Study on thermal washing wax removal mechanism and dynamic temperature field distribution in heavy oil wells
稠油井热洗清蜡机理与温度场动态分布研究

摘要

目的 针对稠油井热洗清蜡效率受限问题，研究热洗过程中的温度场分布特征及其对蜡层去除效果的影响机制。方法 构建考虑油管、蜡层等多层结构的二维非稳态温度场物理模型，基于有限体积法进行数值仿真，分析不同注热参数对温度传播规律的影响。结果 注热温度、流速与持续时间共同决定温度波前推进速率与清蜡有效区长度。温度≥蜡熔点的区域面积与蜡层去除率显著正相关，存在明显的参数临界区间。结论 建立了热洗清蜡机理与温度场分布之间的耦合关系，明确了热穿透深度与清蜡效率的映射规律，可为热洗工艺优化提供理论支持与仿真依据。

Abstract

Objective To address the limited efficiency of thermal washing in heavy oil wells by investigating the temperature field distribution and its impact on wax removal.
Methods A 2D transient thermal model considering tubing and wax layers was developed. Numerical simulations based on the finite volume method were conducted to analyze the influence of injection parameters on heat transfer.
Results Injection temperature, flow rate, and duration jointly affect the thermal front propagation and effective wax removal zone. The area where temperature exceeds wax melting point is positively correlated with wax removal rate, with a critical parameter range identified.
Conclusion   The coupling between thermal washing mechanism and temperature field was established, clarifying the mapping between heat penetration depth and wax removal efficiency, providing a theoretical and simulation basis for process optimization.