Analysis of Flow and Heat Transfer in OTSGs and Injection Wells

Sivagnanam, Mohan

Analysis of Flow and Heat Transfer in OTSGs and Injection Wells

dc.contributor.advisor	Gates, Ian Donald
dc.contributor.advisor	Mehrotra, Anil Kumar
dc.contributor.author	Sivagnanam, Mohan
dc.contributor.committeemember	Hejazi, Hossein
dc.contributor.committeemember	Ponnurangam, Sathish
dc.contributor.committeemember	Mwesigye, Aggrey
dc.contributor.committeemember	Sanders, Sean R.
dc.date	2023-06
dc.date.accessioned	2023-04-27T14:51:51Z
dc.date.available	2023-04-27T14:51:51Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04-21
dc.description.abstract	Steam for enhanced oil recovery, generated by using once-through steam generators (OTSGs), is injected into extra heavy oil (bitumen) bearing formations to raise the temperature of the oil within. At elevated temperatures, the oil mobility is raised enabling it to be produced to surface. To improve the performance of steam-based processes, the research documented here focuses on two components of the process. The first component is steam generation in OTSGs and the second is injection of steam into the reservoir. More specifically, in the first component, the impact of foulant is examined and how a deliberate flow perturbation can be used to delay the onset of foulant. In the second component, steam flows through slotted liners and flow control devices are investigated. The results show that the thicker the foulant, the higher the outer tube wall temperature and the lower is the water temperature – the foulant acts as an insulator on the inner wall of the tube. Flow perturbations are demonstrated to yield benefits for lowering the outer tube wall temperature. An examination of thermocouples used to measure the temperature of the tube surface in OTSGs is also presented. Simulation results for a thermocouple welded on an OTSG tube showed a discrepancy between the actual temperature and the thermocouple measurement. The use of a radiation shield is shown to provide a better estimate of the bare tube temperature. The analysis of a slotted liner shows that the slot area plays a crucial role in flow distribution within the well and reservoir. Supersonic flow in flow control devices is strongly dependent on steam quality and some of the systems examined exhibited a condensation shock and shock diamonds with exit velocity greater than the inlet. A longer diffuser is shown to minimize the impact of shock waves on the exit velocity.
dc.identifier.citation	Sivagnanam, M. (2023). Analysis of flow and heat transfer in OTSGs and injection wells (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/116115
dc.identifier.uri	https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/dspace/40960
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Steam Generation
dc.subject	OTSG
dc.subject	Fouling
dc.subject	Perturbation
dc.subject	Thermocouple Shield
dc.subject	Stem Injection
dc.subject	FCD
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Petroleum
dc.title	Analysis of Flow and Heat Transfer in OTSGs and Injection Wells
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Engineering – Chemical & Petroleum
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.