Solids Transport with Turbulent Flow of a Drag Reducing Fluid in the Horizontal Annuli

• Author / Creator

  Rodriguez Corredor, Fabio E

• Fully developed turbulent flow of water and drag reducing fluids through a horizontal flow loop with concentric annular geometry (inner to outer pipe radius ratio = 0.4) was investigated using the Particle Image Velocimetry technique. Experiments were conducted at solvent Reynolds numbers ranged from 17,700 to 66,900. Initially, the study was focused on analyses of the mean flow and turbulence statistics such as near wall velocity profile, Reynolds stress distribution, axial and radial velocity fluctuations, vorticity fluctuations and turbulent kinetic energy budget.
  The hole cleaning experiments were also conducted using water and drag reducing fluids. Critical velocities for the initiation of cuttings movement with rolling, saltation/dunes, and suspension modes were determined and compared when using water and drag reducing fluids as a carrier fluid. Critical velocities for the initiation of cuttings movement were found to be lower with water than that of drag reducing fluid in all transport modes.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Solids Transport
  • Tubulent Flow
  • Extended Reach Wells
  • Horizontal Annuli
  • Horizontal Drilling

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3VM43576

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.