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12: Elementary Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium I

  • Page ID
    475
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    Module Goal: To establish the basic framework for vapor-liquid equilibrium calculations.

    Module Objective: To establish the connection between real production processes and vapor liquid equilibrium calculation.

    • 12.1: Introduction
      This page covers vapor/liquid equilibria (VLE) in petroleum production, highlighting its importance for separators, reservoirs, and pipelines. It addresses four main areas: engineering systems, problem description, formulation, and solution strategies. Key phenomena like retrograde condensation and phase transitions are discussed, along with the significance of dew point and bubble point conditions for predicting phases.
    • 12.2: Types of VLE Problems
      This page explores the quantitative analysis of liquid-vapor equilibrium (VLE) issues, covering phase boundaries, phase extent, and quality. It delineates bubble-point and dew-point calculations and introduces flash calculations for determining phase compositions based on system parameters. The page underscores the application of mathematical models, emphasizing the assumption of equilibrium between liquid and vapor phases, while recognizing that true equilibrium may be unattainable.
    • 12.3: Formulation of the VLE Problem
      This page explores steady state and equilibrium assumptions in system modeling for flash vaporization. It outlines mass conservation equations based on moles entering and leaving the equilibrium cell and introduces the equilibrium ratio, \(K_i\), which compares vapor and liquid compositions. Two objective functions for solving flash problems are derived to find liquid and vapor fractions.
    • 12.4: Action Item
      This page explores two phase envelopes of gas reservoir fluids, illustrating their different pressure-temperature ranges. The first envelope suggests versatility, while the second reflects a mature reservoir. It encourages analysis of these characteristics on reservoir types and underscores the significance of phase behavior calculations for designing production schemes, advocating for detailed vapor-liquid equilibrium analysis to enhance production strategies.


    This page titled 12: Elementary Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium I is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Michael Adewumi (John A. Dutton: e-Education Institute) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.