Simulation and Experimental Validation of a New Separator Design for a Wide Range of Gas Volume Fractions

Summary For downhole gas-liquid separation, it is crucial to maintain high separation efficiency across a wide range of inlet gas volume fractions. In this paper, we present a numerical investigation into the flow field characteristics and separation mechanism of a new gas-liquid separator that utilizes centrifugal and gravity separation methods. An experimental system was built to validate the accuracy of the numerical model, and the numerical results show similar characteristics with experimental data in phase distribution as well as separation efficiency. In addition, we examine the impact of various operational parameters on the separation performance in this study. The findings indicate that the separator is capable of achieving a separation efficiency of approximately 100% within the inlet gas volume fraction range of 40–80%. Furthermore, it is crucial to control the liquid level to ensure effective separation of gas from the water layer. Altering the inlet liquid flow rate and gas volume fraction has a direct influence on the water content of the gas outlet, resulting in a decrease in separation efficiency. Consequently, optimization of the upper region of the separator is necessary to improve the separation performance.