Comprehension of the mechanisms that influence wax deposition in oil-production systems has not yet been achieved fully. Given the absence of a theory able to explain the evolution and characteristics of these deposits, the resulting production limitation is one of the main issues in flow assurance. This paper investigates the influence of the Reynolds number on wax deposition.
Introduction
Several numerical models and experiments have been conducted to understand wax deposition in flowlines. A typical experiment consists of injecting a heated solution (wax dissolved in a solvent) through a test section with one of its surfaces kept at a colder temperature than the wax appearance temperature (WAT). As the fluid temperature is reduced below the WAT, the first wax crystals appear, initiating deposit growth.
Typically, oil flow in production lines is turbulent.
