SPE Journal
Volume 18, Number 1, February 2013, pp. 172-178

SPE-163055-PA

Droplet Formation Through Centrifugal Pumps for Oil-in-Water Dispersions

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DOI  More information 10.2118/163055-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/163055-PA

Citation

  • Morales, R., Pereyra, E., Wang, S. et al. 2013. Droplet Formation Through Centrifugal Pumps for Oil-in-Water Dispersions. SPE J.  18 (1): 172-178. SPE-163055-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/163055-PA.

Summary

Droplet formation in oil/water flow through a centrifugal pump has been studied, experimentally and theoretically, for the first time. Droplet-size distribution at the pump outlet has been measured for water-continuous flow as a function of pump speed, mixture-flow rate, and water cut. The measured droplet-size distribution strongly depends on the pump speed: the higher the pump speed, the smaller the droplet size. Negligible effects of mixture flow rate, water cut, and inlet droplet-size distribution have been observed. Turbulent breakup has been identified as the main mechanism for droplet formation. A mechanistic model is developed for the prediction of droplet-size distribution in a centrifugal pump, showing a fair agreement with the acquired experimental data.

© 2012. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 29 November 2011
  • Revised manuscript received: 20 June 2012
  • Manuscript approved: 6 July 2012
  • Published online: 14 December 2012
  • Version of record: 27 February 2013