Calculation of Two-Phase Flows in an Oil Separator by Using a Cubic Interpolated Propagation Code on Unstructured Grid Spaces

We have developed a cubic interpolated propagation (CIP) code combined with a finite volume method using unstructured grid spaces. The CIP code, which can solve both compressible and incompressible flows simultaneously, was used to calculate gas-liquid flows — in this case, waterspouts — in an oil separator. We found that waterspouts raise the oil at the bottom of the separator’s chamber and lower the efficiency of oil separation remarkably. We also found that the waterspouts can be classified as circulatory or non-circulatory and that they are caused by a low-pressure core in the discharge pipe. Furthermore, we predicted the critical conditions under which the waterspouts occur, and these predictions agree with measurements taken with a test separator.