Stand Alone Thermal Heating System for Crude Oil Pumping Stations

M. Al-Mahmoodi, A. Al-Janabi*, S. Al-Obaidani, N. Al-Rawahi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Modern petroleum reserves consist of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils characterized by high viscosity and low API gravity, significantly impacting pipeline transportation and increasing pressure drop and pumping power requirements. This study focuses on developing a sustainable thermal heating system to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oils by integrating solar energy with the phase change material. A pilot heating station, having two operating modes, was designed to maintain crude oil within the operating viscosity limit of less than 400 cp. For mode 1, the results demonstrated that from dawn until late afternoon, the abundant solar energy, captured effectively by the solar collector (FPSC), was sufficient to raise the oil temperature to 54.32 ℃ or higher, maintaining it below the critical threshold of 400 cP. In mode 2, the phase change material RT44HC was employed to ensure the system’s sustainability from the late evening to the early morning hours. It was found that the absorbed solar heat by the PCM was insufficient to increase the crude oil temperature to the desired level. To address this challenge effectively, the FPSC integrated into this mode. The system ensured efficient and sustainable heavy crude oil transportation management, leveraging the peak solar energy periods to maintain oil viscosity within optimal transportation parameters.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the ICSDI 2024 - Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sustainability
Subtitle of host publicationDevelopments and Innovations
EditorsYasser Mansour, Abdelhakim Abdelhadi, Umashankar Subramaniam, Zahiraniza Mustaffa, Mohamed Al-Atroush, Eman Abowardah
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages220-227
Number of pages8
ISBN (Print)9789819783472
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025
Event2nd International Conference on Sustainability: Developments and Innovations, ICSDI 2024 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Duration: Feb 18 2024Feb 22 2024

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Civil Engineering
Volume557 LNCE
ISSN (Print)2366-2557
ISSN (Electronic)2366-2565

Conference

Conference2nd International Conference on Sustainability: Developments and Innovations, ICSDI 2024
Country/TerritorySaudi Arabia
CityRiyadh
Period2/18/242/22/24

Keywords

  • Heavy Crude Oil
  • Phase Change Materials
  • Solar Energy
  • Sustainable Technologies

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering

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