| Summary: | Identified
as an
important issue for
marginal
fields, the removal of sand from hydrocarbon fluids
has been investigated. A
review of existing sand separation equipment
has
recognized a need
for
a new separator which will satisfy the design
and performance requirements necessary for
protecting offshore processing equipment.
This thesis
details the work and analysis undertaken which
has
contributed towards the design
and
development
of a new offshore gas/solid separator.
A
critique of
different
separation
techniques
has identified
axial
flow
cyclone
(AFC)
separators as a suitable separator
design for
offshore
desanding
applications.
After
reviewing existing models which simulate the performance of
AFC
separators a simple
classification table has been developed. Using the conclusions of this review as a starting
platform, a methodology
for developing
a new computational
fluid dynamics (CFD)
performance
model
for the new separator was proposed.
Experimental work undertaken at the CALtec laboratories
and the BG
plc
(formerly British Gas
Research and Technology) Low Thornley
test facilities
are presented.
The
results obtained
have
been
used to analysis the performance of
difference
separator
internal designs. In
addition, the
results
have been
used to evaluate the robustness of existing
AFC
performance models and
validate
the new
CFD
model.
For the
investigated
operational
duties, the new
CFD
model
has been
shown to consistently
under-predict
the collection efficiency, whereas the other
AFC
models over-predict.
From
a
design
point of view, a model which under-predicts the overall collection efficiency will result
in the over-design of the separator
for
a particular operating
duty. Therefore, the use of such a
model will ensure the design
of a separator which will offer greater than expected
levels
of
protection of
downstream
equipment
from
erosion wear.
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