Pressure Drop Distribution Research Articles

Optimizing Well Trajectories for Enhanced Oil Production in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs: Integrating Particle Swarm Optimization with an Innovative Semi-Analytical Model Framework

Summary Well trajectory optimization is a crucial component in the drilling engineering of naturally fractured reservoirs. The complex heterogeneity and anisotropy of such reservoirs significantly affect the pressure drop distribution within the well and, consequently, the oil well’s output, impacting the economic benefits of the well. Therefore, optimizing the well segment trajectory is key to efficient reservoir development. However, traditional well trajectory optimization methods primarily focus on geological structures and drilling engineering costs, often overlooking future production benefits of the oil well. This paper proposes a new method that first establishes a semi-analytical production prediction model capable of describing complex well trajectories. Although the semi-analytical model has unique advantages in well trajectory description, it typically treats the reservoir as a homogeneous entity, which complicates handling complex reservoir characteristics. To overcome this limitation, we combined optimization algorithms and neural networks to construct a framework for addressing reservoir heterogeneity (Semianalytical Model Framework for Unconventional Wells in Heterogeneous Reservoirs, USAMF-HR), enhancing the semi-analytical model’s ability to describe reservoir heterogeneity. Building on this framework, we applied the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and introduced constraints on the rationalization of initial well trajectories, as well as limits on particle movement speed and displacement, with the maximization of net present value (NPV) as the objective function, to optimize well trajectory coordinates. Through specific case analysis, the reasonableness and practicality of this method have been verified. The results show that this method can quickly and effectively plan the optimal well trajectory, significantly increasing productivity while reducing costs.

A novel tetra hybrid bio-nanofluid model with stenosed artery

Abstract For treating and diagnosing cardiovascular diseases, the field of biomedical engineering is significant because it develops new ways and techniques. Stenosis is the narrowing of an artery, and it leads reduction in the flow rate of blood. This study investigates the blood flow mechanism in an artery using a mathematical model of Carreau nanofluid with four distinct nanoparticles. Tetra nanofluid model produces significant advancement in the simulation of blood flow through the stenosed arteries. The model is capable of predicting the pressure drop and velocity distribution for diagnosing and treating stenosis. The spectral relaxation approach is used to present the model's efficiency and effectiveness, which makes it a suitable method for solving the governing equations of this study. The findings of this study have important implications for the development of new treatments and diagnostic techniques for stenosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

Performance evaluation of different new channel box photovoltaic thermal systems

Current research has highlighted three major gaps in the literature: (a) a rarity of studies on photovoltaic thermal systems with channel boxes, (b) a lack of data on pressure drop and surface temperature distribution in these systems, and (c) absence of analysis regarding the impact of materials (metals and polymers) used in photovoltaic thermal systems on performance, cost, payback time and weight. The novelty of this paper lies in addressing these gaps by studying a new channel-box photovoltaic thermal system, varying the number of channels and the height of the collectors that distribute water to these channels, in order to identify the most efficient design in terms of electrical, and thermal efficiency as well as pressure drop. In addition, the impact of different heat exchanger materials (metals and polymers) on the performance, cost, payback time, and weight of photovoltaic thermal systems was investigated. 3D numerical simulations were carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics software, based on the finite element method, and validated by outdoor experimental research. The results show that the photovoltaic thermal system 8 design performs best, with a total efficiency of 89.42%. In addition, the aluminum photovoltaic thermal system stands out as the most cost-effective option, with a payback time of 0.823 y (300 d) and annual savings of $459.262, while being 38% lighter than the copper system. Based on this study, it is recommended that the photovoltaic thermal system 8 be implemented because of its exceptional performance and ease of implementation.

CFD modeling of gas–solid flow in a two‐stage jetting fluidized bed with an overflow standpipe

AbstractThe two‐fluid model–kinetic theory of granular flow (TFM–KTGF) model and the sub‐grid‐scale (SGS) model are used to conduct a three‐dimensional numerical simulation study on the hydrodynamic characteristics of a two‐stage fluidized bed with an integrated overflow pipe. Using various drag models, the gas–solid flows, bed expansions, pressure drop distributions, and equilibrium conditions in the two‐stage bed are compared, and the conditions for the formation of a stable overflow in the two‐stage bed are thoroughly investigated. In addition, during the simulation of the secondary distribution in the bed, the porous media model simulates the momentum loss caused by the redistribution plate to avoid the direct simulation of the redistribution plate, which requires extensive grid division work and calculation costs. This work can provide technical direction for the industrialization of one‐step coal to multistage fluidized bed natural gas technology.

Mass transfer of gas–liquid two‐phase flow in asymmetric parallel microchannels with liquid feed splitting

AbstractDue to size limitations, the gas–liquid absorption capacity of a single microchannel is limited, making it difficult to achieve large‐scale CO2 capture. Therefore, the parallel microchannels combining the advantages of high efficiency and large throughput stand out. However, when the operating condition is high gas–liquid flow rate ratio, the liquid phase between bubbles almost disappears after multiple distributions, which affects the amount of gas–liquid absorption. In this study, the numbering‐up of the asymmetric parallel microchannels in the gas–liquid absorption process was investigated by splitting the liquid feed stream in two. The flow patterns under different operating conditions were obtained. The flow and distribution of gas–liquid two‐phase flow were investigated, and the reason of the distribution deterioration caused by appearance of long slug bubbles was explained by the pressure drop distribution. The total liquid mass transfer coefficient and bubble residence time were derived and obtained, and the mass transfer was further discussed.

Study on the uniform flow in adsorption device with perforated plate distributor

The adsorption device is widely used in the purification of impurity-containing wastewater, which is of great significance. However, the problem of non-uniform distribution of liquid in the packed bed has a large impact on the adsorption process. In the current study, CFD is used to simulate the fluid flow state during the adsorption process based on the physical modelling of the adsorption device, where the packed bed is modelled as a porous medium. By studying the effect of hole distribution, perforation rate, thickness and installation position of the perforated plate on flow uniformity and bed pressure drop, the influencing factors affecting the uniform distribution of fluid and pressure drop are discussed. Results show that changing the hole array did not have a significant effect on the fluid uniformity. When the perforation rate of the distributor is 15–29.4 %, the pressure drop is smaller and the flow distribution uniformity is better. The non-uniformity of flow field decreases first and then increases continuously with the increasing of the thickness. When the thickness of the perforated plate is between 10 and 30 mm, the overall performance is the best. Increasing the distance between the perforated plate and the inlet can reduce the impact strength of high-speed fluid on the perforated plate and improve the flow uniformity and increasing the inlet flow rate of the fluid can improve the uniformity of the flow field within a certain range, but it will increase the fluid flow loss.

Flow dynamics through cellular material based on a structure with triply periodic minimal surface

Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS)-based cellular structures are widely adopted due to their high surface-to-volume area, superior mechanical characteristics, and adaptive properties. This paper is dedicated to deriving a new semi-empirical equation for pressure drop in TPMS-based structures (specifically Schwarz-P, Schoen I-WP, Neovius). Both numerical and experimental tests were conducted to analyze the impact of TPMS parameters on pressure drop and velocity distribution. It was determined that flow through the Schwarz-P structure exhibits a tubular flow pattern, flow through the Neovius structure demonstrates active flow mixing, and flow through the Schoen I-WP structure does not have stagnant (dead) zones. A novel semi-empirical equation was formulated to calculate pressure drop as a function of flow parameters and TPMS-based structure parameters. This equation incorporates both viscous resistance (Δp=f(v)) and kinetic energy loss (Δp=f(v2)), enabling its application for predicting pressure drop across a wide range of practically interesting operational parameters.

Experimental study of the effect of dedicated mechanical subcooling on the performance of a single multiparallel evaporator

In systems with a single machine and multiple parallel evaporators, issues such as uneven liquid–vapor phase refrigerant separation and low efficiency are prevalent. This study investigates the impact of distributor inlet conditions on liquid–vapor separation uniformity and proposes improving separation performance and system efficiency by adjusting the working fluid's dryness through subcooling. It introduces the use of a rectifying nozzle-type distributor (RD) instead of a centrifugal distributor (CD) and presents experimental studies on multiple parallel evaporators. A test setup featuring multiple parallel evaporators with mechanical subcooling unit was developed to investigate the subcooling degree's impact on various aspects: superheat unevenness across branches, refrigeration capacity disparity among cold storages, cooling rates, distributor pressure drop, and overall system energy efficiency. Findings indicate significant improvements with RD; at a 16 °C subcooling degree, superheat unevenness and refrigeration capacity unevenness decreased by 30.6 % and 23.0 % respectively, while cooling rates increased by 27.3 %. At a 26 °C subcooling degree, system energy efficiency improved by 15.4 %. Compared under identical conditions, the RD system outperformed the CD system. This research contributes to a better understanding of optimizing multiple parallel evaporator performance through subcooling degree adjustments and can be applied to multi-cold room cold storage systems.

MAINTAINING GAS RECOVERY IN LOW-PERMEABILITY FORMATIONS

The purpose of this work was to ensure efficient gas production in low-permeability and heterogeneous formations by numerically modeling the distribution of reservoir pressure drop around production and injection wells. To investigate this goal, we used a simulation based on the combined finite-element-difference method for nonstationary Leibenson piezoelectric conductivity problems. The method is based on the combination of elements of the already known finite difference and finite element methods for the nonstationary piezoelectric conductivity problem. The study found that there are many factors that affect the process of maintaining gas production in poorly permeable areas of a gas-bearing formation. Among them, first of all, after increasing the permeability of the corresponding section of the reservoir where production is created. Another important factor for maintaining gas recovery is the ability to naturally or artificially maintain gas phase infiltration within the affected reservoir area. This aspect is especially important for ensuring stable gas recovery over a long period of operation. During the intensive and long-term operation of the working area of the gas-bearing formation, additional injection wells were installed in the complex of production wells to avoid its depletion. It is important to note that provided a high level of gas phase penetration at the beginning of field operation, other factors of the production process, such as additional production wells and infiltration within the working area, have a lesser impact on the overall pressure distribution in this area. Thus, the study shows that with the passage of time and prolonged operation of the working section of the reservoir, the influence of its penetration decreases, but the importance of injected substances in the injection wells and gas phase infiltration within this section of the reservoir increases.

Numerical and experimental investigation of heat transfer enhancement in double tube heat exchanger using nail rod inserts

The Double-tube heat exchanger (DTHX) is widely favored across various industries due to its compact size, low maintenance requirements, and ability to operate effectively in high-pressure applications. This study explores methods to enhance heat transfer within a DTHX using both experimental and numerical approaches, specifically by integrating a nail rod insert (NRI). A steel nails rod insert, 1000 mm in length, is introduced into the DTHX, which is subjected to turbulent flows characterized by Reynolds numbers ranging from 3200 to 5700. Three different pitches of NRI (100 mm, 50 mm, and 25 mm) are investigated. The results indicate a significant increase in the Nusselt (Nu) number upon the insertion of nail rods, with further improvements achievable by reducing the pitch length. Particularly noteworthy is the Nu number enhancement ratio for the 25 mm pitch NRI, which is 1.81–1.9 times higher than that for the plain tube. However, it is observed that pressure drop increases in all configurations with NRI due to heightened turbulence and obstruction by the NRI. Among the various pitch lengths, the 25 mm pitch exhibits the highest pressure drop values. Moreover, exergy efficiency is found to improve across all cases with NRI, corresponding to increased heat transfer, with the 25 mm pitch length showing a remarkable 128% improvement. Numerical analysis reveals that the novel insert enhances flow turbulence through the generation of secondary flows, thereby enhancing heat transfer within the DTHX. This study provides a comprehensive analysis, including temperature, velocity, and pressure drop distributions derived from numerical simulations.

Design and dynamic characteristics of automatic vertical drilling tool

Higher performance is needed in deeper and longer horizontal wellbore drilling. In vertical drilling conditions, wellbore trajectory often be led to deviation due to objective conditions. Based on the engineering issues, this paper presents a new automatic vertical drilling tool, including the innovative design and working mechanism research. This tool working mechanism are carried out, such as the mechanics model of eccentric tube and the relationships between eccentric torque and deflection angle. The eccentric tube torque increases with the wellbore deviation angle. When wellbore deviation angle is constant, the eccentric tube torque reaches maximum value when its deflection angle is 90°. The internal flow parameters are studied by fluid field simulation, such as drilling fluid flow rate, pressure drop, and pressure distribution inside this tool during downhole drilling process. The larger the diameter of switch hole, the higher is the pressure drop around, which leads to the force on push block increasing. The drilling fluid pressure increases with higher input flow rate inside this tool. The comparison of results, the data of simulation and theoretical model calculations, verified the reliability and accuracy of research. This study has provided innovative ideas and reference for drilling tool design and wellbore trajectory control methods.

Numerical investigation of mixing performance for a helical tangential porous tube-in-tube microchannel reactor

The tube-in-tube microchannel reactor (TMCR) is widely applied in chemical engineering and material industries. Two or more fluids are mixed in the annular channel of TMCR. This work aims to introduce a helical tangential porous tube-in-tube microchannel reactor (HTP-TMCR). The performance of HTP-TMCR is analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, focusing on three aspects: mixing index, pressure drop, and velocity distribution. Additionally, this study investigates the impacts of four geometric parameters, including left and right helical directions, pitch, pore size, and length of the non-porous zone, on the mixing performance of HTP-TMCR. The simulation results reveal that the mixing index initially decreases as the flow rate increases, reaching its lowest point (approximately 75%) at Q=2 L/h. Subsequently, there is a sharp rise to a second inflection point at Q=10 L/h, followed by a gradual progression stabilizing around 95%. Specifically, the left helical configuration demonstrates superior performance compared to the right one. Optimal mixing is achieved at low flow rates when the pitch is 4 mm and the pore size is 0.4 mm. Designing the length of the non-porous zone to be 5 mm is recommended. Furthermore, the characteristic of pressure drop for HTP-TMCR indicates its potential for commercial applications.

Numerical and experimental study on designs and performances of multi-serpentine flow field with bend-area block for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

The geometric modification of the flow field is an effective measure to improve the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and the mass transfer ability of reactants. In this paper, serpentine channels with geometric parameters containing various blocks to generate gas forced convection at the U-bends are established and numerically studied. Setting blocks at different angles at U-bends has different effects at the corners, offering a more flexible and variable region of active gas diffusion in the vertical direction. The area of high vertical velocity is increased by the Angle-Height combination design with low pressure drop and uniform temperature distribution. It is demonstrated that a vertical velocity of 0.4 m s−1 can be achieved around the block in the 135° series with half-height corner blocks, proving the existence of the mass transfer enhancement. Subsequently, experimental testing is conducted to verify the feasibility of the optimized flow field. The experimental results support the trend of block height influencing cell performance, with a maximum power density increase of 3.4 %. Modifying the U-bend corner structure has proven to be an effective technique for improving the overall performance of PEMFC, which can serve an important guidance for future flow field design.

Bio-inspired sinusoidally-waved flow fields with exchange channels to enhance PEMFC performance

Wave-shaped structures inspired by cuttlefish fins have been applied to the design of flow fields for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the wave structures often cause high parasitic power. Herein, we intend to address this issue by introducing exchange channels (ECs) between neighboring wave channels. First, the performances of bio-inspired sinusoidally-waved flow fields (BSWFFs) of different sinusoidal parameters are compared to identify the optimal sinusoidal structure. Subsequently, ECs are introduced into BSWFFs with the optimal sinusoidal structure to obtain EC-BSWFFs, and EC-BSWFFs with different numbers of ECs are compared. The introduction of ECs improves the distribution of reactant gases, pressure distribution, water management and reduces parasitic power density. Specifically, the maximum net power density of the single-cell PEMFC with EC-12 is enhanced by 10.26% compared to that of the conventional parallel flow field. Moreover, as the number of ECs in EC-BSWFFs increases, the uniformity of pressure distribution gradually increases and the pressure drop becomes smaller, suggesting a balance between performance and durability. Therefore, this work affords valuable insights to solve the difficulties of excessive pressure drop and inhomogeneous reactant distribution for waved flow fields.

Insight into the effect of osmosis agents on macro- and micro- texture, water distribution, and thermal stability of instant controlled pressure drop drying peach chips

To investigate the influence of sugar structure on the quality of peach chips produced using osmotic dehydration (OD) in combination with instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) drying, erythritol, glucose, maltose, and trehalose were selected as osmotic agents. The properties of the osmotic solutions, as well as the macro- and micro-texture, water distribution, and thermal stability of peach chips were investigated. Results showed that OD pretreatments inhibited the formation of large cavity structures. The highest hardness (101.34 N) and the lowest hydrophobicity (0°) were obtained in erythritol-OD samples. Trehalose-OD samples with the most homogeneous pore structure exhibited the highest crispness (1.05 mm) and the highest glass transition temperature (52.06 °C). Various absorption peaks of peach chips pretreated with different OD methods, characterized by Raman spectroscopy, suggested changes in composition and functional groups due to the diffusion of sugars into the cells of peach tissues, which also contributed to the higher Tg.

Multi-objective optimization design and sensitivity analysis of proton exchange membrane electrolytic cell

Proton exchange membrane electrolytic cells (PEMECs) are considered cleaner energy-conversion devices with potential commercial applications in hydrogen production. However, the heat- and mass-transfer characteristics inside the cell remain unclear, and its performance should be optimized to achieve future commercial applications. A three-dimensional multi-physical field-coupling model is developed for the PEMEC. Subsequently, a multi-objective optimization design is used to optimize the structural and operational parameters of the cell based on a neural-network regression model. The results of the sensitivity and response-surface analyses indicate that the initial working temperature has the most significant impact on the reaction temperature, the current density is increased by up to 65.22% under the coupling effects of temperature and flow rate. The cell performance is also enhanced by the increased channel width and depth, although this is accompanied by limitations. Under the combined effects of increasing the working temperature and channel width or height, the current density can be increased by a maximum of 65.22% and 38.61%, respectively. The improvement in cell performance requires a trade-off between improved mass and heat transfer and larger pressure drop, and the optimal design achieves this trade-off. In optimal design, the current density is improved by up to 16.56%, the oxygen mass fraction of the catalytic layer is reduced by 40.90% compared with the original design, accompanied by a reasonable pressure drop and uniform temperature distribution. This study provides a novel perspective for the optimization of the PEMEC to promote its commercial application, offering a reference for further advanced optimization of cell performance and reducing trial-and-error costs. It is also expected to have practical applications in energy conservation and sustainable development.

Development, verification and experimental validation of a 3D numerical model for tubular solar receivers equipped with Raschig Ring porous inserts

This study presents a numerical investigation of gaseous tubular absorbers used in a solar furnace and introduces a 3D model to simulate porous inserts with random packing of metallic Raschig Rings (RR) at pore-scale. A comprehensive verification and validation process was conducted based on the experimental data obtained at Plataforma Solar de Almeria (SF60). The evaluations were carried out on three samples, including a smooth pipe (SP) and two enhanced pipes (20RR and 40RR) with 20 mm and 40 mm RR inserts. The effects of several influential parameters, such as the fluid turbulence model, the effective thermal conductivity of the porous material, and the randomness of the RR in the porous structure, were studied to assess the accuracy and repeatability of the model in predicting thermal and fluidic characteristics of air inside the absorber pipes under different working conditions. A detailed thermo-hydraulic analysis revealed an irregular flow pattern inside the porous zone, while the air recirculation at the porous entrance and exit provides an uneven pressure drop distribution in the azimuthal direction. Moreover, fluid turbulence is enhanced downstream of the porous insert thanks to several stream jets formed by uneven flow discharge at the insert outlet face, which improves heat transfer in that area. The analyses demonstrated a significant improvement in heat transfer, with a maximum enhancement factor of 10–15 than the smooth tube. Additionally, in the evaluation of thermo-hydraulic performance, the enhanced absorbers exhibit Performance Evaluation Criteria up to 2, compared to the tube without RR inserts.

Performance Enhancement of Falling Film Dehumidifier by Variation Number and Width Ratio Rectangular Cylinder Based on CFD Simulation

The implementation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technologies has grown popular in various engineering fields to solve problems because it has high efficiency, affordable cost, and requires a relatively short time. This study examines the effect of adding a rectangular cylinder to a falling film dehumidifier with modifications to the geometry of the width ratio and the number of rectangular cylinders. Model without rectangular cylinder variations and three width ratio variations of 0.1D; 0.5D; D with two variations of the number of rectangular cylinders will be simulated under isothermal conditions for the process of mass transfer, distribution of water vapor mass fraction, pressure drop, turbulence intensity, temperature, and dehumidifier performance. The RNG k-ε turbulence model is used to simulate fluid flow with the addition of a user-defined function (UDF). Significant results can be seen in the distribution of water vapor mass fraction in the geometry modification with the addition of a rectangular cylinder with mass transfer enhancement of 12.4 – 13.4% compared to no geometry modification. High Wa,in with variation C is more effective in minimizing the pressure drop of moist airflow. Vortex flow is formed behind the rectangular cylinder, which increases the mass transfer around the flow. The turbulence intensity appears near the liquid desiccant solution and the rectangular cylinder with a value of 33%. The best geometry variation design shows a dehumidification effectiveness value of 36.8%, 3.3 – 3.8% greater than the design without geometry variations.

MODELING OF THE OPTIMAL INSTALLATION OF HORIZONTAL WELLS IN WEAKLY PERMEABLE ANISOTROPIC GAS-BEARING RESERVOIRS

In order to increase gas production in anisotropic weakly permeable hard reaching reservoirs on the base of combined finite-element-difference method for the non-stationary anisotropic Leibenzon problem of piezoconductivity we have carried out a numerical simulation of the distribution of pressure drop around a horizontal production well in an anisotropic weakly permeable gas-bearing reservoir. We have established that the efficiency of gas recovery around a horizontal production well and, accordingly, its productivity significantly depends on the location of the well in a weakly permeable anisotropic gas-bearing reservoir.
 Based on the obtained results, for effective exploitation of the anisotropic weakly permeable gas reservoirs, it is necessary to place horizontal production wells in areas with relatively low shear anisotropy of the reservoir’s permeability. If it possible, artificially to increase the parameters of permeability around the production well and gas infiltration on the boundaries of the considered reservoir’s area, it will contribute to increasing of the gas yield and prolonging the productivity of the well during reservoir’s exploitation. At the placing of horizontal wells in anisotropic gas reservoirs, the most effective installation is that would ensure all around supply of the gas phase. This is, on the one hand, there was no blocking of gas from the side of reduced permeability, and on another hand, there was no rapid depletion of the reservoir from the side of increased permeability, and it was ensured a free access of gas to the well from all possible directions. We have shown that the location of the horizontal well in the diagonal direction to the main axes of anisotropy is universal relatively different directions of gas flow, therefore, such location is productive and effective as one.

Power and efficiency optimizations for an open cycle two-shaft gas turbine power plant

In finite-time thermodynamic analyses for various gas turbine cycles, there are two common models: one is closed-cycle model with thermal conductance optimization of heat exchangers, and another is open-cycle model with optimization of pressure drop (PD) distributions. Both of optimization also with searching optimal compressor pressure ratio (PR). This paper focuses on an open-cycle model. A two-shaft open-cycle gas turbine power plant (OCGTPP) is modeled in this paper. Expressions of power output (PP) and thermal conversion efficiency (TCE) are deduced, and these performances are optimized by varying the relative PD and compressor PR. The results show that there exist the optimal values (0.32 and 14.0) of PD and PR which lead to double maximum dimensionless PP (1.75). There also exists an optimal value (0.38) of area allocation ratio which leads to maximum TCE (0.37). Moreover, the performances of three types of gas turbine cycles, such as one-shaft and two-shaft ones, are compared. When the relative pressure drop at the compressor inlet is small, the TCE of third cycle is the biggest one; when this pressure drop is large, the PP of second cycle is the biggest one. The results herein can be applied to guide the preliminary designs of OCGTPPs.