Study on Wax Deposition Process of Crude Oil System under Shear Flow Field Conditions

Abstract

This paper adopted numerical simulation based on the MD method to research the effect of different shear rates and wax contents on wax deposition focused on crude oil. The findings indicated that under shear flow conditions, there were primarily four steps during deposition. Diffusion was the initial stage when wax diffused onto the metal surface. In the second stage, wax adsorbed onto a metal surface aligned itself parallel to the surface via Brownian motion, generating two different kinds of deposits. Subsequently, agglomerates were formed between the adsorbed deposits and the wax as a result of molecular interactions and bridging effects. Furthermore, the second and third deposited layers gradually showed peeling off and sliding under shear force. The wax deposition process was comparable for crude oil systems with varying shear rates and wax concentrations, and the deposited layer’s thickness on the metal surface was constant. The first, second, and third deposits were mainly adsorbed at 0.122 nm, 0.532 nm, and 1.004 nm away from the Fe surface, and the interaction energy between crude oil molecules and the Fe surface was mainly vdW force. The contact between Fe and wax progressively increased as the shear rate and wax content rose, promoting the wax adsorption on the metal surface and causing more of the wax to congregate in the deposited wax. The findings of the research can theoretically help a more thorough comprehension of the wax deposition.