An Analysis of Oil/Water Flow Phenomena in Horizontal Pipes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Extensive experimental data were acquired for oil-water flow in horizontal pipes for a very wide range of oil viscosity. Pressure drop, flow rate, input water fraction, in-situ holdup, mixture temperature, and flow pattern data were obtained for 612 oil-water tests in 1.5-in. pipe, and 587 tests in 1-in. pipe. Oils with viscosities of 4.7, 58, 84, and 115 cp were used in the 1.5-in. runs, while the 1-in. tests used 237-cp and 2116-cp oils, all measured at 70 °F. Mixture velocities varied from 1.5 to 12 ft/s, while input water fractions ranged from 0.05 to 0.90, and mixture temperatures were between 50 and 98 °F. A new correlation is proposed for the prediction of the inversion point of an oil-water dispersion. It was found that the input water fraction required to invert the dispersion decreases with increasing oil viscosity. Pressure drop due to friction was also found to increase abruptly when the flowing oil-water mixture reached the inversion point where the external phase inverted from water to oil. Two pressure-gradient prediction models are presented; one for stratified, and the other for homogeneously dispersed oil-water flows. Comparison between model predictions and experimental data shows satisfactory agreement. Experimental oil-water flow pattern maps were developed. The existing flow pattern in an oil-water mixture depends primarily on mixture velocity, input water fraction, and oil viscosity (only when oil is the external phase).