Robust wax deposition modeling incorporating non-Newtonian characteristics

The flowing crude oil in the pipe has dissolved wax molecules. At a temperature
below the wax appearance temperature, the solubility of wax in the oil
decreases, which causes the wax molecule to precipitate out in the oil and form
wax crystals.
Wax crystals have a strong affinity towards each other, making a 3-D network
structure, and as a result of this strong affinity of wax crystals, the oil will
exhibit yield stress. With time local yield stress increases due to an increase in
wax crystal concentration resulting from waxes that diffuse, precipitate, and
accumulate locally. A gel-like structure will be formed if the exhibited yield
stress exceeds the flow shear stress.
In the previous models, they were solving the constitutive equations to get the
required concentration of wax to create yield stress that equals the shear stress
imposed by the flow.
The previous models employed the iterative method to determine the interface
location. In this approach, the criterion for the interface is such that the shear
stress at the interface, τ w, is equal to the yield stress at that location, τ y.

Steps in the model

1. Obtain the rheological parameters from the experiments like yield stress
vs temperature and solid fraction vs yield stress.

2. Determine the flow regime by calculating the Reynolds number

Chilton and Stainsby developed a friction factor correlation that can
predict the wall shear stress based on the fluid rheological parameters (n
and K and yield stress), the pipeline diameter, and the flow rate
Assume some Δ P which gives the wall shear stress.

DΔ P
τ wall =
4 Δz
Find the generalized Reynolds number for turbulent flow.

ρoil UD
R HB=
μwaIl ( 34n+1n )( 1−aX −b1 x −c X )
2 3

τy 1 2n
X= , a= , b=
τ wall 2 n+1 (n+1)(2 n+1)
2
2n
c=
(n+1)(2 n+ 1)

Find friction factor from generalized number.

f HB =0.079 ¿ ¿

Find Δ P corresponding to that f value.

τw
f HB =
1 2
∗ρ v
2

DΔ P
τ wall =
4 Δz
Δ P should be same as assumed one.

f HB = friction factor for a Herschel-Bulkley fluid

R HB= Reynolds number for a Herschel-Bulkley fluid
μwall = viscosity of the oil at the wall (Pa-s)

3. Get the velocity profile by using the modified law of the wall
 +¿=¿¿
Uz

+¿=
Uz + ¿=
y
y
ν wall √ τ wall
ρ oill
¿
¿
Uz √
τ wall / ρ oil

τ wall ( n−1
n ) J 1n
μwall= =τ ( )
γ̇ wall w 1−X
+ ¿¿
where v z and y +¿¿ are the dimensionless axial velocity and
dimensionless distance from the wall, respectively

U z= axial velocity magnitude ( ms )

y= distance from the wall ( m)
ν wall =¿ kinematic viscosity at the wall ( m2 /s )

4. The eddy diffusivities

εM Sc ν T
=
Dwo Sc T ν wall
ε H Pr ν T
=
α Pr T ν wall

ε M = eddy mass diffusivity ( m2 /s )

Dwo = molecular diffusivity of wax in the oil ( m /s )
2

Sc= Schmidt number

ScT = turbulent Schmidt number
ε H = eddy thermal diffusivity ( m /s )
2

α = material thermal diffusivity of oil ( m /s )

2

Pr T = Prandtl number
Pr T = turbulent Prandtl number
ν T = turbulent diffusivity ( m2 / s )

The modified law of the wall is again used to calculate the turbulent
momentum diffusivity

νT
=¿
ν wall
 k =0.4 and A = 26

5. Compare wall shear stress with yield stress

a. If the wall shear stress is less than the yield stress, we are in the
deposit, so we have to move the interface to the next iteration and
compare the wall shear stress to yield stress again.
b. If wall shear stress is more than yield stress, the deposit is not
reached to that point.

6. Solve the energy balance equations

∂T
∂t
+v z
∂T 1 ∂
=
∂z r ∂r [( k
ρcp
∧
+ε
)
H
∂r
+
]
∂ T Δ H crys ∂ C p
ρcp
∧
∂t

Where k is the thermal conductivity, ρ is the local density, ć p is the

specific heat capacity, and Δ H crys is the specific latent heat of
crystallization.

The boundary conditions are

T=T0 at t=0
∂T
=0 at r=0
∂r
∂T
−k oil ∨¿r =R =hambient (T oil−T ambient )¿ at r=R
∂r

7. Solve the concentration equations

∂ Cs
∂t
+ vz
∂C s 1 ∂
=
∂z r ∂r
( [
D eff + ε m )
∂ Cs
∂r ]
−k r ( C s−C s , eq )
 ∂ Cp
∂t
+v z
∂Cp 1 ∂
=
∂ z r ∂r
( [
εm )
∂ Cp
∂r ]
+k r ( C s−C s ,eq )

C s=C ∞ at t =0
∂ Cs
=0 at r=0
∂r
C s=C s , eqbm (T ) at T≤ WAT

C P =0 at t =0
∂ CP
=0 at r=0
∂r
C P =C s−C s ,eqbm (T ) at T≤ WAT

where C s is the soluble wax concentration, C p is the precipitated wax

concentration, v z is the axial velocity, Deff is the effective wax
molecular diffusivity, ε m is the eddy mass diffusivity, k r is the
precipitation rate constant, C s ,eq is the soluble wax concentration at
equilibrium, t is the time, r is the radial coordinate, and z is the axial
coordinate.

where μ is the precipitate-free oil viscosity,

V A is the average molar volume of the wax molecule

K α is a dimensionless quantity known as the wax crystal aspect ratio.

K α to 5 for all subsequent simulations. Additionally, the precipitation rate is

assumed to be very fast, i.e., thermodynamic equilibrium by taking k to be
10 s .
3 −1
I was trying to develop the code which could handle the logic of the model