Three-phase Flow Research Articles

Modeling Pressure Gradient of Gas–Oil–Water Three-Phase Flow in Horizontal Pipes Downstream of Restrictions

Gas–oil–water three-phase slug flows in pipes commonly exist in the oil and gas industry as oil fields are becoming mature and water production is becoming inevitable. Although studies on multiphase flows in pipes have been ongoing for decades, most previous research has focused on gas–liquid or oil–water two-phase flows, with limited studies on gas–liquid–liquid flows. This leads to limited modeling studies on gas–liquid–liquid flows. One factor contributing to the complexity of the gas–liquid–liquid flow is the mixing between the oil and water phases, which have closer fluid properties and low interfacial tension. Restrictions or piping components play a crucial role in altering phase mixing. Unfortunately, modeling studies that consider the effects of these restrictions are limited due to the scarcity of experimental research. To address this gap, we conducted experimental studies on a gas–liquid–liquid flow downstream of a restriction and developed a new mechanistic modeling approach to predict the pressure gradient. Our model focuses on the flow pattern where the oil and water phases are partially mixed. This work emphasizes the modeling approach. The model evaluation results show that the model outperforms other existing models, with an average absolute relative error of 6.71%. Additionally, the parametric study shows that the new modeling approach effectively captures the effects of restriction size, water cut, and gas and liquid flow rates on the three-phase slug flow pressure gradient in horizontal pipes. Most previous slug flow modeling work assumes either a stratified flow or fully dispersed flow between the oil and water phases. This work provides a novel perspective in modeling a three-phase slug flow in which the oil and water phases are partially mixed. In addition, this novel approach to modeling the restriction effects on the pressure gradient paves the way for future modeling for different types of piping components or restrictions.

Erosion wear characteristics of metal seal floating ball valve in gas–solid–liquid three-phase flow

During high-pressure acid leaching, sulfuric acid slurry acts as the transportation medium in the withdrawal drum for acid pressure leaching. Over time, the metal-sealed float valve at the pipeline outlet may experience internal leakage. To address this issue, the Euler–Lagrange method for fluid dynamics is used to evaluate the corrosion wear characteristics of the valve in a three-phase flow. Specifically, we investigate the erosion and wear properties of the ball valve core as it opened and closed. To further understand how different ball valve openings impact erosion characteristics, we establish a correlation between the corrosion rate and the drag coefficient. Our research findings indicate that as the valve’s relative opening decreases from 80% to 20%, the corrosion wear rate gradually increases. In addition, the number of particles within the valve cavity also follows a similar trend. These erosion results highlight the significant influence that particle quantity has on erosion. Moreover, with an increase in particle size, both the erosion gradient range and maximum erosion rate decrease.

Numerical analysis of the sand hydro-abrasion of a Pelton turbine injector

Abstract Pelton turbines have great application prospects in the exploitation of high-head hydraulic resources. However, sediment abrasion within its components is the major challenge. In this paper, Euler-Lagrangian method is used to simulate the flow process of the sediment particles in Pelton turbines injector numerically. The hydraulic characteristics of the three-phase flow, the behaviour of the sediment particles and the abrasion distribution are also analysed in detail. Calculation result shows that the predicted motion characteristics of the particles are in good agreement with theoretical model, and the predicted abrasion distribution also matches well with the measured results.

Measuring volume fractions of a three-phase flow without separation utilizing an approach based on artificial intelligence and capacitive sensors.

Many different kind of fluids in a wide variety of industries exist, such as two-phase and three-phase. Various combinations of them can be expected and gas-oil-water is one of the most common flows. Measuring the volume fraction of phases without separation is vital in many aspects, one of which is financial issues. Many methods are utilized to ascertain the volumetric proportion of each phase. Sensors based on measuring capacity are so popular because this kind of sensor operates seamlessly and autonomously without necessitating any form of segregation or disruption for measuring in the process. Besides, at the present moment, Artificial intelligence (AI) can be nominated as the most useful tool in several fields, and metering is no exception. Also, three main type of regimes can be found which are annular, stratified, and homogeneous. In this paper, volume fractions in a gas-oil-water three-phase homogeneous regime are measured. To accomplish this objective, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and a capacitance-based sensor are utilized. To train the presented network, an optimized sensor was implemented in the COMSOL Multiphysics software and after doing a lot of simulations, 231 different data are produced. Among all obtained results, 70 percent of them (161 data) are awarded to the train data, and the rest of them (70 data) are considered for the test data. This investigation proposes a new intelligent metering system based on the Multilayer Perceptron network (MLP) that can estimate a three-phase water-oil-gas fluid's water volume fraction precisely with a very low error. The obtained Mean Absolute Error (MAE) is equal to 1.66. This dedicates the presented predicting method's considerable accuracy. Moreover, this study was confined to homogeneous regime and cannot measure void fractions of other fluid types and this can be considered for future works. Besides, temperature and pressure changes which highly temper relative permittivity and density of the liquid inside the pipe can be considered for another future idea.

Investigation of particle flow effects in slug flow crystallization using the multiscale computational fluid dynamics simulation

This article discusses the development of a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, the MVP (MP-PIC coupled with VOF and PBE) method, which predicts the slug flow crystallization phenomenon. The model is capable of predicting the flow of gas–liquid-solid phases and the associated chemical and particle changes. The MVP model is validated through a comparison with an experimental study on LAM (L-asparagine monohydrate) crystallization, and the results demonstrate its ability to accurately predict the three-phase fluid flow with particle size variation. In particular, we have been able to predict the effect of slug length change on particle mixing and predict hydrodynamic factors such as the particle streamlines and the circulation number of the particle phase via case studies. Overall, the MVP model is expected to offer a new way to accurately predict slug flow crystallization and provide valuable information for the process intensification of crystallization.

A reduction-consistent phase field model for non-isothermal multiphase flows of N immiscible incompressible fluids

In this study, we developed a reduction-consistent phase field model for non-isothermal incompressible N-phase flows. The model is based on the high-order spectral element method. To account for thermocapillary effects, we reformulated the continuum surface force model specifically for N-phase flows. In order to enhance computational efficiency, time-independent coefficient matrices for all variables involved were reconstructed, and an unsymmetrized multifrontal LU factorization was employed to solve the linear algebraic equations, which is derived by discretization. To verify the model effectiveness in calculating surface tension and describing three-phase interfacial dynamics, we conducted several experiments, including the stationary two-droplet example, the three-phase droplet spreading, and the equilibrium morphology of double emulsion droplet. Through these experiments, both the reduction-consistency and robustness of our model were demonstrated. Moreover, we validated the proposed model's applicability to non-isothermal three-phase flows by investigating the thermocapillary migration of single droplet and two droplets of different phases. Notably, we explored the thermocapillary migration of three-phase double droplets, focusing particularly on how the encapsulation process affects overall thermocapillary motion. Our findings indicate that the interaction between the two vortices near the interfaces of the two droplets strongly influences their migration behavior.

Characteristics and mechanism of the shift in condition- and time-dependent spray patterns induced by oxygenated fuel addition

As renewable energy sources, ethanol and butanol are usually added to fuels to reduce the fossil fuel consumption and soot emissions. Gasoline direct injection with multi-hole injectors provides accurate plume control, enabling ejection toward the desired location, while spray pattern shift leads to deviation in the injection direction. The spray shift needs to be modulated to realize the desired spray pattern, which is complicated by oxygenated fuel addition. To illustrate the shift induced by oxygenated fuel addition, numerical simulations and experimental studies were performed. The macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the spray under various operating conditions were obtained via the diffuse backlight illumination and phase Doppler anemometry methods and the simulation of the internal three-phase flow. Moreover, typical single-component and binary fuels were employed to define the general envelope of the multi-component nature for auxiliary analysis. The shift in condition- and time-dependent spray patterns under both flashing and non-flashing conditions were illustrated. The spray morphologies were characterized by rectangular- and trapezoid-like trends. The addition of oxygenated fuels resulted in a smoother trend due to the change of the vapor pressure and surface tension of the mixed fuel. Moreover, it resulted in the variation of the critical width, which is crucial for the spray pattern shift. Additionally, the correlation between the critical width and ambient pressure was obtained. For the non-flashing spray, the internal flow and jet instabilities both influenced the spray width, and the correlation between gas ingestion and turbulence characteristics was obtained. This study aimed to provide guidance for better utilization of oxygenated fuels.

A novel method for holdup measurement of three phases by an ultrasonic device with the flexible substrate

The precise measurement of multiphase flow holds significant importance across diverse industrial contexts. However, rigid probes struggle with the variable dimensions of curved surfaces, while flexible probes are hindered by fragility, susceptibility, and challenges in large-scale production. Herein, we propose an ultrasonic device featuring a flexible substrate that seamlessly amalgamates flexibility and rigidity to enable precise measurement of three-phase flow. Through simulation, we determine the optimal ultrasonic frequency (1 MHz) and flexible substrate thickness (3 mm) for a specified probe and pipe size (20 mm). A novel concept, the specific attenuation coefficient (SAC), derived from the voltage-amplitude of transmitted and received signals and propagation distance, is introduced to differentiate between oil and water. The discrepancy between measured and actual three-phase holdups are 0.55 %, 0.36 %, and 0.59 % for water, gas and oil, respectively, with a variance of measurement results 0.027.

Numerical simulation of vapor explosion bubbles in the presence of a non-condensable gas and a phase change

The complex dynamics of two flow problems of vapor explosion bubbles near a free surface and between two parallel plates are simulated by a compressible three-phase flow code. Firstly, a coupled high-order monotonicity-preserving (MP) interface capturing scheme is developed for the numerical computation of compressible three-phase flows, which is followed by validation with previous numerical and experimental data. Phase changes are taken into consideration and the empirical condensation coefficient is calibrated with the experimental data. For both two flow problems, good agreement between the numerical results and reference data is obtained. Most physical phenomena, including the free surface spike, the liquid jet before the impact and the complex interface deformations during multiple expanding and collapsing oscillations, are reasonably well reproduced. Afterwards, the effects of the initial vapor pressure and the non-condensable gas volume fraction in the surrounding water on the behavior of vapor bubbles are analyzed and discussed. It is found that both the initial vapor pressure and the non-condensable gas volume fraction have a substantial influence on the behavior of the bubble. Higher initial vapor pressure does indeed tend to result in larger bubbles. The presence of non-condensable gases tends to hinder the transfer of heat, slowing down condensation and potentially resulting in larger bubbles. When the initial vapor pressure is in the range of 10 to 20 atmospheres and the gas volume fraction is in the range of 0 to 0.2, the maximum vapor bubble volume is found to increase linearly with an increase of the amount of non-condensable gas.

Simulation of the thermal field in reservoir during the filtration of live oil and water with considering the heat of oil degassing and thermodynamic effects

In the process of water invasion of reservoir under conditions of pressure decrease below the bubble point pressure of oil with dissolved gas, when oil degasses, an area of three-phase flow of oil, water and gas appears in the reservoir. In this case, each of the phases makes a certain contribution to the formation of the thermal field in the reservoir, due to the thermodynamic effects shows and the heat of oil degassing. The thermal field forming is influence many parameters, for example, the initial water cut of formation, gas oil ratio, the ratio of reservoir pressure and bubble point pressure of oil with dissolved gas, the ratio of reservoir pressure and bottomhole pressure, etc. The thermohydrodynamic processes occurring in this case carry information about the formation and the near wellbore zone. One of the directions for using the features of the formation of the temperature field in this case is the use of thermometric studies of wells to diagnose the condition of the well and formation. Reservoir water invasion under the condition of oil degassing leads to a change in the temperature distribution in the formation, which can be used in diagnosing the identifying sources of water invasion. Using a numerical method for solving the equations of mass conservation and heat influx during non-isothermal three-phase filtration, in this work are studied the features of the formation of the temperature field in an oil-saturated reservoir with an initial water cut during oil degassing. As a result of calculations for various ratios of the initial water cut of the formation and the gas oil ratio, temperature dependences were obtained for different of well operation times. The obtained dependences of temperature on water cut and gas oil ratio can be used as palettes for quantitative evaluation of water inflow rates from formations.

Manifold regularized deep canonical variate analysis with interpretable attribute guidance for three-phase flow process monitoring

Oil–gas–water three-phase flow has multiple flow states, exhibiting dynamic, nonlinear, and instantaneous behaviors. Monitoring and analysis of flow state are crucial for ensuring safe operation of industrial processes. However, the absence of a universal definition for three-phase flow states, owing to the complex flow characteristics and structures, leads to that labeling three-phase flow states by categories is impractical. For comprehensive monitoring and analysis, the flow states should be described from both global (e.g., the dominant phase) and local (e.g., the interphase structure) aspects. Given the aforementioned challenges, the work aims to address the accurate identification of typical three-phase flow states and to meticulously monitor and analyze the continuous evolutionary process of three-phase flow. To achieve it, the manifold regularized deep canonical variate analysis with attribute guidance (Ag-MRDCVA) is proposed, which not only introduces an innovative monitoring paradigm that designs state attributes for process description but also facilitates knowledge transfer from typical flow states to transition states. For enhancing the model’s feature embedding capabilities, an attribute guidance module is introduced to increase supervision information at both class and attribute levels. Then, convolutional neural network (CNN) backbones are developed with a dual objective of global serial correlation and local manifold regularization, which capture spatiotemporal information at both global and local scales, facilitating effective attribute encoding and characterization of flow states. Finally, the attribute evolution heat map and a monitoring metric (MM) collectively offer a compelling and comprehensive analysis of the three-phase flow process. Extensive experiments demonstrate that Ag-MRDCVA surpasses existing methods, showcasing its ability to minutely monitor the process while providing reasonable explanations.

Machine learning insights to CO2-EOR and storage simulations through a five-spot pattern – a theoretical study

The utilization of CO2 flooding is a widely applied enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique in mature onshore oil fields. As well as being able to increase oil production and recovery it offers the potential to provide long-term, geological storage for carbon in subsurface reservoirs, thereby contributing to the mitigation of carbon emissions originating from human activities. Substantial research efforts have provided some insight into the uncertainties associated with CO2-EOR projects, but further understanding and the development of more reliable methods are required to accurately predict the outcomes of the complex processes involved in CO2 reservoir flooding. In this study, four machine learning (ML) algorithms were developed to predict CO2 storage mass and cumulative oil production, using the CMG-GEM three-phase flow compositional reservoir simulator with nine reservoir input variables covering a range of uncertainties associated with oil zones. The Mahalanobis distance technique was applied for identifying and excluding outlier data points from the target variable distributions of training data groups. 520 and 439 data records were excluded from the CO2 storage quantity and cumulative oil production dataset, respectively, to generate more reliable predictions. Meticulous training and testing of the ML models revealed that, of the models evaluated, the LSSVM model generated the lowest prediction errors with the test dataset (RMSE = 0.7811 million mt for CO2 storage mass; RMSE = 10.1245 million barrels for cumulative oil production) demonstrating excellent generalization capabilities.

Power Losses Reduction in Three-Phase Unbalanced Distribution Networks Using a Convex Optimization Model in the Complex Domain

This article presents a solution methodology to minimize power losses in three-phase unbalanced distribution networks. This approach involved an efficient complex-domain model that is categorized under mixed-integer convex optimization. The methodology employed consisted of efficient load rotation at each constant power node via a three-phase rotation matrix that allows defining each load connection to minimize the expected power imbalance at the terminals of the substation, as well as the total grid power losses, and improve voltage profile performance at each system phase. The load imbalance, expressed as a percentage, can be defined as a function of the active, reactive, or apparent power. In addition, considering the complex-domain representation of three-phase electrical networks under steady-state conditions, a mixed-integer convex model was formulated to reduce the power imbalances. With the purpose of determining the initial and final power losses of these distribution systems, the successive approximations method was employed to address the three-phase power flow problem. As a result, numerical validations in the IEEE 25-bus system and a 35-node three-phase feeder showed that the final active power losses vary depending on the objective function analyzed. Therefore, for the test feeders studied, it is necessary to evaluate each objective function, with the aim of finding the one that yields the best numerical results. Power losses reductions of about 3.8056 % and 6.8652 % were obtained for both test feeders via the proposed optimization methodology. All numerical validations were performed in the Julia programming environment, using the JuMP optimization tool and the HiGHS solver.

Study of the flow pattern and pressure drop law of the air-water-foam three-phase flow

The inaccurate prediction of flow patterns and pressures after adding different types and concentrations of surfactants to wellbores and drainage lines is a common problem in shale gas wells and tubing foam drainage. To clarify the change rule of the air–water-foam three-phase flow pattern and pressure drop after adding different types and concentrations of surfactants, a surface tension test was conducted in this study. In addition, visual air–water-foam three-phase flow indoor simulation experiments were performed with various surfactants such as cocamidopropyl hydroxysulfobetaine (MX-1), dodecyldimethyl betaine (TCJ-1), and sodium α-alkenyl sulfonate (XJHSM), surfactant concentrations (0.3–0.6 %), oil pipe diameters, pipe inclinations, gas–liquid ratios, and oil contents on large-scale experimental equipment. Based on the gas–liquid distribution characteristics, the air–water-foam three-phase flow patterns in the inclined tube were reclassified, and the quantitative conversion boundaries of the various flow patterns were determined. Based on the pressure drop pulse characteristics, characterization parameters such as the scaling factor, foaming capacity, foam density, and gas-holding rate were introduced after considering the effects of various factors on the pressure drop weights, enabling a new pressure drop calculation method for air–water-foam three-phase flows for application to different types and concentrations of surfactants. The errors were verified using data from previous studies and field measurements that were within 15% and 5%, respectively. The results of these studies provide a better understanding of the air–water-foam three-phase flow patterns and pressure drop variations in shale gas wells and gathering lines.

Analysis of mechanisms of bubble characteristics and molten pool dynamics in EDM based on a three-phase flow model

Bubble characteristics and bubble volume fraction have significant effects on crater morphology and machining efficiency during electrical discharge machining (EDM) in liquid. Therefore, there is a need to elucidate the mechanism of bubble characteristics in EDM and analyze the mechanism of crater formation based on these bubble characteristics. However, since EDM is a transient multiphysics process, it is extremely difficult to understand bubble characteristics using experimental methods. Therefore, the generation, expansion, explosion, and disappearance of bubbles during EDM were simulated based on a three-phase flow model in this study. The model used the phase field method to track the boundary motion, judged the existence mode of each phase according to the order parameter gradient function, and analyzed the formation of crater morphology by the gradient of surface tension in the molten pool. The motion process of bubbles, the material removal mode, and the formation mechanism of crater morphology during the pulsed discharge were analyzed using the model. The results revealed that the periodic motion of the plasma channel would drive the molten pool to produce the corresponding periodic motion, and the bubbles would grow following the periodic motion of the molten pool. The material was removed in different ways in different periods, among which the removal mode of molten splash was predominant. The surface tension gradient inside the molten pool, the periodic motion of the molten pool, and the hydrostatic pressure in the molten region had a combined effect on bubble motion, the flow of the molten pool, and the formation of the crater morphology.

Experimental and numerical study of erosive wear of t-pipes in multiphase flow

Erosive wear is inexorable in chemical and hydrocarbon transportation systems. In this study, the worn surface morphologies and erosive wear mechanisms were discussed to analyze the primary mechanism of erosion in Tee (T) pipe configurations for two-phase (liquid-sand) and three-phase (gas–liquid-sand) flow conditions. The surface roughness analysis demonstrates that the erosion in three-phase plug flow was higher in comparison with two-phase flow and micro pitting, cutting, and crater development are the primary wear mechanisms. Results manifest that the changing flow pattern from two-phase to three-phase flow enhances the turbulence and wall shear inside the pipe and particles tend to impact the junction outer and inner wall multiple times, which leads to maximum erosive wear. In three three-phase plug flows, the particles impact the junction with higher velocity due to the addition of the gas phase, due to the swirl motion and particle rebound significant erosion occurs at the junction. The erosive wear caused by abrasive particles in three-phase flow was 3.74 times more severe than the erosion in two-phase flow, demonstrating that the addition of carrier fluid has an aggravated effect on material degradation.

Multiple-node model of wind turbine generating system for unbalanced distribution system load flow analysis

This paper discusses a method to integrate a wind turbine generating system (WTGS) into a three-phase unbalanced distribution system load flow (DSLF) analysis. The proposed method is based on the single-phase multiple-node model. In the present work, the single-phase multiple-node model is extended to a three-phase multiple-node model to facilitate the load flow analysis of a three-phase unbalanced power system network. The multiple-node model (i.e., three-node model) will only modify the load flow analysis by introducing two lines and two load buses to the distribution system network where the WTGS is installed. Thus, a standard three-phase load flow program can be employed to compute the unknown quantities in the DSLF problem formulation. The proposed method is verified by incorporating the model into the load flow analysis of three-phase distribution networks. The investigation uses two representative distribution networks (i.e., 19-bus and 25-bus networks). The results of the study confirm the validity of the proposed method.

Analysis of Sediment Erosion in Pelton Nozzles and Needles Affected by Particle Size

The sediment erosion of Pelton turbine components is a major challenge in the operation and development of high-head water resources, especially in mountainous areas with high sediment yield. In this paper, a study using numerical simulation was conducted with different sediment particle sizes in the fine sand range. And the erosion mechanism of the Pelton turbine injector was analyzed. The Eulerian Lagrange method was adopted to simulate the gas–liquid–solid flow. The Mansouri’s model was applied to estimate the injector erosion. The predicted erosion results were in accord with field erosion photographs. In particular, the asymmetrical erosion distribution on the needle surface was physically reproduced. With the sediment particle size increasing from 0.05 mm, the needle erosion rate decreased, while the nozzle casing erosion rate increased dramatically. In order to clarify this tendency, the characteristics of the three-phase flow were analyzed. Interestingly, the results show that with the rise in particle size, the separation of particles and water streamlines became more serious in the contraction section of the nozzle mouth. Consequently, it caused the enhancement of erosion of the nozzle surfaces and weakened the erosion of the needle surfaces. Significant engineering insights may be provided for weakening Pelton injector erosion with needle guides in the current study.

Lattice Boltzmann method for particulate multiphase flow system

This study proposes a numerical model for particulate three-phase flow in microchannels based on multiphase lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The model combines the color-gradient method to track the immiscible fluid-fluid interface and the two-fluid model (TFM) to describe particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions, which can efficiently simulate transport and displacement processes involving large amounts of particles. A mixture-rheology TFM algorithm is proposed by introducing a mixture phase with rheology properties obtained from experiments instead of the conventional TFM particle phase with artificial viscosity models. Multi-relaxation-time (MRT) collision operator and GPU computing are adopted to enhance the numerical stability and efficiency. Various theoretical benchmarks for particle transport and two-phase flow are performed respectively to verify the accuracy of the proposed model. Exceptional consistency between results from particulate three-phase flow simulation and microfluidic experiments further confirms the reliability of our model, especially in capturing the inertial lagging and accumulation phenomena under multiphase and porous flow conditions. The proposed numerical framework will benefit our understanding of multiphase displacement with microgels in microchannels with complex geometries.

Influence and mechanism of solids on the air pressure fluctuations on the building drainage system.

The conventional building drainage system was constructed based on the theory of two-phase flow involving water and air. However, the drainage system contained a more intricate three-phase flow, encompassing water, air, and solids, which was relatively overlooked in research. This study addressed the impact of solids on pressure fluctuations, air flow rates, and hydraulic jump fullness within the drainage system, considering three factors: the mass factor, cross-section factor, and viscosity. The investigation was conducted within a single-stack system using both experimental methods and CFD simulations. The findings revealed a positive correlation between both positive and negative pressures and above three factors. The mass factor and the cross-section factor had a more significant impact on the negative pressure of the system. The maximum growth rates of negative pressure extremes under different mass and cross-section factors reached 7.72 and 16.52%, respectively. In contrast, the viscosity of fecal sludge had a slightly higher effect on the positive pressure fluctuation of the drainage system, with the maximum growth rate of positive pressure extremes at 3.41%.