An experimental design approach for investigating and modeling wax deposition based on a new cylindrical Couette apparatus. (18th March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ji, Zhongyuan; Li, Chuanxian; Yang, Fei; Cai, Jinyang; Cheng, Liang; Shi, Yanan
• Is Part Of: Petroleum science and technology. Volume 34:Number 6(2016)
• Page Start: 570
• Page End: 577
• Publication Date: 2016-03-18
• Subjects: Crude oil -- wax deposition -- Couette apparatus -- CFD simulation -- mathematic model; Liquid fuels -- Periodicals; Petroleum -- Periodicals; 665.505
• DOI: 10.1080/10916466.2016.1159222
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1091-6466

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The authors report an experimental study carried out through a newly developed Couette apparatus on evaluating the influence of important operating factors such as wall oil temperature, temperature difference (△T) and flow rate. It is found that wax crystal solubility coefficient, temperature gradient, and sheer stress at the wall play leading roles on the internal mechanism. CFD software is adopted for numerical calculation and the result agrees well with the distribution of the flow and temperature field in actual pipelines so that precise parameter values under related experimental conditions are obtained. An improved dynamic wax deposition model considering the enhance effect of resin and asphaltene as well as static deposition condition is established with an average error of 5.6%. Thus the feasibility of the method based on the new apparatus for further research is implied.