A new mechanistic Parachor model to predict dynamic interfacial tension and miscibility in multicomponent hydrocarbon systems

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science 2006-07, Vol.299 (1), p.321-331
• Main Authors: Ayirala, Subhash C., Rao, Dandina N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Condensation; Diffusivity; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Interfacial tension; Mass transfer; Miscibility; Phase equilibria; Vaporization
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2006.01.068

Widely used traditional Parachor model fails to provide reliable interfacial tension predictions in multicomponent hydrocarbon systems due to the inability of this model to account for mass transfer effects between the fluid phases. In this paper, we therefore proposed a new mass transfer enhanced mechanistic Parachor model to predict interfacial tension and to identify the governing mass transfer mechanism responsible for attaining the thermodynamic fluid phase equilibria in multicomponent hydrocarbon systems. The proposed model has been evaluated against experimental data for two gas–oil systems of Rainbow Keg River and Terra Nova reservoirs. The results from the proposed model indicated good IFT predictions and that the vaporization of light hydrocarbon components from crude oil to gas phase is the governing mass transfer mechanism for the attainment of fluid phase equilibria in both the gas–oil systems used. A multiple linear regression model has also been developed for a priori prediction of exponent in the mechanistic model by using only the reservoir fluid compositions, without the need for experimental measurements. The dynamic nature of interfacial tensions observed in the experiments justifies the use of diffusivities in the mechanistic model, thus enabling the proposed model predictions to determine dynamic gas–oil miscibility conditions in multicomponent hydrocarbon systems. The newly proposed mechanistic Parachor model in this study for prediction of dynamic interfacial tension and miscibility in multicomponent hydrocarbon systems is given by σ 1 / 4 = ( D os D so ) n ( ρ M L ∑ x i P i − ρ M V ∑ y i P i ) .