Numerical simulation and experimental verification on the installation position of sand production monitoring sensor in heavy oil wells

The non-intrusive sand production monitoring technology for the heavy oil production is to monitor the sand production by using the sensor installed on the pipe wall to receive the sand impinging signals. In order to get the optimal vibration signals of sand impinging and ensure the reliability and accuracy of sand production data, it is necessary to determine the optimal installation position of the sensor in the 90° elbow. In this paper, a flow-in-bend model for oil-water-sand three-phase flow was established under the indoor conditions. The movement trajectory of sand containing oil flow in the 90° elbow was simulated using Fluent software. It is determined that sand’s highest impact velocity on the pipe wall while flowing in the bend occurs at twice the pipeline diameter. What’s more, the sand production monitoring signals of the sensors installed at different positions were comparatively analyzed by means of the experimental platform for monitoring the sand production of multi-phase sand containing fluid. And based on this, the theoretical simulation results under the condition of multi-phase flow were verified. It is indicated that the most reliable sand production signal can be obtained by installing the sensor at twice the pipeline diameter in the downstream of the elbow. The simulation research results provide the important theoretical basis for the installation of the sensor in the process of field application, so as to ensure the reliability of sand production monitoring data.