Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines

This paper investigates wax deposition as one of the major problems encountered in oil and gas pipelines with a potential environmental damage and with huge financial implications. A molecular diffusion and aging mechanism model by Fick’s law is applied here to better predict wax deposition thicknes...

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Main Authors: Martins Obaseki, Paul T. Elijah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2021-09-01
Series:Journal of King Saud University: Engineering Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018363920302439
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author Martins Obaseki
Paul T. Elijah
author_facet Martins Obaseki
Paul T. Elijah
author_sort Martins Obaseki
collection DOAJ
description This paper investigates wax deposition as one of the major problems encountered in oil and gas pipelines with a potential environmental damage and with huge financial implications. A molecular diffusion and aging mechanism model by Fick’s law is applied here to better predict wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines. Through theoretical derivation and numerical simulation, the diffusion rate into the deposit gel has been modified by modifying the deposit layer temperature to accommodate effect of flow velocity. Findings show that the wax deposit is not uniformly distributed along the pipe length. Data were analyzed based on impact changing oil inlet temperature, volumetric flow rate, and high viscosity using MATLAB software/Simulator. On validation series model convergence was found to perform better with reasonable agreement when compared with experimental data. The result of prediction can be used to determine other parameters in the pipe line such as effective diameter, actual pressure drop and volumetric flow rate in through the pipe.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1018-3639
language English
publishDate 2021-09-01
publisher Springer
record_format Article
series Journal of King Saud University: Engineering Sciences
spelling doaj-art-05e2a082e43742498f0776581a47b5b72025-08-20T03:54:16ZengSpringerJournal of King Saud University: Engineering Sciences1018-36392021-09-0133643744510.1016/j.jksues.2020.05.003Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelinesMartins Obaseki0Paul T. Elijah1Corresponding author.; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, NigeriaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, NigeriaThis paper investigates wax deposition as one of the major problems encountered in oil and gas pipelines with a potential environmental damage and with huge financial implications. A molecular diffusion and aging mechanism model by Fick’s law is applied here to better predict wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines. Through theoretical derivation and numerical simulation, the diffusion rate into the deposit gel has been modified by modifying the deposit layer temperature to accommodate effect of flow velocity. Findings show that the wax deposit is not uniformly distributed along the pipe length. Data were analyzed based on impact changing oil inlet temperature, volumetric flow rate, and high viscosity using MATLAB software/Simulator. On validation series model convergence was found to perform better with reasonable agreement when compared with experimental data. The result of prediction can be used to determine other parameters in the pipe line such as effective diameter, actual pressure drop and volumetric flow rate in through the pipe.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018363920302439Wax deposition thickness modelMatlab software/simulatorMolecular diffusion
spellingShingle Martins Obaseki
Paul T. Elijah
Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
Journal of King Saud University: Engineering Sciences
Wax deposition thickness model
Matlab software/simulator
Molecular diffusion
title Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
title_full Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
title_fullStr Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
title_full_unstemmed Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
title_short Dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
title_sort dynamic modeling and prediction of wax deposition thickness in crude oil pipelines
topic Wax deposition thickness model
Matlab software/simulator
Molecular diffusion
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018363920302439
work_keys_str_mv AT martinsobaseki dynamicmodelingandpredictionofwaxdepositionthicknessincrudeoilpipelines
AT paultelijah dynamicmodelingandpredictionofwaxdepositionthicknessincrudeoilpipelines