Experimental study of stratified flow in horizontal pipe using the gamma ray densitometry technique

• Grant number: 17/18607-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2018
• End date: November 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Principal Investigator: Oscar Mauricio Hernandez Rodriguez
• Grantee: Tiago Daroz Bicudo
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Pipeline biphasic flows in the oil and gas industry have motivated a great deal of interest in this area of research in recent decades. Despite the attention given to the gas-liquid flow, there are few studies in the literature where flows in conditions similar to those of the Brazilian pre-salt are approached. It is the case of the gas-liquid flow at high pressures in horizontal or near horizontal wells, where there is low ratio of density between fluids and the interfacial effects would be preponderant. This situation would be close to the case of liquid-liquid flow, where the effects of interfacial tension are of paramount importance in the modeling of pressure drop, volumetric fraction and flow pattern transition. The present research project aims to experimentally study the liquid-gas stratified flow. An experimental bench should be built for the development of know-how of the gamma-ray densitometry technique for the collection of local phase fraction data. Gamma ray densitometry will be collected in the laboratory by global and local parameters and the phase fraction distribution.