The Thermo Tube, A Natural Convection Heat Transfer Device for Stabilization of Arctic Soils in Oil Producing Regions (1971)

The Thermo Tube, A Natural Convection Heat Transfer Device for Stabilization of Arctic Soils in Oil Producing Regions Albert L. Babb; Albert L. Babb U. of Washington Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar David M. Chow; David M. Chow U. of Washington Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Kermit L. Garlid; Kermit L. Garlid U. of Washington Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Robert P. Popovich; Robert P. Popovich U. of Washington Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Eugene M. Woodruff Eugene M. Woodruff Thermo-Dynamics, Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the Fall Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 1971. Paper Number: SPE-3618-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/3618-MS Published: October 03 1971 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Babb, Albert L., Chow, David M., Garlid, Kermit L., Popovich, Robert P., and Eugene M. Woodruff. "The Thermo Tube, A Natural Convection Heat Transfer Device for Stabilization of Arctic Soils in Oil Producing Regions." Paper presented at the Fall Meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 1971. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/3618-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition Search Advanced Search AbstractA brief mathematical analysis of the heat transfer device is given followed by an experimental evaluation of Thermo Tubes of different geometrical configuration. The capability of these natural convection heat transfer devices to store "cold" in various media and in appropriate structural elements is explored. Mathematical models are described which couple soil enthalpy fluctuations with those of the cold storage media, and include temperature constraints imposed by the ambient air and the soil surface temperatures. These analyses have been applied to the design of specific structures for pipelines and oil wells in which rigid thermal pipelines and oil wells in which rigid thermal and structural requirements need to be maintained year-round, particularly in warm permafrost regions such as Glennallen, Alaska. permafrost regions such as Glennallen, Alaska.IntroductionThis paper describes a natural convection heat transfer device originally devised by Balch, and subsequently modified and applied to provide stabilization of structures in permafrost regions of the Arctic. permafrost regions of the Arctic. A schematic diagram of the Thermo Tube is given in Figure 1 and structural details of the 3-inch and 8-inch tubes are given in Figure 2. In the lower half, heat is absorbed from the surrounding medium which warms the working fluid The warmed fluid rises to the upper heat rejection surface through an inner tube and gives up its heat by conduction and natural convection by means of finned surfaces in the cooler medium. The total thermal capacity of a given tube depends not only on the geometrical configuration but also on the working fluid, the temperature difference between the cold air and the warmer region to be cooled, and the thermal properties of the heat rejection and the heat absorption media. In practice, the ratio of heat rejection area to heat absorption area is about 3:1. Keywords: Upstream Oil & Gas, isotherm, Thermo Tube, arctic soil, boundary condition, ion, glycol-water-ice mixture, acid, nitrogen, glycol-water solution Subjects: Information Management and Systems This content is only available via PDF. 1971. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.