Do the Vortex tools enhance single-phase liquid flows?
Yes. In two ways. First, if a single-phase water line has a pattern of developing gas pockets in the water line (most likely where water line moves uphill), the organized flow regime created by the Vortex Surface tool will prevent the gas pockets from forming and enable the gas to flow down the center of the pipe. Second, upon testing extremely high flowrate single phase liquid flows at RMOTC in 2002, the Vortex surface tool was able to reduce pressure drop by 50% over a relatively short distance. Finally, in testing at Texas Tech in 2004, the Vortex downhole tool was able to reduce the ‘bottom-hole’ pressure in water flow testing.
