Experimental Study on Heavy Oil Drag Reduction in Horizontal Pipelines by Water Annular Conveying

Transportation of heavy oil by the so-called water-ring technique is a very promising method which pressure drop and pollution can be significantly reduced. Dedicated experiments have been carried out changing phase’s density, viscosity, velocity interfacial tension to systematically analyze characteristics water ring. On basis such experimental data, mathematical model for prediction has introduced. This research shows that as long density remains same, concentric ring effectively formed. In conditions, oil-water viscosity difference little effect on shape ring, it only affects drop. The greater oil, smaller transportation system. influence phases’ considered negligible. introduced Buckingham’s principle provides values in good agreement (95%) with data.