Because of the limited space and
high cost of offshore platforms, the dispersion
and dissolution of the polymer are required to be of high efficiency,
which is essential for polymer injection to enhance hydrocarbon recovery.
The numerical simulation models of the water–powder mixing
process by Venturi jetting and air-mixing were established. The multiphase
flow fields in the water jet ejector, water–powder mixing head,
and stirring tank were numerically simulated by FLUENT. Then, the
distributions of velocity, volume fraction, pressure, and turbulent
kinetic energy of each phase were obtained to evaluate the effects
of polymer dispersion and the dissolution of the two mixing methods.
According to the maximum velocity of the mixture at the Venturi jet,
the optimized length of the throat is 25 mm in our models. The results
of the air-mixing process show that a 120° angle of support rods
has the best effect of water–powder mixing. The results of
the present study show that compared with air-mixing, the combination
of Venturi jet and the stirring tank can obtain a broader agitation
range and more extensive effect on the flow field, which could uniformly
disperse the polymer powder into water. This study has a guiding significance
for the design of the onsite polymer injection process.