Meanwhile, the interface shapes of horizontal oil–water twophase flow in a 20 mm inner diameter pipe are measured by a novel conductance parallel-wire array probe(CPAP). It is found that, for flow conditions with low water holdup, there is a large deviation between the model-predicted interface shape and the experimentally measured one. Since the variation of pipe wetting characteristics in the process of fluid flow can lead to the changes of the contact angle between the fluid and the pipe wall, the models mentioned above are modified by considering dynamic contact angle. The results indicate that the interface shapes predicted by the modified models present a good consistence with the ones measured by CPAP.     

水平管气液两相弹状流液弹频率的水动力学新模型

The prediction of slug frequency has important significance on gas-liquid two-phase flow. A hydrodynamic model was put forward to evaluate slug frequency for horizontal two-phase flow, based on the dependence of slug frequency on the frequency of unstable interfacial wave. Using air and water, experimental verification of the model was carried out in a large range of flow parameters. Six electrical probes were installed at different positions of a horizontal plexiglass pipe to detect slug frequency development. The pipe is 30 m long and its inner diameter is 24 ram. It is observed experimentally that the interracial wave frequency at the inlet is about i to 3 times the frequency of stable slug. The slug frequencies predicted by the model fit well with Tronconi (1990) model and the experimental data. The combination of the hydrodynamic model and the experimental data results in a conclusion that the frequency of equilibrium liquid slug is approximately half the minimum frequency of interfacial wave.     

A Hydrodynamic Modei for Slug Frequency in Horizontal Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow

The prediction of slug frequency has important significance on gas-liquid two-phase flow. A hydrody-namic modei was put forward to evaluate slug frequency for horizontal two-phase flow, based on the dependence of slug frequency on the frequency of unstable interfacial wave. Using air and water, experimental verification of the modei was carried out in a large range of flow parameters. Six electrical probes were installed at different positions of a horizontal plexiglass pipe to detect slug frequency development. The pipe is 30m long and its inner diameter is 24 mm. It is observed experimentally that the interfacial wave frequency at the inlet is about l to 3 times the frequency of stable slug. The slug frequencies predicted by the modei fit well with Tronconi (1990) modei and the experimental data. The combination of the hydrodynamic modei and the experimental data results in a conclusion that the frequency of equilibrium liquid slug is approximately half the miniraum frequency of interfacial wave.     

Simultaneous measurement of velocity profile and liquid film thickness in horizontal gas–liquid slug flow by using ultrasonic Doppler method

Horizontal gas–liquid two-phase flows widely exist in chemical engineering, oil/gas production and other important industrial processes. Slug flow pattern is the main form of horizontal gas–liquid flows and characterized by intermittent motion of film region and slug region. This work aims to develop the ultrasonic Doppler method to realize the simultaneous measurement of the velocity profile and liquid film thickness of slug flow. A single-frequency single-channel transducer is adopted in the d...     

Measurment of gas-liquid two-phase slug flow with a Venturi meter based on blind source separation☆

We propose a novel flow measurement method for gas–liquid two-phase slug flow by using the blind source sep-aration technique. The flow measurement model is established based on the fluctuation characteristics of differ-ential pressure (DP) signals measured from a Venturi meter. It is demonstrated that DP signals of two-phase flow are a linear mixture of DP signals of single phase fluids. The measurement model is a combination of throttle re-lationship and blind source separation model. In addition, we estimate the mixture matrix using the independent component analysis (ICA) technique. The mixture matrix could be described using the variances of two DP sig-nals acquired from two Venturi meters. The validity of the proposed model was tested in the gas–liquid two-phase flow loop facility. Experimental results showed that for most slug flow the relative error is within 10%. We also find that the mixture matrix is beneficial to investigate the flow mechanism of gas–liquid two-phase flow.     

Structural parameter optimization for novel internal-loop iron–carbon micro-electrolysis reactors using computational fluid dynamics

It is generally recognized that internal-loop reactors are well-developed mass and heat-transfer multiphase flow reactors. However, the internal flow field in the internal-loop reactor is influenced by the structure parameter of the reactor, which has a great effect on the reaction efficiency. In this study, the computational fluid dynamics simulation method was used to determine the influence of reactor structure on flow field, and a volume-offluid model was employed to simulate the gas–liquid, two-phase flow of the internal-loop micro-electrolysis reactor. Hydrodynamic factors were optimized when the height-to-diameter ratio was 4:1, diameter ratio was9:1, draft-tube axial height was 90 mm. Three-dimensional simulations for the water distributor were carried out, and the results suggested that the optimal conditions are as follows: the number of water distribution pipes was four, and an inhomogeneous water distribution was used. According to the results of the simulation,the suitable structure can be used to achieve good fluid mechanical properties, such as the good liquid circulation velocity and gas holdup, which provides a good theoretical foundation for the application of the reactor.     

Mixture temperature prediction of waxy oil–water two-phase system flowing near wax appearance temperature

Temperature sensitivity of waxy crude oils makes it difficult to study their flow behaviour in the presence of water especially near their wax appearance temperature(WAT). In this study a method was proposed and implemented to mitigate such difficulties which was applied in predicting mixture temperatures(Tm) of a typical Malaysian waxy crude oil and water flow in a horizontal pipe. To this end, two analytical models were derived firstly from calorimetry equation which based on developed two correlations for defining crude oil heat capacity actualized from the existed specific heat capacities of crude oils. The models were then applied for a set of experiments to reach the defined three predetermined Tm(26 °C, 28 °C and 30 °C). The comparison between the predicted mixture temperatures(Tm,1and Tm,2) from the two models and the experimental results displayed acceptable absolute average errors(0.80%, 0.62%, 0.53% for model 1; 0.74%, 0.54%, 0.52% for model 2). Moreover,the average errors for both models are in the range of standard error limits(±0.75%) according to ASTM E230.Conclusively, the proposed model showed the ease of obtaining mixture temperatures close to WAT as predetermined with accuracy of ± 0.5 °C approximately for over 84% of the examined cases. The method is seen as a practical reference point to further study the flow behaviour of waxy crudes in oil–water two-phase flow system near sensitive temperatures.     

Oil–water pre-separation with a novel axial hydrocyclone

A novel hydrocyclone with guide vanes, named as axial hydrocyclone(AHC), is designed to tackle the problem of oil–water separation faced by most mature oilfields. Optimal design of the AHC is carried out by using numerical methods. The effects of guide vanes, cone angle, tapered angle and overflow pipe on the oil–water separation are discussed in this paper. The results show that a double swirling flow is generated in the tapered section where oil–water separation occurs. Both the cylindrical and the tapered section have important influences on AHC performance. On the basis of single factor results, response surface methodology is employed to optimize the AHC design. The experimental results indicate that the novel AHC has an excellent performance for the oil–water separation.     

气液两相流电容传感器相浓度测量特性

为了考察两种电容传感器(对壁式及双螺旋式)测量气液两相流相浓度的适应性,搭建了垂直上升气液两相流电容传感器测量系统。实验表明对壁式电容传感器测量分辨率较差,而双螺旋式电容传感器对相浓度具有较高的分辨能力。采用时频分析方法对电容传感器波动信号进行了分析,发现两种电容传感器的时频联合表达均能清晰地表征流型运动特征,并可对流型进行有效辨识。最后,基于双螺旋式电容传感器测量信号,建立了气液两相流漂移模型,取得了对段塞流和混状流分相表观流速较好的预测结果。研究表明,双螺旋式电容传感器在气液两相流流动参数测量上具有较好的应用前景。     

The Finite Element Analysis for Parallel-wire Capacitance Probe in Small Diameter Two-phase Flow Pipe

This paper presents a novel capacitance probe, i.e., parallel-wire capacitance probe (PWCP), for two-phase flow measurement. Using finite element method (FEM), the sensitivity field of the PWCP is investigated and the optimum sensor geometry is determiend in term of the characterisitc parameters. Then, the response of PWCP for the oil-water stratified flow is calculated, and it is found the PWCP has better linearity and sensitivity to the variation of water-layer thickness, and is almost independant of the angle between the oil-water interface and the sensor electrode. Finally, the static experiment for oil-water stratified flow is carried out and the calibration method of liquid holdup is presented.     

A NEW EXPERIMENTAL CORRELATION USING A CURVE-SHAPED CAPACITANCE SENSOR TO PREDICT LIQUID HOLDUP IN VERTICAL GAS-CONDENSATE PIPELINES

The performance of a curve-shaped capacitance sensor for measuring the mean liquid holdup of the two-phase mixture of gas-condensate and nitrogen in a vertical pipeline was studied experimentally. The sensor consists of two electrodes placed on the external wall of a cylindrical test duct. The calibration curves for bubble, slug, and plug flow regimes were developed for vertical flow and the sensitivity of the sensor to flow pattern was also investigated. Based on experimental observations, different calibration curves must be used for different flow regimes to have an acceptable accuracy in holdup measurement. Moreover, a new empirical correlation for estimating liquid holdup in vertical gas-condensate pipelines in the dynamic condition was developed as a function of superficial velocities, viscosities, and densities of the gas and liquid. Furthermore, a flow pattern identification map for vertical pipeline is also presented.     

A NEW EXPERIMENTAL CORRELATION USING A CURVE-SHAPED CAPACITANCE SENSOR TO PREDICT LIQUID HOLDUP IN VERTICAL GAS-CONDENSATE PIPELINES

The performance of a curve-shaped capacitance sensor for measuring the mean liquid holdup of the two-phase mixture of gas-condensate and nitrogen in a vertical pipeline was studied experimentally. The sensor consists of two electrodes placed on the external wall of a cylindrical test duct. The calibration curves for bubble, slug, and plug flow regimes were developed for vertical flow and the sensitivity of the sensor to flow pattern was also investigated. Based on experimental observations, different calibration curves must be used for different flow regimes to have an acceptable accuracy in holdup measurement. Moreover, a new empirical correlation for estimating liquid holdup in vertical gas-condensate pipelines in the dynamic condition was developed as a function of superficial velocities, viscosities, and densities of the gas and liquid. Furthermore, a flow pattern identification map for vertical pipeline is also presented.     

Slug flow of air—water mixtures in a horizontal pipe: Determination of liquid holdup by γ-ray absorption

Two-phase pressure gradients and time-averaged values of liquid holdup have been measured for the co-current flow of air and water in a 42 mm bore horizontal pipeline. The majority of the data corresponded to the slug flow region, where rapid fluctuations in both wall pressure and holdup were observed. Instantaneous values of liquid holdup were also recorded by rapid scanning of a vertical cross-section of the pipe using the γ-ray absorption method, which enabled probability density functions (PDF) and power spectral densities (PSD) of holdup to be determined. From these functions, values of average film and slug holdups, average slug length and average slug frequency were estimated. These measurements facilitated the use of the Hubbard—Dukler slug flow model for two-phase pressure drop prediction which compared favourably with the Lockhart—Martinelli correlation over the X-parameter range 2–30.     

基于旋转分相单元的电容式气液两相流含液率测量

为提高电容器对含水率测量的能力,设计与其相匹配的旋转分相单元,以实现气液两相流含水率的起旋分相式电容测量。在电容传感器的测量单元基础上,增加旋转分相单元,利用气液两相流体力学理论对其结构进行设计优化,并根据实际应用条件确定分离圈数,保证气液分相效率。旋转分相单元克服了气液两相流流动形态的多样性,将体积含水率信息转换成液膜厚度信息及截面含水率信息进行测量。经实验验证,Lockhart-Martinelli截面含气率模型与实验中电容器测量截面含气率具有良好的一致性,其能够实现对体积含水率20%以内的气液两相流有效测量,体积含水率的绝对误差在±2%以内。     

Particle Holdup Profiles in Horizontal Gas‐liquid‐solid Multiphase Flow Pipeline

Sand holdup is one of the most important hydrodynamic parameters that is needed for performance estimation, design, operation and control of oil‐gas‐sand multiphase production and pipeline transportation systems. The performance of oil‐gas‐sand multiphase flow can be reliably evaluated by measuring the sand holdup in such oil‐gas‐sand multiphase production and pipeline transportation systems. In the present work, a local sand holdup has been measured under conditions analogous to the horizontal oil‐gas‐sand three‐phase slug flow in pipelines. Accurate local sand particle holdup measurements were performed by the digital imaging technique. The results revealed the influence of operating conditions such as gas and liquid velocities and sand particle loading on the distribution of the local sand particle holdup in the horizontal air‐water‐sand multiphase slug flow pipe. Explanations for the observed trends are provided, shedding light on the general structures and mechanisms of the distribution of the local sand holdup in a horizontal oil‐gas‐sand three‐phase slug flow. Such information on the horizontal air‐water‐sand three‐phase slug flow mechanisms are essential to advance the mechanistic approach for predicting local sand holdup distribution and the subsequent effect on sand deposition during multiphase petroleum production and transfer operations.     

基于ANSYS的一种气液两相流流量测量传感器的仿真研究

在石油、化工等诸多生产领域的生产过程中,两相流各种参数的在线实时测量与控制是生产稳定可靠运行的重要保证,其中相浓度和速度就是十分重要的参数.作者利用大型有限元分析软件ANSYS仿真分析了一种同轴电容传感器.仿真实验表明其具有均匀的敏感场分布和较高的灵敏度,而且该结构传感器电容值与流型无关,只与浓度变化有关.因此该结构传...     

湍流-层流气液分层流的模型

The time-dependent liquid film thickness and pressure drop are measured by using parallel-wire conductance probes and capacitance differential-pressure transducer. A mathematical model with iterative procedure to calculate holdup and pressure drop in horizontal and inclined gas-liquid stratified flow is developed. The predictions agree well with over a hundred experimental data in 0.024 and 0.04 m diameter pipelines.