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TUALP Abstract
Luis Carlos Zapata (Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering)
Rotational Speed Effects on ESP Two-Phase Performance
220 pp. – Chapter VII
Directed by Dr. Mauricio Prado
(151 words)
Predicting the performance of an ESP is a very complex task, as it is dependent on the intake pressure, the volumetric fractions of fluid phases, the mixture flow rate, the rotational speed, gas and liquid physical properties and the pump impeller and diffuser geometry.
The present work focuses on gathering experimental data under a wide range of rotational speeds from 1190 to 3500 RPM under single- and two-phase conditions at a constant stage intake pressure. A special set of experiments was also conducted to estimate the average efficiency of the pump when working under two-phase flow conditions.
New correlations are presented to predict the pump’s performance behavior for two flow pattern regions: Bubbly Flow and Elongated Bubble. Also, a correlation for predicting the transition between the two flow regimes is presented.
The results show that the rotational speed strongly influences the pump performance, the surging transition location and the pump efficiency.
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Last updated September 04, 2012