Analytical Derivation and Numerical Validation of the Isobaric Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Crude Oils
摘要
The coefficient of isobaric thermal expansion of crude oils is vital in thermal methods of oil production and the design of surface facilities. Thermal expansion is expressed either as an average or as a point function. There is no simple analytical equation to calculate the thermal expansion coefficient of crude oil; therefore, a more comprehensive analytical model is needed to estimate the thermal expansion. In this paper, the thermal expansion above the bubble point for multi-temperature PVT data is derived mathematically in terms of pressure, temperature, and bubble point properties. The average thermal expansion derived from the instantaneous thermal expansion is successfully numerically validated against the conventional oil industry procedure, thereby verifying the derivation.