Determination of friction factor of Algerian crude oil during flow in pipe-lines

• The Algerian crude oil shows a non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior.
• Power law is found suitable for Algerian crude oil.
• The measured viscosity for Algerian crude oil agrees well with theoretical models.
• Experimental and numerical results are conducted to confirm the suggested method.
• Comparison between experiments data and numerical simulations results is performed.

Crude oil flow in the pipelines is a source of major problems with heavy substance deposits on the wall surfaces. This situation can lead to lines blocking. Therefore, it is mandatory to have information concerning the flow. For this purpose the rheological properties of the crude oil are needed in order to propose adapted solutions. This paper deals with the study of the rheological properties of Algerian crude oil at different temperatures as well as its flow in pipe. The experimental results obtained with a modern rheometer can be used to predict the crude oil transport characteristics. The crude oil rheogram shows a non-Newtonian behavior which can be described by the Ostwald law. The shear stresses computations obtained from an analytical model and the MPTT model are compared and give the friction factor distribution across the pipe section. The obtained results are presented and discussed.

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