Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs

At present, large water demand and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have emerged as challenges of steam injection for oil thermal recovery. This paper proposed a strategy of superheated steam injection by the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR) for thermal recovery of heavy oil, which has less d...

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Main Authors: Yangping Zhou, Fu Li, Zhiwei Zhou, Yuanle Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/676529
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author Yangping Zhou
Fu Li
Zhiwei Zhou
Yuanle Ma
author_facet Yangping Zhou
Fu Li
Zhiwei Zhou
Yuanle Ma
author_sort Yangping Zhou
collection DOAJ
description At present, large water demand and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have emerged as challenges of steam injection for oil thermal recovery. This paper proposed a strategy of superheated steam injection by the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR) for thermal recovery of heavy oil, which has less demand of water and emission of CO2. The paper outlines the problems of conventional steam injection and addresses the advantages of superheated steam injection by HTR from the aspects of technology, economy, and environment. A Geographic Information System (GIS) embedded with a thermal hydraulic analysis function is designed and developed to analyze the strategy, which can make the analysis work more practical and credible. Thermal hydraulic analysis using this GIS is carried out by applying this strategy to a reference heavy oil field. Two kinds of injection are considered and compared: wet steam injection by conventional boilers and superheated steam injection by HTR. The heat loss, pressure drop, and possible phase transformation are calculated and analyzed when the steam flows through the pipeline and well tube and is finally injected into the oil reservoir. The result shows that the superheated steam injection from HTR is applicable and promising for thermal recovery of heavy oil reservoirs.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-396fb7bc718744d8b440a117d36a6e5e2025-02-03T05:58:29ZengWileyScience and Technology of Nuclear Installations1687-60751687-60832012-01-01201210.1155/2012/676529676529Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil ReservoirsYangping Zhou0Fu Li1Zhiwei Zhou2Yuanle Ma3Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaInstitute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaInstitute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaInstitute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaAt present, large water demand and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have emerged as challenges of steam injection for oil thermal recovery. This paper proposed a strategy of superheated steam injection by the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR) for thermal recovery of heavy oil, which has less demand of water and emission of CO2. The paper outlines the problems of conventional steam injection and addresses the advantages of superheated steam injection by HTR from the aspects of technology, economy, and environment. A Geographic Information System (GIS) embedded with a thermal hydraulic analysis function is designed and developed to analyze the strategy, which can make the analysis work more practical and credible. Thermal hydraulic analysis using this GIS is carried out by applying this strategy to a reference heavy oil field. Two kinds of injection are considered and compared: wet steam injection by conventional boilers and superheated steam injection by HTR. The heat loss, pressure drop, and possible phase transformation are calculated and analyzed when the steam flows through the pipeline and well tube and is finally injected into the oil reservoir. The result shows that the superheated steam injection from HTR is applicable and promising for thermal recovery of heavy oil reservoirs.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/676529
spellingShingle Yangping Zhou
Fu Li
Zhiwei Zhou
Yuanle Ma
Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
title Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
title_full Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
title_fullStr Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
title_full_unstemmed Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
title_short Thermal Hydraulic Analysis Using GIS on Application of HTR to Thermal Recovery of Heavy Oil Reservoirs
title_sort thermal hydraulic analysis using gis on application of htr to thermal recovery of heavy oil reservoirs
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/676529
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AT zhiweizhou thermalhydraulicanalysisusinggisonapplicationofhtrtothermalrecoveryofheavyoilreservoirs
AT yuanlema thermalhydraulicanalysisusinggisonapplicationofhtrtothermalrecoveryofheavyoilreservoirs