Multiscale Modeling of Gas-(Water-in-Oil) Slug Flow with the Formation and Agglomeration of Gas Hydrate Crystals

This study proposes a simulator of the growth kinetics of gas hydrates occurring in the porous-scale, its agglomeration in the interparticle- and particle-scales, coupled to gas-(water-in-oil) slug flow hydrodynamics and heat transfer in the macro-scale. Closure is obtained from slurry apparent viscosity models, droplet size models, and specific slug flow correlations for translational velocity, slug aeration and slug frequency. The results capture four types of systems, namely active surface-, dissolution-, heat transfer- and pressure drop-limited systems. This paper discusses when and why each type of system occurs.