Flowing fluid, pressure

To a large extent the reservoir geology controls the producibility of a formation, i.e. to what degree transmissibility to fluid flow and pressure communication exists. Knowledge of the reservoir geological processes has to be based on extrapolation of the very limited data available to the geologist, yet the geological model s the base on which the field development plan will be built. 

Laminae of clay and clay drapes act as vertical or horizontal baffles or barriers to fluid flow and pressure communication. Dispersed days occupy pore space-which in a clean sand would be available for hydrocarbons. They may also obstruct pore throats, thus impeding fluid flow. Reservoir evaluation, is often complicated by the presence of clays. This is particularly true for the estimation of hydrocarbon saturation. 

The previous sections have considered the flow of fluid to the wellbore. The productivity index (PI) indicates that as the flowing wellbore pressure (Pwf) reduces, so the drawdown increases and the rate of fluid flow to the well increases. Recall... 

The relationship between the bore fluid pressure drop, AP and its flow rate is defined by Poiseuike s law ... 

Steady state, fuUy developed laminar flows of viscoelastic fluids in straight, constant-diameter pipes show no effects of viscoelasticity. The viscous component of the constitutive equation may be used to develop the flow rate-pressure drop relations, which apply downstream of the entrance region after viscoelastic effects have disappeared. A similar situation exists for time-dependent fluids. 

A flowing fluid is acted upon by many forces that result in changes in pressure, temperature, stress, and strain. A fluid is said to be isotropic when the relations between the components of stress and those of the rate of strain are the same in all directions. The fluid is said to be Newtonian when this relationship is linear. These pressures and temperatures must be fully understood so that the entire flow picture can be described. 

The static pressure in a fluid has the same value in all directions and can be considered as a scalar point func tion. It is the pressure of a flowing fluid. It is normal to the surface on which it acts and at any... 

Static temperature is the temperature of the flowing fluid. Like static pressure, it arises because of the random motion of the fluid molecules. Static temperature is in most practical instaUations impossible to measure since it can be measured only by a thermometer or thermocouple at rest relative to the flowing fluid that is moving with the fluid. Static temperature will increase in a diffuser and decrease in a nozzle. 

This subsertion deals with the techniques of measuring pressures, temperatures, velocities, and flow rates of flowing fluids. 

Local Static Pressure In a moving fluid, the local static pressure is equal to the pressure on a surface which moves with the fluid or to the normal pressure (for newtonian fluids) on a stationary surface which parallels the flow. The pressure on such a surface is measured by maldng a small hole perpendicular to the surface and connecting the opening to a pressure-sensing element (Fig. The hole is... 

Since this temperature requires the thermometer or thermocouple to be at rest relative to the flowing fluid, it is impractical to measure. It can be, however, calculated from the measurement of total temperature and total and static pressure. 

Swing Check Valves These valves (Fig. 10-156) are used to prevent reversal of flow Normal design is for use only in horizontal lines, where the force of gravity on the disk is at a maximum at the start of closing and at a minimum at the end of closing. Unhke most other valves, check valves are more likely to leak at low pressure than at high pressure, since fluid pressure alone forces the disk to conform to the seat. For this reason elastomers are often mounted on the disk. Swing checkvalves are available with low-cost insert bodies. 

For proper use of the equations, the chamber shape must conform to the spray pattern. With cocurrent gas-spray flow, the angle of spread of single-fluid pressure nozzles and two-fluid pneumatic nozzles is such that wall impingement wiU occur at a distance approximately four chamber diameters below the nozzle therefore, chambers employing these atomizers should have vertical height-to-diameter ratios of at least 4 and, more usually, 5. The discharge cone below the vertical portion should have a slope of at least 60°, to minimize settling accumulations, and is used entirely to accelerate gas and solids for entty into the exit duct. 

Basic to establishing whether power recovery is even feasible, let alone economical, are considerations of the flowing-fluid capacity available, the differential pressure available for the power recovery, and corrosive or erosive properties of the fluid stream. A further important consideration in feasibihty and economics is the probable physical location, with respect to each other, of fluid source, power-production point, and final fluid destination. In general, the tendency has been to locate the power-recoveiy driver and its driven unit where dictated by the driven-unit requirement and pipe the power-recoveiy fluid to and away from the driver. While early installations were in noncorrosive, nonerosive services such as rich-hydrocarbon absorption oil, the trend has been to put units into mildly severe seiwices such as amine plants, hot-carbonate units, and hydrocracker letdown. 

Another pitfall in pressure measurement, partieularly important in flow measurement, is the potential for liquids in gauge lines. All too often gauge lines eoming from overhead pipes have no provision for maintaining a liquid-free status, even though the flowing fluid may be eondensible at gauge-line temperatures. 

Straight tube loss See Chapter 1, Fluid Flow, Piping Pressure Drop ... 

All losses except for straight tube Straight tube loss 2- Ah = 2.9-4-N 2g See Chapter 1, Fluid Flow, Piping Pressure Drop ... 

Permeability is normally determined using linear flow in the incompressible or compressible form, depending on whether a liquid or gas is used as the flowing fluid. The volumetric flowrate Q (or Q ,) is determined at several pressure drops. Q (or Q ,) is plotted versus the average pressure p . The slope of this line will yield the fluid conductivity K or, if the fluid density and viscosity are known, it provides the intrinsic permeability k. For gases, the fluid conductivity depends on pressure, so that... 

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