Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils

Waxes are a commonly encountered precipitate that can result in the gelation of crude oils and cessation of flow in pipelines. In this work, we develop a model wax–oil system that exhibits rheological behavior similar to that of waxy crude oils encountered in production scenarios. To study the conse...

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Main Authors: Dimitriou, Christopher J., McKinley, Gareth H., Venkatesan, Ramachandran
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: American Chemical Society (ACS) 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79679
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8323-2779
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author Dimitriou, Christopher J.
McKinley, Gareth H.
Venkatesan, Ramachandran
author2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
author_facet Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dimitriou, Christopher J.
McKinley, Gareth H.
Venkatesan, Ramachandran
author_sort Dimitriou, Christopher J.
collection MIT
description Waxes are a commonly encountered precipitate that can result in the gelation of crude oils and cessation of flow in pipelines. In this work, we develop a model wax–oil system that exhibits rheological behavior similar to that of waxy crude oils encountered in production scenarios. To study the consequences of gelation on the rheology of the model system, we perform simultaneous measurements of the bulk flow behavior using rheometry and of the local shearing deformation using particle image velocimetry. The bulk rheological measurements are correlated to deviations from the linear velocity profile anticipated for a homogeneous sample undergoing simple shear—this provides new insights into the structural and rheological evolution of these wax–oil systems under representative shearing conditions. The restart of flow and breakdown of the gelled wax–oil structure is observed under two scenarios—a constant applied stress and a constant applied strain rate. In addition, the effect of varying surface roughness on flow restart is investigated by comparing the temporal evolution of the velocity fields for an initially gelled fluid in contact with both a roughened and smooth surface. The material response in each case indicates that some classes of surface act as slip inhibitors and prevent the gelled wax–oil system from slipping against them. This promotes bulk deformation and the more rapid breakdown of the gel structure. These results are consistent with recent observations in other jammed/yielding systems and have an immediate bearing on pipeline restart strategies.
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spelling mit-1721.1/796792022-09-26T15:57:47Z Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils Dimitriou, Christopher J. McKinley, Gareth H. Venkatesan, Ramachandran Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Dimitriou, Christopher J. McKinley, Gareth H. Waxes are a commonly encountered precipitate that can result in the gelation of crude oils and cessation of flow in pipelines. In this work, we develop a model wax–oil system that exhibits rheological behavior similar to that of waxy crude oils encountered in production scenarios. To study the consequences of gelation on the rheology of the model system, we perform simultaneous measurements of the bulk flow behavior using rheometry and of the local shearing deformation using particle image velocimetry. The bulk rheological measurements are correlated to deviations from the linear velocity profile anticipated for a homogeneous sample undergoing simple shear—this provides new insights into the structural and rheological evolution of these wax–oil systems under representative shearing conditions. The restart of flow and breakdown of the gelled wax–oil structure is observed under two scenarios—a constant applied stress and a constant applied strain rate. In addition, the effect of varying surface roughness on flow restart is investigated by comparing the temporal evolution of the velocity fields for an initially gelled fluid in contact with both a roughened and smooth surface. The material response in each case indicates that some classes of surface act as slip inhibitors and prevent the gelled wax–oil system from slipping against them. This promotes bulk deformation and the more rapid breakdown of the gel structure. These results are consistent with recent observations in other jammed/yielding systems and have an immediate bearing on pipeline restart strategies. Chevron Corporation 2013-07-23T15:16:39Z 2013-07-23T15:16:39Z 2011-05 2011-05 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0887-0624 1520-5029 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79679 Dimitriou, Christopher J., Gareth H. McKinley, and Ramachandran Venkatesan. Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils. Energy & Fuels 25, no. 7 (July 21, 2011): 3040-3052. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8323-2779 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ef2002348 Energy & Fuels Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Chemical Society (ACS) MIT web domain
spellingShingle Dimitriou, Christopher J.
McKinley, Gareth H.
Venkatesan, Ramachandran
Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils
title Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils
title_full Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils
title_fullStr Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils
title_full_unstemmed Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils
title_short Rheo-PIV Analysis of the Yielding and Flow of Model Waxy Crude Oils
title_sort rheo piv analysis of the yielding and flow of model waxy crude oils
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/79679
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8323-2779
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AT mckinleygarethh rheopivanalysisoftheyieldingandflowofmodelwaxycrudeoils
AT venkatesanramachandran rheopivanalysisoftheyieldingandflowofmodelwaxycrudeoils