A numerical investigation on a capsule-intake of the electrical submersible pump in skid

The Electrical Submersible Pumping (ESP) system is one of the most commonly used artificial lift methods in petroleum industry and recent breakthrough this enclosed a capsule positioned on seabed skid. As it technology, with only small amount equipment currently operation, there clear need for greater understanding flow within geometry objective perfecting design promising submarine boosting system. This paper presents numerical investigation single-phase scaled capsule-intake an ESP Skid considering model geometric dynamic similarities relation to real operation Espadarte field, located Campos Basin, Brazil. tridimensional transient simulation case mass rate inclination angles are investigated. While neglecting effects diffuser impeller system, field features, axial radial velocity profiles intake region were computed. results show that dominated by secondary flow, leading formation bathtub vortex. It expected vortices influence pattern region, breaking larger bubbles into smaller bubbles, making transition from slug dispersed or bubbly which would be more difficult dragged intake.