Open AccessNumerical Study on the Effect of Wax Deposition on the Restart Process of a Waxy Crude Oil Pipeline
Author(s) -
Qing Miao
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
advances in mechanical engineering/advances in mechanical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.318
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1687-8140
pISSN - 1687-8132
DOI - 10.1155/2012/973652
Subject(s) - wax , pipeline (software) , petroleum engineering , pipeline transport , crude oil , deposition (geology) , process (computing) , environmental science , materials science , engineering , geology , composite material , computer science , mechanical engineering , environmental engineering , paleontology , sediment , operating system
A new model for wax deposition is established based on the loop tests data of 9 typical crude oils in conjunction with the concept of the effective wax precipitation which occurs in the heat boundary layer in the pipeline. The thickness of the wax deposition of a waxy oil pipeline is predicted by the established model, and the results of the model agree well with the field data. Subsequently, the models for the shutdown and restart processes of a waxy crude oil pipeline are established. Then the restart process of a wax crude oil pipeline is investigated numerically, the temperature drop during the shutdown process and the transient inlet pressure are presented, and the effect of the wax deposition on the safety of the restart process is clarified