An Experimental Analysis of Gas Reduction in Multiphase Flow with a KMS Helical Static Mixer

The separation dynamics of a multiphase fluid mixture is studied with the aim to validate the gas reduction from the mixture by means of a KMS helical static mixer device through a laboratory prototype based on the jet-pump artificial lift system for oil extraction. The study is focused on the cyclo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied sciences Vol. 12; no. 16; p. 7988
Main Authors Vasquez-Santacruz, Jose Alejandro, Portillo-Velez, Rogelio de Jesus, Garcia-Ramirez, Pedro Javier, Marín-Urías, Luis Felipe, Sánchez-Montero, Diego, Porrágas-Beltrán, Luis Hector
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2022
Subjects
Design
Foaming
gas separation
Gravity
Helical flow
KMS
Membrane separation
Mixtures
Multiphase flow
Numerical analysis
Oil
oil extraction
Oil wells
Petroleum industry
Reservoirs
Reynolds number
sedimentation
Separation
Separators
Velocity
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Summary:The separation dynamics of a multiphase fluid mixture is studied with the aim to validate the gas reduction from the mixture by means of a KMS helical static mixer device through a laboratory prototype based on the jet-pump artificial lift system for oil extraction. The study is focused on the cyclone phenomenon, produced by the KMS, to experimentally verify the reduction of foaming in a reservoir behaving as a horizontal gravity separator of an oil–gas–water mixture under specific dynamics conditions of velocity and pressure of an incoming streamline, as well as some physical mounting configurations of the device. The results were numerical and experimentally validated, projecting the real performance in three-phase separators in an oil extraction field to improve efficiency in pumping machines regarding the negative effects of the gas. Concerning the gas reduction, a KMS of two elements located at 100 mm from the entrance of the horizontal reservoir and 20 mm from a gas casing tube successfully improves the gas isolation from the mixture, from 29.2% to practically 0% over 200 min in the reservoir, to let oil and water become separated by sedimentation. This gas reduction is indirectly assessed by the emulsion that is generated, which affects the time of oil separation in the counterbalance.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app12167988