Various inlet distributor configurations were analyzed using Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis and Flow Assurance Analysis to verify the uniform mass flow distribution across the
sectional area of the tank. Further simulation was conducted to determine the following:

1)  Amount of oil going out from the water outlet

2) Oil-water phase separation process inside the given gravity separation tank. The design of distributor slots in the flow assurance analysis, as well as the number of laterals and lateral length, were based on the nature of the outflow from the distributor slots. This simulation was carried out to achieve a distributor design to ensure efficient oil separation from the oil-water mixture.

Why is Flow Assurance Analysis Important?

Flow assurance analysis plays a crucial role in the design and operation of oil and gas production systems. By analyzing the behavior of fluids, engineers can anticipate and address potential flow-related issues such as hydrate formation, wax deposition, asphaltene precipitation, and slugging. These problems can cause flow restrictions, equipment damage, and ultimately, production downtime and financial losses.

Key Components of Flow Assurance Analysis:

Flow assurance analysis typically includes several key components to ensure the smooth and efficient flow of fluids:

1. Fluid Characterization: Understanding the properties of the fluid being produced is essential for flow assurance analysis. This includes determining the fluid’s composition, phase behavior, flow properties, and any impurities or contaminants present. This information helps engineers identify potential flow issues and select appropriate mitigation strategies.

2. Thermohydraulics Analysis: Temperature and pressure changes in pipelines and equipment can significantly impact fluid flow. Thermohydraulics analysis involves studying the effects of temperature and pressure variations on fluid behavior. By simulating these conditions, engineers can optimize pipeline and equipment design to prevent issues like hydrate formation or wax deposition.

3. Flow Modeling: Flow modeling uses mathematical and computational techniques to simulate fluid flow behavior in pipelines and equipment. It helps engineers predict fluid flow rates, pressure drops, and flow patterns under different operating conditions. This enables them to identify potential flow bottlenecks or areas prone to slugging and design effective flow management strategies.

4. Risk Assessment: Flow assurance analysis also involves assessing and mitigating the risks associated with fluid flow issues. This includes identifying potential failure points and evaluating them.

   The inlet distributor is designed through a Flow Assurance Analysis to provide uniform distribution of the inlet effluent water and oil mixture across the cross- sectional area of the tank. The flow characteristics of gravity based separation between oil and water are simulated using CFD. From these simulations, oil collected in both fixed oil skimmer and water outlet is quantified and an optimum design for the fixed oil skimmer is suggested.

Services Offered by Flow Assurance Analysis:

1)  Design of Internals in Tanks using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Flow Assurance Analysis:
Effluent Water tanks
Balance Tanks
Dual/Wet crude tanks
Skim Tanks
Skim Oil Tanks
Gravity Oil- Water Separator

2)  Multiphase flow simulation for Pipeline

3)  3 Phase separators

4)  Viscous Oil flow simulation to study the temperature effects on transportation

5)  Slug Flow, Bubble flow, Wavy Flow Simulation

6)  Design Optimization of Multi Phase flow through Manifolds

7)  Design of Manifolds

8)  Design of Mixers in the tank

9)  Fuel Tank Sloshing Analysis

10)  CFD Simulation of Separators