Numerical modeling of asphaltene deposition

Abstract

Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Malta, 16-18 July, 2012.

Asphaltene deposition on the walls of wellbore or pipeline during oil production and processing will cause dire consequences if left untreated. A better understanding of this phenomenon is required. This study presents a general modelling framework based either on the level-set approach or the concentration approach for modelling asphaltene deposition processes. Both the level-set method and the total concentration approach belong to the family of front capturing methods. Therefore, the dynamics of the depositing front can be captured implicitly on fixed mesh. The presented frameworks are validated against each other for general deposition process. Preliminary parametric studies are then performed to study the influences of various factors on the deposition process.