Multiphase flow performance in the wellbore

Abstract

Multiphase flow is found in various places both in nature and in practice, but multiphase flow is especially seen in the oil field operation. It occurs in oil and gas wells, gathering systems and many piping systems. The presence of liquid (oil/water) and gas must be accounted for when designing and predicting flow patterns in both wells and pipelines. Gas-liquid two phase flows are generally difficult to examine, model and predict in that the interactions between the phases are fairly complex and at times chaotic. In this paper, the behavior of multiphase flow in a piping system is investigated through both experimental and simulated methods. For experiments an undulating piping system was built to study vertical, horizontal and inclined sections. Experimental studies consist of studying and examining flow regimes in a complex piping system that models wellbore flow behavior. Furthermore, theoretical studies consist of complex two-phase flow simulations of pressure loss throughout the system. These experimental and theoretical studies help further understand the complexities of multiphase phenomenon.