DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW DRAG COEFFICIENT MODEL FOR OIL AND GAS MULTIPHASE FLUID SYSTEMS

Authors

  • KO Bello DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY, NIGERIA
  • KI Idigbe DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.342.931

Abstract

Multiphase flows involving suspensions of solid particles are frequently encountered in many industrial processes including oil & gas production. In order to transport solid entrained multiphase fluids, especially through a pipeline, the fluids must be capable of suspending the entrained solid particles to prevent solid deposition and flow assurance challenges. The particle drag coefficient, CD, is a key hydrodynamic parameter, and its effective determination is critical to ensuring effective transportation of the particles. In this work, the results of laboratory measurements of the terminal settling velocity of sand particle(s) in multiphase fluids are presented. The results allow the proper determination of the particle(s) Reynolds number, CD. The developed CD model is an improvement on existing models, which can be applied to both the turbulent and laminar flow regions, thus, reasonably predicting CD over a wide range of Rep­ in multiphase fluid flow. It effectively accounts for the complexities associated with multiphase flow in pipes, and has the potential to solve the problem of sand depositions, and thus, minimizing flow assurance challenges in multiphase flow.

 

http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v34i2.10

Downloads

Issue

Section

Chemical, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Petroleum & Production Engineering

How to Cite

DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW DRAG COEFFICIENT MODEL FOR OIL AND GAS MULTIPHASE FLUID SYSTEMS. (2015). Nigerian Journal of Technology, 34(2), 280-285. https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.342.931