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Some Definition

1. Multi-phase flow assurance deals with managing slugs, deposits, corrosion and erosion in pipelines. 2. The document defines key terms used to describe multi-phase flow, such as volume fraction, holdup, water cut, superficial velocity, mixture velocity and density. 3. Different types of pipes are discussed, including flow-lines and gathering networks that transport produced fluids from wellheads to processing facilities.

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55 views3 pages

Some Definition

1. Multi-phase flow assurance deals with managing slugs, deposits, corrosion and erosion in pipelines. 2. The document defines key terms used to describe multi-phase flow, such as volume fraction, holdup, water cut, superficial velocity, mixture velocity and density. 3. Different types of pipes are discussed, including flow-lines and gathering networks that transport produced fluids from wellheads to processing facilities.

Uploaded by

DoHoa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction 17

For non-commercial use only Pipe Flow 2: Multi-phase Flow Assurance


Scale: Scale deposits differ from the others mentioned above in that they are inorganic,
come from produced water, and tend to be harder. Like the others, though, they can be
prevented or removed by inhibitors and pigging. Chemicals can also be used to remove
scales.
Corrosion and erosion: External corrosion is almost always of concern to steel pipelines,
but it is beyond the scope of this book. Depending on what the pipe transports, internal
corrosion is frequently also a concern. The chemistry involved in corrosion is very
complex, and it remains a rapidly developing field. Corrosion is strongly affected by
temperature, pressure, and velocity, and corrosion models can take such data from the
flow models and use them as input. Pure erosion is usually not a problem in petroleum
pipelines, but erosion in combination with corrosion can enhance each other to produce
more damage than they would separately.



1.5 Some definitions
1.5.1 General
For the most part this book follows the definitions laid down in the first book, Pipe Flow
1. Multiphase flow also calls for additional definitions, some because they improve
clarity, while others have become popular for less obvious reasons. This book tries to
avoid jargon deemed to be of the second sort, but with some exceptions for terminology
essential to understanding other relevant publications.

1.5.2 Volume fraction, holdup and water cut
When we have multiple phases passing through a cross-section of the pipe, each phase
can obviously not cover more than a fraction of the area. If, for instance, a fourth of the
cross-section is occupied by gas, we say the gas area fraction (or the volume fraction, since
volume corresponds to area if the length of that volume is infinitely small) or simply the
gas fraction

= 0.25. If the remaining area is occupied by liquid, the liquid fraction has
to be

= 1 0.25 = 0.75.
Some authors choose to use a different name for liquid fraction and call it liquid holdup
or simply holdup, while sticking to the fraction-terminology in case the fluid is a gas.
Multi-phase flow assurance is all about managing
slugs, deposits, corrosion and erosion.
18 Introduction

Pipe Flow 2: Multi-phase Flow Assurance For non-commercial use only
The term water cut is also used occasionally, particularly in describing a wells
production. It means the ratio of water volumetric flow compared to the total
volumetric liquid flow. Gas if there is any is not taken into account in this definition.
Note that water cut does not in itself describe how much water there are in the liquid,
since water and the other liquid(s) may flow at different velocities. Water cut refers to
production rate fraction, not volume fraction. If the liquids are oil and water, the water
cut is

.

1.5.3 Superficial velocity
In single-phase flow, we often define instantaneous average velocity (the average
velocity at a particular point in time) as volumetric flow Q [m
3
/s] divided by pipe cross-
sectional area A [m
2
]. That way, the average velocity directly reflects the volumetric
flow.
In multi-phase flow, the part of the area occupied by one particular phase varies in
space and time, so the flow is no longer proportional to the velocity at a given point. But
if the gas phase occupies area

, we may define the average gas velocity in that part


of the cross-section as

. By solving this equation for

, we define the gas


superficial velocity as:


(1.5.1)

We see that the superficial velocity is proportional to the volumetric flow, and it can be
regarded as the average instantaneous velocity the phase would have had if it occupied
the whole cross-sectional area of the pipe. Since it often occupies only part of it, the
superficial velocity tends to be lower than the actual average velocity.

1.5.4 Mixture velocity and density
The mixture (average) velocity in a mixture of N phases is defined as:

=1
(1.5.2)

Introduction 19

For non-commercial use only Pipe Flow 2: Multi-phase Flow Assurance
We sometimes make use of the mixture (average) density, which is defined as:

=1
(1.5.3)

Other mixture properties or quantities can be defined in a similar fashion.

1.5.5 Various sorts of pipes
In this book, pipe is used with a broad meaning and includes what some authors may
call channel, duct, conduit, tube, wellbore, line, riser, or hose. We sometimes also use
flow-line or gathering network to emphasize that we are referring to the pipe(s)
transporting produced gas/oil/water/sand from one or several wellhead(s) to the
processing facility.
The multitude of names used to express pipe is worth keeping in mind when searching
for related literature the term vertical pipe slug, say, may not turn up in certain
articles, even if vertical duct slug does.

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