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COBEM 2017
24th ABCM International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Influence of Hydrate-Like Solid Particles in Horizontal Gas-Liquid Slug Flows
Submission Author:
Rafael Fabricio Alves , PR
Co-Authors:
Luis Miguel Marcos Rosas, Carlos Lange Bassani, Fábio Schneider, Marco Jose Da Silva, Moisés Marcelino Neto, Rigoberto Morales, Amadeu Sum, Rafael Fabricio Alves
Presenter: Rafael Fabricio Alves
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2017.COB17-1454
Abstract
Gas hydrate formation is a main flow assurance concern in oil and gas production due to the high risk of flow disruption and possible blockages. One of the major knowledge gap in the strategy for hydrate management is the impact of hydrates on the multiphase flow, as hydrates are solid particles that may be dispersed in the liquid and transported as a slurry. While there is anecdotal evidence for the influence of hydrates on the flow hydrodynamics, no studies have fundamentally addressed this topic. For offshore operations, the phases are assumed as flowing predominantly in the slug flow pattern due to the range of gas and liquid superficial velocities. Understanding the effects of the introduction of solid particles in the slug flow is essential to improve the efficiency and safety of multiphase production. The purpose of the present work is to experimentally characterize solid-liquid-gas slug flow with the presence of homogeneously dispersed hydrate-like particles. Experimental tests were carried out with inert polyethylene particles of 0.5-mm diameter with density similar to gas hydrates (938 kg/m3). The test section comprised a 26-mm ID, 9-m length horizontal duct made of transparent Plexiglas. High Speed Imaging was used to analyze the slug flow unit cell behavior due to the introduction of the solid particles. Two distinct concentrations of solid particles were tested (6 and 8 g/dm3) and compared to a similar case of liquid-gas slug flow.
Keywords
Flow assurance, Gas Hydrates, Slurry flow, Slug Flow
