Flow pattern identification and measurement techniques in gas-liquid-liquid three-phase flow: A review

The simultaneous flow of gas, oil, and water forms various flow patterns due to the complex interfacial relationships. Three-phase flow patterns are classified as the gas-liquid and liquid-liquid flow patterns. Pressure drop, void fraction, liquid holdup, and phase distribution are important characteristics of the three-phase flow. These characteristics are generally associated with the three-phase flow patterns. Hence, the knowledge about flow patterns can help to predict the overall behavior of the three-phase flow. Studies have been conducted to identify three-phase flow pattern and their characteristics at various superficial velocities of gas, oil, and water. The major purpose of the studies is to gather information about the three-phase co-current flow and use it for improvement of the efficiency of the flow systems. Therefore, the accuracy of the measurement technique is critical. Several types of flow pattern identification and measurement techniques have been developed to improve accuracy and provide high-quality results. In this article, classical and advanced techniques used for the three-phase flow identification and measurement have been reviewed. The survey will help the researchers working in the area of multiphase flow to choose the right technique based on the objectives of the studies.     

Study on wax precipitation characteristics of wax deposit in pipes

Wax deposit properties are a significant concern in pipeline pigging during waxy crude oil transportation. In the present work, the impacts of flow conditions and oil properties on the wax precipitation characteristics of wax deposits are investigated. A flow loop apparatus was developed to conduct wax deposition experiments using four crude oils collected from different field pipes. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was employed to observe the wax precipitation characteristics of crude oil and wax deposit. The results show that the wax content and the wax appearance temperature (WAT) of the deposits increase with shear stress and radial temperature gradient, and decrease with radial wax molecule concentration gradient near the pipe wall. The DSC tests on the wax deposits revealed that the deposit wax content is strongly correlated to the oil wax content. Furthermore, an empirical correlation was developed to predict the wax content and the WAT of the wax deposit. Verification of the empirical correlation using the different oils indicated that the average relative error of the wax content prediction and average absolute error of WAT prediction were 13.2% and 3.6°C, respectively.     

管式段塞流捕集器构造及其优化设计

天然气近年来由于技术的进步及其自身多项优势而被广泛利用,油气混输作为一种经济性良好的运输方式也开始服务于各大油气田。然而多相流的运动很复杂,加上一些其他因素而产生的段塞流则是危害较大,其主要危害体现在各项参数不稳,混输管路下游的处理设备会受到较大冲击,因此需要在混输管路末端设置段塞流捕集器来缓解这种冲击,保证下游的稳定供给。     

Process and joint quality of ultrasonic vibration enhanced friction stir lap welding

In order to improve the process effectiveness and joint quality, ultrasonic vibrations were integrated with friction stir lap welding. Effect of ultrasonic exertion on the process and joint quality of AA 6061-T6 were investigated. Upon ultrasonic exertion, joints owned larger effective lap width, shorter hooks and improved strength. Weld fracture mode changed from a ductile–brittle mixed mode to a more ductile mode while the fracture path shifted from lap interface to beyond the stir zone. Material flow and interface defects were characterised using lap welded dissimilar aluminium alloy joints. Ultrasonic vibration improved the material flow and reduced the interfacial defects. Variations in failure load of joints were found in accordance with the variations in material flow and interfacial defects.     

Improving weld formability by a novel dual-rotation bobbin tool friction stir welding

A novel dual-rotation bobbin tool friction stir welding (DBT-FSW) was developed, in which the upper shoulder (US) and lower shoulder (LS) have different rotational speeds. This process was tried to weld 3.2 mm thick aluminum-lithium alloy sheets. The metallographic analysis and torque measurement were carried out to characterize the weld formability. Experimental results show that compared to conventional bobbin tool friction stir welding, the DBT-FSW has an excellent process stability, and can produce the defect-free joints in a wider range of welding parameters. These can be attributed to the significant improvement of material flow caused by the formation of a staggered layer structure and the unbalanced force between the US and LS during the DBT-FSW process.     

Animations showing Lego manipulative tasks: Three potential moderators of effectiveness

Evidence suggests that transient visual information, such as animations, may be more challenging to learn than static visualizations. However, when a procedural-manipulative task is involved, our evolved embodied cognition seems to reverse this transitory challenge. Hence, for object manipulative tasks, instructional animations may be more suitable than statics. We investigated this argument further by comparing animations with statics using a Lego task shown to university students, by examining three potential moderators of effectiveness: (a) the environment of manipulation (virtual or physical), (b) the quality of visual information (focused or unfocused), and (c) the presence of hands (no hands or with hands). In Experiment 1 we found an advantage of animation over statics, and no differences among the environments. In Experiment 2, we again observed an animation advantage, a small advantage of focused static information compared to unfocused static information, and a positive effect of not showing the hands.     

Critical state model for structured soil

Structure is an evident determinant for macroscopic behaviors of soils. However, this is not taken into account in most constitutive models, as structure is a rather complex issue in models. For this, it is important to develop and implement simple models that can reflect this important aspect of soil behavior. This paper tried to model structured soils based on well-established concepts, such as critical state and sub-loading. Critical state is the core of the classic Cam Clay model. The sub-loading concept implies adoption of an inner (sub-loading) yield surface, according to specific hardening rules for some internal strain-like state variables. Nakai and co-workers proposed such internal variables for controlling density (ρ) and structure (ω), using a modified stress space, called t_ij. Herein, similar variables are used in the context of the better-known invariants (p and q) of the Cam Clay model. This change requires explicit adoption of a non-associated flow rule for the sub-loading surface. This is accomplished by modifying the dilatancy ratio of the Cam Clay model, as a function of the new internal variables. These modifications are described and implemented under three-dimensional (3D) conditions. The model is then applied to simulating laboratory tests under different stress paths and the results are compared to experiments reported for different types of structured soils. The good agreements show the capacity and potential of the proposed model.     

ca油田稠油油藏系统保护油气层研究

针对ca油田多层状砂泥薄互层稠油油藏的特点,开展了热采和非热采条件下储层变化特征研究、钻井和固井过程入井液的研究、采油工艺技术等系统保护油气层研究,了解各种变化的作用过程和原因,有效地预防现场施工中可能发生的储层伤害,从而达到储层保护、提高采收率的目的。     

DFIT测试在长庆气田开发中的应用

与常规的小型测试压裂不同，流体注入诊断测试（DFIT）是通过关井阶段出现的拟线性流或拟径向流阶段求取储层压力，采用改进的梅耶霍夫方法（M-method）解释储层渗透率。以长庆榆林气田一口开发井为例，依据DFIT的技术原理和测试步骤，对该井测试压降数据进行解释分析，结果可信度较高，证明了该项工艺在长庆低压低渗油气田的可行性。