Multiphase pipe flow – a key technology

for oil and gas production

Pipe Flow: Some considerations related to
single and multiphase flow
 Calculation of flow in pipes

out

in

• Conservation of • Thermodynamics
• Energy
• Mass
• Momentum
 Mass conservation
out

in

• Single-phase : Mass in - mass out = accumulated mass

• Multiphase: Mass transfer comes in addition, e.g. for condensate:

Mass in - mass out + local condensation = accumulated mass

• Steady state single-phase flow:

G = (density) * (pipe area) * (mean velocity)
= ρUA = constant along a pipeline
 Momentum balance – single-phase:
L


PR

PL
Friction

• Pressure gradient large enough for flow: Velocity depends on friction

( PL  PR ) A  m g sin (  )  Friction

• Friction = Friction force per area * wall area

Friction   w (U , ...)   D L
Veggskjærspenning
 Multiphase Pipe Flow Depends on:

Fluid properties Pipe geometry Environment

Density Diameter T, external

Viscosity Wall roughness Insulation
Phase fractions Pipeline profile/ T at inlet
Conductivity topography P at inlet
Heat capacity P at outlet
Surface tension
Etc...
Varies with P and T !

P=pressure, T=temperature
 Oil samples -
large differences in
fluid properties

Crude oils
• Njord
• Visund
• Grane
• Statfjord C
Midgard
Condensates
• Sleipner
• Midgard
 Multiphase flow
Three-phase flow (here):
Simultaneous flow of oil-gas-water in the same pipeline

Flow regimes:
Describes (intuitively) how the phases are
distributed in the pipe cross section and along the pipeline

Superficial velocity:
The velocity a phase will have
if it were the only fluid present
 Flow regimes steeply inclined pipes

Bubbly flow: ”Churn”-flow: Annular flow:

Little gas, large Uoil More gas, large Uoil High Ugas, low Uoil
(All inclinations) (steep inclinations) (wide range of incl.)
Stratified/wavy- near horizontal pipeline

Stratified flow. Ugas normally >> Uoil

Large waves: More effective liquid transport

 Hydrodynamic slugging
Taylor-bubble

Liquid slu

• Large waves that eventually block

the pipe cross section  pressure
build up
• Intermittent flow – liquid slugs
divided by gas pockets
• Effective liquid transport
Slug front in three-phase flow
• Void in slug: Volume fraction of
entrained gas bubbles in the slug
 Need for experimental data
• MP-flows are complex due to the simultaneous presence of different
phases and, usually, different compounds in the same stream.
• The combination of empirical observations and numerical modelling
has proved to enhance the understanding of multiphase flow
• Models to represent flows in pipes were traditionally based on
empirical correlations for holdup and pressure gradient. This implied
problems with extrapolation outside the range of the data
• Today, simulators are based on the multi-fluid models, where
averaged and separate continuity and momentum equations are
established for the individual phases
• For these models, closure relations are required for
e.g. interface and pipe-wall friction, dispersion mechanisms,
turbulence, slug propagation velocities and many more
• These can only be established with access to detailed,
multidimensional, data from relevant and well-controlled flows
Conclusion: we need models based on physics to
extrapolate beyond lab data

Lab Field
Dimensionless numbers – dynamic similarity

• Reynolds number, ratio of the inertial forces to Laminar vs

the viscous forces, turbulent flow
Re= =rvL/m

• Froude number, ratio of a body's inertia to Wave

gravitational forces or ratio of a characteristic propagation,
velocity to a gravitational wave velocity outlet effects,
obstructions

Formation of
• Weber number, relative importance of the fluid's droplets and
inertia compared to its surface tensions: bubbles.
 Conditions in pipeline
Hydrodynamic forces proportional to rU2

1 m/s ρ = 1 kg/m3

P = 100 bar
1 m/s

Corresponds to 10 m/s
 Conditions in pipeline
Gas – liquid interaction: governed by Dρ*DU2
Wind = 3 m/s
Light breeze

Ug = 3 m/s P = 100 bar

ρ = 600 kg/s

Corresponds to more than 30 m/s, i.e. Full Storm

Typical gas-condensate pipe: Gas velocity of 6 – 7 m/s,
corresponding to twice Hurricane force winds
Conditions in pipeline – Drops and bubbles
Hydrocarbon systems can have very low surface tension, in particular gas-
condensate systems. Encourages generation of smaller drops and bubbles.
Typical values: Air – water: 0.07 N/m vs. Gas – condensate: < 0.005 N/m

Inertial rU 2 d
We  
Surface tension 
60 mm/h
Gravitational grd 2
Eo  
Surface tension 
3 – 6 m/s Drop/bubble sizes
Capillary waves

P = 100 bar 90 000 mm/h

measured in lab
3 – 6 m/s

Liquid layer can be significantly aerated (40% - 70%)

Test facilities for study of
multiphase flow behaviour
 Open and closed loops
Open loops with air as the gas
phase – atmospheric pressure
• Simple to build, relatively low cost
• Few safety barriers
• Liquid phase e.g. water, vegetable oil
• Common at universities

Closed, pressurised flow loops

• More complex design, higher costs
• More realistic gas-liquid density ratio
• Crude oils possible (unstable, EX)
• Safety barriers against pressure burst
and explosion

MEK 4450 Multiphase Flow - IFE Oct. 22, 2013

 Design considerations
Main goal for a test loop:
• Establish well controlled and relevant multiphase flows
Common requirements:
• Length/diameter ratio , L>300 D – flow develops along the pipe
• Large diameter – diameter scaling difficult
• Easily changeable pipe inclination
• High gas density to give relevant gas-liquid density ratio
• Large span in flow rates
Cost-benefit:
• Pressure vs gas density; pressure drives costs
• Flow velocities vs pipe diameter; Flow rates drives costs – pumps and
separator
• High L/D and pipe inclination drives cost of building
 Some test facilities in Norway
• IFE Well Flow Loop
• + All inclinations • - Short, low L/D
• + Indoor • +/- Medium diam.
• + High gas density
• + Transparent pipes
• + Cost effective

• SINTEF – Large Sc.

• - Fixed inclination
• + Large L/D
• - Expensive to run
• + Large diameter
• - Outdoor
• + High pressure, N2

• Statoil - Herøya • - Cumbersome to change

• + Real oil-gas system inclination
• + Formation water • - Small diameter
• + High pressure • - Steel pipe
• + Long, large L/D • – Expensive to run
• - Outdoor
 The Well Flow Loop – Principal Layout
Component list:
1: Oil-water separator
2: Gas-liquid separator
3: Gas compressor
4: Water pump
5: Oil pump
6: Heat exchanger, gas
7: Heat exchanger, water
8: Heat exchanger, oil
9: Main el. board
10: Flow rate meter, gas
11. Flow rate meter, water
12: Flow rate meter, oil
13: Inlet mixing section
14: Slug catcher, pre-
separator
15: Return pipe, gas
16: Return pipe, liquid
17: Test section
18: Winch

MEK 4450 Multiphase Flow - IFE Oct. 22, 2013

Worldwide test loops
Worldwide test loops
 Instrumentation

• Gamma densitometers
• PIV (Particle image velocimetry)
• X-Ray tomography
• LDA/PDA (Laser Doppler anemometry/Phase Doppler anemometry)
• ECT (electrical capacitance tomography)
• FBRM (Focused beam reflectance measurement)
• PVM (Particle vision and measurement)
• Shear stress probes
 Pressure gradients
• Differential pressure transducers;
many measurement principles,
accuracy, response times etc.
• Connected to an upstream and
downstream pressure tap (small holes
in the wall)
• The connecting pipe is called impulse
pipe.
• Pressure tap can be top/bottom/side
mounted
• Distance between pressure taps can • dp/dz [Pa/m]= dp/dL, where
vary widely (1 m – 100 m) dp is the differential pressure
• Measures wall friction and the measured with the
hydrostatic pressure difference transducer and dL is the
between the taps distance between the
tappings
Holdup=Cross-sectional liquid fraction (H=1-a)
• Gamma densitometer
• Attenuation of photon flux due
to absorption and scattering

• Single media:

where N is the intensity, m is

the attenuation coefficient
(material property) and x is the
distance travelled in the media
• This can be developed to
• Two-phase gas-liquid and explicit equation for the
Holdup