Modeling The Effect Of Produced Water On Asphaltene Deposition In A Production Tubing Using Population Balance

Abstract

An engineering model evaluates the effect of produced water in a production tubing on the reduction of asphaltene deposition on the tube (pipe) wall. We rely on an industrial hypothesis that droplets colliding with the pipe partially prevent the deposition of the asphaltene particles on the wall surface. First, we use a population balance model to calculate the droplet size evolution along a production tubing. Then, we study the fraction of the pipe wall surface dynamically coated by water droplets. To do so, we consider the wall bombardment by droplets that fluctuate in a turbulent flow. The results demonstrate that the dynamically coated area by droplets increases gradually (max by order of 10-4), the effects of which on asphaltene deposition is negligible.