Full and Partial Emulsification of Crude Oil–Water Systems as a Function of Shear Intensity, Water Fraction, and Temperature

Emulsification of crude oil and water may significantly affect the flow characteristics of the multiphase flow in gathering lines. Obviously, emulsification of a crude oil–water system is greatly affected by conditions such as shear intensity, water fraction, and temperature. However, there has been a lack of quantitative study of the emulsified water fraction of crude oil–water systems under various conditions of water fraction, temperature, and shear intensity. In this work, experiments were conducted by using a stirred vessel calibrated for the determination of mean shear rate, and the emulsified water fractions under flowing conditions were determined by extrapolation of the separated water volume to the moment when stirring was just terminated. Full emulsification of water was observed in a specific range of shear rates and below a critical water fraction, and only partial emulsification might occur above this critical water fraction. The range of shear rates in which full emulsification might occur ...

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