Scaling Laws for Multiphase Flow in Pipelines and Wellbores

加拿大的石油和天然气储量对加拿大的未来具有至关重要的经济和战略意义。非常规近海和北极地区的碳氢化合物储量丰富，而全球许多其他传统碳氢化合物储量已经枯竭。从战略角度来看，重要的是，加拿大有能力以低能源密集型方式开采、运输和使用有限的资源。目前的多阶段管道/井筒设计在满足未来供应的目标运输需求方面能力有限。更好地了解管道/井筒中多相流体动力学的性能和尺度，将有助于优化设计条件。拟议的比例研究将成为多阶段管道/井筒设计和开发下一代管道运输工艺的宝贵工具。本研究的目的是为了更好地理解气-液-固三相流的流动机理，并发展管道/井筒中三相流流型、压力梯度和体积分数估算的标度律。这将通过使用CFX/FLUENT进行详细的实验研究和计算流体力学(CFD)模拟来实现。需要解决的主要研究挑战是多相流体流动模式和流体性质--如粘度、表面张力、湍流、气泡、液滴、固体颗粒和热传递--如何影响多相标度律。为了更好地理解比例关系，将使用两组实验室流动回路和现场数据。还将用新提出的多相压降和体积分数关联式对所开发的标度定律进行检验。这项研究的结果将为改善近海或海底石油和天然气行业管道/井筒中多相流的设计条件和缓解恶劣环境下的流动保证挑战提供全面的手段。提高多相管道运输过程的效率将减少海底油气生产和加工设施中流量保证问题的影响。在这个项目中开发的知识库将对改进石油和天然气运输具有重要意义，它也将对广泛的其他应用具有价值。

Canadian oil and gas reserves are of critical, economic and strategic importance to Canada’s future. The hydrocarbon reserves of unconventional offshore and Arctic regions are abundant, while many other global traditional hydrocarbon reserves have been depleted. From a strategic standpoint, it is important that Canada is capable of low-energy intensive extraction, transportation and use of a limited resource. Current multiphase pipeline/wellbore designs are limited in their ability to meet the targeted transport demand for future supplies. Better understanding of the performance and scaling of multiphase fluid dynamics in a pipe/wellbore will help optimize the design conditions. The proposed scaling study will serve as a valuable tool in multiphase pipeline/wellbore design and in the development of future generation pipeline transport processes. The objective of this research program is to develop a better understanding of the mechanics of three-phase gas-liquid-solid flows and to develop scaling laws for flow pattern, pressure gradient and volume fraction estimation for three-phase flows in a pipe/wellbore. This will be achieved by detailed experimental investigations and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations using CFX/FLUENT. The primary research challenge to be addressed is how multiphase fluid flow patterns and fluid properties – such as viscosity, surface tension, turbulence, bubbles, droplets, solid particles and heat transfer – affect multiphase scaling laws. Two sets of laboratory flow loops and field data will be used to better understand the scaling relationships. The developed scaling law will also be tested with the newly proposed multiphase pressure drop and volume fraction correlation. The outcome of this research will provide a comprehensive means of improving the design conditions of multiphase flows through a pipeline/wellbore in the offshore or subsea oil and gas industry and mitigating flow assurance challenges in harsh environments. Improving the efficiency of the multiphase pipeline transport process will reduce the impact of flow assurance problems in subsea oil and gas production and processing facilities. The knowledge base developed in this program will be significant in making improvements to oil and gas transport and it will also be of value to a wide range of other applications.