Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Abstract
A properly understanding of how oil mixtures behaves as they
flows in a pipeline is a key factor for piping design.
Facilities engineers from oil companies currently use
commercial pipeline simulators in order to perform pressure
and temperature gradients predictions.
Nearly all the simulators apply the general mixing rule
when they need to calculate the viscosity of a certain oil
mixture.
As viscosity depends both on molecular characteristics and
molecular interaction, and oil is a complex mixture of
components, it is not surprising that this rule gives poor
results. Besides, non-Newtonian behavior makes things more
complex.
This paper discusses experimental results of mixing at lab
several different oils and measuring their viscosity. Each oil
had its own composition and rheological behavior. Some
mixtures were prepared in order to reproduce real situations.
Once the mixtures viscosities were obtained they were
introduced as input data in a commercial pipeline network and
nodal analysis software.
Then, pressure and temperature gradients were calculated
a) Using the experimental mixture viscosity
b) Using the general mixing rule viscosity estimated
by the software
Results showed, in some cases, dramatic differences
between the two alternatives. Higher deviations were obtained
where the mixtures were composed of crudes of different
properties.
In order to improve the accuracy other mixing rules were
tried and some of them fit better.
VA
(2)
VA + VB
xB = 1 - x A
.. (3)
17.04 SG 0.5237 SG A
=
ln A
B
3.2745
SG B
1.6316
...... (4)
n
1/ 3
.. (7)
=
xi i
i =1
SPE 69420
Experimental Tests
In order to assess the accuracy of some of the published
mixing rules, an oil sample survey was designed and
performed. Four different groups of crude oils from Repsol
YPFs Mendoza Basin were selected. Groups were called
group A, B, C, and D. The basic rheological study of each
individual group of crudes was already known from previous
studies7.
Table I contains the main average properties of each group
of crude oils. Viscosity was measured with a Haake RV20
viscometer with a RC20 rheocontroler, M rotors (selected for
each case) and M5 or M10 headers, connected to a computer.
It was chosen due to its accuracy and scope. This viscometer
can measure viscosities ranging from 1 cp to 1,000,000 cP and
shear rates from 0.001 1/s to 1,100 1/s.
Temperature was controlled and monitored with a Haake
F9 cryo-thermostate. The equipment has a special device that
keeps the temperature constant within a 0.1C accuracy.
The viscosity of each individual crude was measured at
different shear rates and temperatures. In the cases were the oil
presented a non-newtonian behavior, a rheological model was
determined, and then the shear rate was calculated depending
on the flow, diameter of the actual or proposed pipeline, and
the rheological model.
Figs. 1 trough 4 shows the viscosity curves of one crude of
each group. The shear rate corresponds to the actual operating
conditions.
A complete rheological study was performed with several
mixtures, which were prepared at the laboratory. All the
mixtures were prepared in a volumetric basis
Discussions and Experimental Results
All of the presented mixing rules were tried. Both equations
recommended by the API did not give accurate prediction so
the results are not shown. The rest of mixing rules methods
where applied to each mixtures, and the measured result was
compared with the predicted one. The Lederer equation was
used with the correlation developed by Shu.
Table 2 and table 3 show a comparison between measured
and calculated viscosity of crude oils from group A. These
crude oils belong to North Mendoza basin. They are paraffinic
and very viscous at low temperatures. However this behavior
changes as the temperature increases between 40C and 50C.
Two mixtures were prepared. One of them is a mixture of 65%
of crude oil 1 and 35% of crude oil 2. The other is a mixture of
45% of crude oil 1, 25% of crude oil 2 and 30% of crude oil 3.
As can be seen the measured viscosity seems to be closer to
the viscosity of the heaviest oil, which was involved in the
mixture. The Lederer equation gave the best results for all the
cases. At high temperatures Bingham and Lederer equations
predict mixing viscosities closer to the measured ones, but due
to the low viscosity ratio the general mixing rule also predict a
good result. Viscosity ratio was defined as:
SPE 69420
Viscosity Ratio =
A
B
......... (9)
vd
.... (10)
64
(11)
Re
For turbulent flow regimes, the influence of viscosity is
reduced as pipe roughness appears now as an important
parameter in the friction factor calculation as shown in the
Chen(9) equation
f=
1.1098 7.149 0.8981
5.0452
= 2 log
log
+
Re
f
3.7065
2.8257 Re
Conclusions
1. In Mendoza Province, most of the mixing viscosity
methods, which are contained in commercial pipeline
simulators, can only be used with confidence in light and not
viscous oil mixtures. In these cases error in pressure drop
should be less than 10 %.
2. The error in pressure drop prediction can reach 300% or
more when one or more of the crude oils in the mixture are
viscous and/or non-Newtonian.
3. Based on these results, it could not be found one
correlation that can be applied to all of the cases. Lederer and
Bingham equations were the most accurate, but they were not
precise for the mixture of group C and the solvent.
Unfortunately, the studied commercial simulators do not
include these equations.
4. Further studies must be performed to check if similar
mixing behavior can be find on gel strength measurements.
Gel strengths are a very important parameter in the design of
the maximum allowable pressure of the pipe.
5. Dynamics test in a flow loop will be performed to assess
the effect of continuous flow.
Nomenclature
d
= Pipe Diameter, cm
= Friction factor
= Absolute Temperature, R
= Mole fraction
= Volume fraction
= Density, gr/cm 3
SG = SG A - SG
P = Pressure drop, kPa
= Dynamic Viscosity cP
= Kinematic Viscosity cSt
= Pipe relative roughness
Subscripts
A = The more viscous component
B = The less viscous component
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
SPE 69420
SPE 69420
25000
Viscosity (cP)
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
20
30
40
Tem perature (C)
50
60
Viscosity (cP)
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Temperature (C)
Viscosity (cP)
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
30
35
40
45
50
55
Temperature (C)
60
SPE 69420
1200
Viscosity (cP)
1000
800
600
400
200
0
20
30
40
50
60
Temperature (C)
Figure 4 Viscosity curve of crude 8 Group D
Group of
crude oils
A
B
C
Region
API
Gravity
Kuop
Sulfur
Content
(Wt %)
North Mendoza
29.3
12.7
0.14
Cerro Fortunoso
(South Mendoza)
14.4
11.7
2.58
2.6
Llancanello
(South Mendoza)
12.4
10.8
2.71
9.1
No of crudes
Crude oil 1
Crude oil 2
Crude oil 3
Crude oil 4
Crude oil 5
Crude oil 6
Crude oil 10
Crude oil 7
Malarge
Crude oil 8
24.5
11.7
D
Crude oil 9 (South Mendoza)
Crude oil 11*
* Crude oil 11 = 62% Crude oil 7 + 22% Crude oil 8 + 16% Crude oil 9
Asphaltene
content
(Wt %)
0.88
Crude 1
65%
Crude 2
35%
Specific Gravity
Temperature (C)
20
30
40
50
60
70
0.878
0.877
20,400
2,370
473
138
58.8
35.6
12,035
380
141
61.3
37
26
Mixture
Viscosity
Ratio
General
Mixing
Rule
18,500
1,580
227
81
43
29
1.69
6.2
3.35
2.25
1.59
1.37
17,472
1,674
356
111
51
32
Arrhenius
Bingham
Lederer
16,960
1,249
310
104
50
32
16,408
836
259
96
49
31
15,530
560
205
88
47
31
SPE 69420
Group A
Specific Gravity
Temperature (C)
20
30
40
50
60
70
Crude 1
45%
0.8783
20,400
2,370
473
138
58.8
35.6
11,400
1,440
103
43.3
16.5
11.3
18,500
804
151
78
41
25
15,609
1,594
279
90
41
26
15,015
1,292
221
80
36
23
14,462
947
177
70
31
21
Group B
Temperature (C)
10
20
30
40
50
60
Crude 4
43%
17400
5770
2230
917
474
276
Group D
Specific Gravity
Temperature (C)
40
50
60
Crude 7
62%
0.892
30.1
12.6
5.9
33.9
16.8
7.7
51.9
20.0
10.8
256.8
57.6
19.3
66.7
24.5
10.4
39.1
16.7
7.7
Crude 10
18%
Crude 11
82%
0.981
0.907
200,000
22,400
2,480
51.9
20.0
10.8
Mixture
Viscosity
Ratio
General
Mixing
Rule
155.0
48.6
22.3
3,853
1,120
230
35,642
4,003
450
Arrhenius
Bingham
Lederer
225
70
28
63
24
13
104
40
21
Measured Viscosity
Group C
Crude 10
90%
Specific Gravity
Temperature (C)
30
40
50
0.981
0.8959
69,500
22,400
9,460
8.0
5.7
4.2
SPE 69420
Calculated Viscosity
Diesel Oil
Mixture
10%
6,670
2,640
1,200
Viscosity
Ratio
General
Mixing
Rule
Arrhenius
Bingham
Lederer
8,687
3,930
2,252
62,551
20,161
8,514
28,061
9,791
4,371
80
57
42
9,893
4,282
2,199
Cases
Temperature Gradient
Using Measured
Viscosity [C]
Inlet
Case 1
66
Case 2
40
Case 3
55
Case 4
60
(1) Lederer Equation
(2) Arrhenius Equation
(3) Bingham Equation
Outlet
Measured
Viscosity
53
34
45
60
1120
960
4090
2140
General
Mixing
Rule
1170
1240
5530
8360
Error (%)
Best Fitted
Mixing Rule
Error (%)
4.5
29
35
290
1139 (1)
1010 (2)
4200 (3)
32390 (1)
1.8
5.2
2.7
51.3