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。非常规海上和北极地区油气储量丰富，而全球其他许多传统油气储量已经枯竭。从战略角度来看，重要的是加拿大能够低能源密集的开采、运输和使用有限的资源。目前的多相管道/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结垢将有助于优化设计条件。提出的结垢研究将为多相管道/井筒设计和下一代管道运输工艺的开发提供宝贵的工具。该研究计划的目的是更好地理解三相气液固流动的力学，并为管道/井筒中三相流动的流型、压力梯度和体积分数估计制定尺度定律。这将通过使用CFX/FLUENT进行详细的实验研究和计算流体动力学（CFD）模拟来实现。需要解决的主要研究挑战是多相流体的流动模式和流体性质（如粘度、表面张力、湍流、气泡、液滴、固体颗粒和传热）如何影响多相标度定律。将使用两组实验室流循环和现场数据来更好地理解标度关系。本文还将用新提出的多相压降和体积分数关系式对所建立的标度规律进行检验。这项研究的结果将为改善海上或海底油气行业管道/井筒多相流的设计条件提供一种综合手段，并减轻恶劣环境下的流动保障挑战。提高多相管道输送过程的效率将减少海底油气生产和加工设施中流动保障问题的影响。在该项目中开发的知识库将对改善油气运输具有重要意义，并且对其他广泛的应用也有价值。

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.