Estudo teórico e experimental do fluxo de emulsões A/O dentro de bombas centrífugas

Author(s)

Roberto Fernando Leuchtenberger

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica
• Defense date: 2025-02-14

Examining board members

Antonio Carlos Bannwart; Valdir Estevam; William Monte Verde; Oscar Mauricio Hernandez Rodriguez; Francisco Jose Soares Alhanati

• Advisor: Antonio Carlos Bannwart; Jorge Luiz Biazussi

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP) operating with water-oil emulsions under varying conditions, focusing on performance metrics such as head, efficiency, power consumption, droplet size distribution (DSD), and emulsion viscosity. The experimental campaign evaluated the influence of rotational speed, flow rate, temperature, and dispersed phase fraction on ESP behavior, complemented by the development of predictive models to improve operational efficiency. The introduction highlights the critical role of ESPs in the oil and gas industry and the challenges of handling multiphase flows. The study aims to address performance degradation caused by emulsified flows and proposes strategies for optimization. Theoretical analysis focuses on dimensionless performance metrics, including head coefficient, power coefficient, and efficiency. Correction coefficients based on the rotational Reynolds number are applied to account for viscous effects. The study develops models to quantify performance degradation under high viscosity conditions, providing a foundation for predicting ESP behavior in complex flow regimes. Results reveal significant impacts of dispersed phase fractions, viscosity, and rotational speed on pump performance. Single-phase and two-phase flow tests demonstrate performance degradation under high-viscosity conditions, with dimensionless curves highlighting variations in head, power, and efficiency. A novel model for emulsion relative viscosity is introduced, accounting for critical droplet diameters and flow conditions, achieving improved accuracy compared to existing models. The proposed models enhance predictive capabilities for ESP systems, enabling optimized performance in oil production applications (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/17879-1 - Experimental study and phenomenological modeling of the inversion point of continuous phase in water - oil flow in eletrical centrifugal pumps
• Grantee: Roberto Fernando Leuchtenberger
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate