Evaluation and Improvement of the Performance of a Wellhead Multistage Bundle Gas-Liquid Separator

A wellhead multistage bundle gas-liquid separator combining a gas-liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) with multi-tube bundle components is expected to improve the gas-liquid separation performance. However, there is no unified understanding of the factors influencing the separation performance of the separator. The continuous improvement and applications of the separator are restricted. This paper evaluated the performance of the separator using a numerical simulation method. The results indicate that the separation flow field evolves to be uniform with the increased water cut when the gas-oil ratio and flow rate remain constant. Compared with a 30% water cut, the separation efficiency at a 50% water cut increased by 5.88%. When the gas-oil ratio and water cut remained constant, the swirl effect of the primary separation was enhanced. The separation efficiency increased to more than 70% when the flow rate was 15 m/s. When the flow rate and water cut remained unchanged, the pressure of the separation flow field was reduced. However, when the gas-oil ratio was greater than 160 m(3)/t, the flow field trace density of the secondary separation bundle was reduced, and the separation efficiency was also lower than 60%. The separation efficiency can be further improved by optimizing the number and diameter of secondary separation bundles.

Automated summary

This paper evaluates the performance of a wellhead multistage bundle gas-liquid separator using numerical simulation. The results show that increasing the water cut improves the uniformity of the separation flow field and enhances the swirl effect, leading to higher separation efficiency. The flow rate and pressure of the separation flow field also affect the separation performance. By optimizing the number and diameter of the secondary separation bundles, further improvement in separation efficiency can be achieved.