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A Survey on Mathematical Modelling of Deposition in Waxy CrudeOils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2011

A. Fasano
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Matematica “U.Dini”- Viale Morgagni 67/a -50134 Firenze
L. Fusi*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Matematica “U.Dini”- Viale Morgagni 67/a -50134 Firenze
S. Correra
Affiliation:
eni exploration & production - Via Emilia 1 - 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Milano
M. Margarone
Affiliation:
eni exploration & production - Via Emilia 1 - 20097 S. Donato Milanese, Milano
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Waxy Crude Oils (WCO’s) are characterized by the presence of heavy paraffins insufficiently large concentrations. They exhibit quite complex thermodynamical andrheological behaviour and present the peculiar property of giving rise to the formation ofsegregated wax deposits, when temperature falls down the so called WAT, or Wax AppearanceTemperature. In extreme cases, segregated waxes may lead to pipeline occlusion due todeposition on cold walls. In this paper we review the mathematical models formulated todescribe: (i) wax cystallization or thawing in cooling/heating cycles; (ii) the mechanismsof mass transport in saturated non-isothermal solutions; (iii) the experimental deviceused to measure wax solubility and wax diffusivity; (iv) wax deposition in pipelinescarrying a warm, wax-saturated WCO through cold regions; (v) wax deposition accompanied bygelification during the cooling of a WCO under a thermal gradient.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2011

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