Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process has been an optimized method to explore heavy oil reservoirs in the world. The oil viscosity reduction and gravity force near the interface of steam–chamber are the main development mechanisms. In classical models, conductive heat transfer plays the only or dominant role in the heat transmission from high-temperature steam to low-temperature oil sands. Although some mathematical studies have paid attention to the convective heat transfer, the role of heat transfer by flowable oil normal to the steam–chamber interface has been given little attention. In SAGD, the viscosity of bitumen can be reduced by several orders of magnitude by the release of latent heat from injected steam. In this study, an analytical model is developed for the heat transfer process induced by flowable oil. Also, in order to accurately simulate the oil viscosity characteristics in steam–chamber, a correlation between oil viscosity and pressure is proposed. Results indicate that the oil mobility plays an important role on the flow normal to interface when the distance is smaller than 6 m. Even under the most extreme circumstances (μw = 0.1127 cp), the flowing of oil normal to steam–chamber interface also cannot be ignored. Comparing to Irani and Ghannadi model, it can be easy to draw the conclusion that the new model consists with the underground test facility (UTF) field data much better. This new analytical model will benefit to understanding the convective heat transfer mechanism in SAGD process.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2018
Research-Article
A New Mathematical Model to Understand the Convective Heat Transfer Mechanism in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Process
Zhaoxiang Zhang,
Zhaoxiang Zhang
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: zhangzhaoxiang2008@126.com
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: zhangzhaoxiang2008@126.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Huiqing Liu,
Huiqing Liu
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: 540213951@qq.com
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: 540213951@qq.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Xiaohu Dong,
Xiaohu Dong
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: donghu820@163.com
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: donghu820@163.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Huanli Jiang
Huanli Jiang
Drilling Company 3 of Sinopec Zhongyuan
Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Puyang 457000, China
e-mail: sdqh119@163.com
Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Puyang 457000, China
e-mail: sdqh119@163.com
Search for other works by this author on:
Zhaoxiang Zhang
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: zhangzhaoxiang2008@126.com
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: zhangzhaoxiang2008@126.com
Huiqing Liu
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: 540213951@qq.com
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: 540213951@qq.com
Xiaohu Dong
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: donghu820@163.com
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
e-mail: donghu820@163.com
Huanli Jiang
Drilling Company 3 of Sinopec Zhongyuan
Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Puyang 457000, China
e-mail: sdqh119@163.com
Petroleum Engineering Co., Ltd.,
Puyang 457000, China
e-mail: sdqh119@163.com
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS. Manuscript received October 7, 2016; final manuscript received January 21, 2017; published online July 6, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Giulio Lorenzini.
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. Feb 2018, 10(1): 011006 (8 pages)
Published Online: July 6, 2017
Article history
Received:
October 7, 2016
Revised:
January 21, 2017
Citation
Zhang, Z., Liu, H., Dong, X., and Jiang, H. (July 6, 2017). "A New Mathematical Model to Understand the Convective Heat Transfer Mechanism in Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage Process." ASME. J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. February 2018; 10(1): 011006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4036789
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Related Articles
A Simplified Model for Effective Thermal Conductivity of Highly Porous Ceramic Fiber Insulation
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl (December,2015)
Numerical Analysis of Unsteady Conjugate Natural Convection of Hybrid Water-Based Nanofluid in a Semicircular Cavity
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl (December,2017)
Heat Transfer in Porous Media Heated From Above With Evaporation, Condensation, and Capillary Effects
J. Heat Transfer (August,1983)
Numerical Analysis of Conjugated Convection-Conduction Heat Transfer in a Microtube Gas Flow
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl (February,2019)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Energy Balance for a Swimming Pool
Electromagnetic Waves and Heat Transfer: Sensitivites to Governing Variables in Everyday Life
Radiation
Thermal Management of Microelectronic Equipment
Radiation
Thermal Management of Microelectronic Equipment, Second Edition