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Confusion estimating the flow rate.
Posted on 6/15/10 at 9:08 pm
Posted on 6/15/10 at 9:08 pm
The question was posed to BP, "how many barrels are spilling out of the well"?
To answer this question the observer needs to pick a point to make the calculation. It's my assumption that BP is picking a point at the well head. The general public's reference is the surface of the water (which it should be to estimate clean up efforts accurately).
The reason for the differce is due to the bulk modulus properties of crude oil. LINK In other words, the volume of crude under ~2,000 psi is smaller than the volume of crude at atmospheric pressure. So the volume of crude increase as it rises to the surface due to its bulk modulus properties.
Just saying this may be one of the reasons for various flow rates reported.
To answer this question the observer needs to pick a point to make the calculation. It's my assumption that BP is picking a point at the well head. The general public's reference is the surface of the water (which it should be to estimate clean up efforts accurately).
The reason for the differce is due to the bulk modulus properties of crude oil. LINK In other words, the volume of crude under ~2,000 psi is smaller than the volume of crude at atmospheric pressure. So the volume of crude increase as it rises to the surface due to its bulk modulus properties.
Just saying this may be one of the reasons for various flow rates reported.
1
Posted on 6/16/10 at 6:50 am to GumboPot
there's a lot to go into that than just 'oil expands as it reaches the surface'
Oil it self will not expand really. Liguids arent that compressable. thtas why hydrolics work so well.
To know how much oil is at the surface you need this:
V = [(seafloor pressure)(estimated volume coming out of the riser)(temperature of oil at the seafloor)]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[(surface pressure)(temperature of oil at surface)]
that will give you a close estimate, but not completely accurate becasue there is really no "ideal" fluids
a lot of gas will come out of the oil as it rises to the surface, which is why they flare off at the ship
if i had to guess, BP reports the number from that simple calculation, not the seafloor reading
Oil it self will not expand really. Liguids arent that compressable. thtas why hydrolics work so well.
To know how much oil is at the surface you need this:
V = [(seafloor pressure)(estimated volume coming out of the riser)(temperature of oil at the seafloor)]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[(surface pressure)(temperature of oil at surface)]
that will give you a close estimate, but not completely accurate becasue there is really no "ideal" fluids
a lot of gas will come out of the oil as it rises to the surface, which is why they flare off at the ship
if i had to guess, BP reports the number from that simple calculation, not the seafloor reading
This post was edited on 6/16/10 at 6:52 am
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