Development of a predictive model for the VAPEX process.
Abstract
Heavy oil in-situ recovery in Canada is largely achieved through energy intensive and en-
vironmentally detrimental steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). By exchanging steam
for a vapour solvent, it has been shown experimentally that heavy oil recovery can be
achieved with a significant reduction in both energy requirements and environmental im-
pact. This project presents a model for predicting production rates for the vapour ex-
traction (VAPEX) process developed using first principles. The governing equations are
solved using the pseudo-spectral Chebyshev collocation method. Simulations replicating
experimental results,a detailed derivation of the model, a discussion of model parameters,
and numerical analysis of the solution are presented in this thesis.
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Cite this version of the work
James Lowman
(2019).
Development of a predictive model for the VAPEX process.. UWSpace.
http://hdl.handle.net/10012/14344
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