The Chemical Engineering Institute has signed a contract for the detailed design of the multiphase fluid engineering pilot-scale testing platform with CNOOC Energy Development Co., Ltd.

        Recently, the Institute of Chemical Engineering followed up its successful EPC implementation of the multiphase flow environment structural materials testing facility for Beijing University of Science and Technology's "National Center for Materials Service Safety Science" by securing another contract with CNOOC Energy Development Co., Ltd. (referred to as "CNOOC Development") for the detailed design of a pilot-scale experimental platform dedicated to multiphase fluid engineering. This achievement further solidifies the institute's technological leadership in areas such as multiphase fluid engineering pilot platforms and its chemical-biomedical pilot-scale facilities.

The pilot-scale platform for multiphase fluid engineering experiments serves as a critical transitional step in the development of downhole tools, bridging the gap between laboratory-scale research and industrial-scale applications. Typically, small-scale multiphase fluid tests are conducted only under relatively ideal conditions to verify feasibility. However, scaling up from lab to pilot scale involves not just changes in geometric dimensions but also fundamental shifts in flow dynamics. In the oilfield development and production process, downhole tools and equipment often proceed directly from the R&D phase into field deployment without undergoing thorough pilot-scale testing for detailed validation and performance evaluation. As a result, the complex interplay of size effects and intricate boundary conditions remains inadequately simulated and analyzed, frequently leading to deviations in downhole engineering parameter measurements and, ultimately, compromising the operational reliability of tools and equipment—conditions that can even trigger downhole tool failures. To this end, CNOOC Development has launched the construction of the Tianjin Bolong Lake Research and Pilot Testing Base, aiming to establish a comprehensive experimental platform integrating specialized testing, experimentation, and other functions. This facility will serve as a pioneering hub for cutting-edge technologies in offshore oil and gas exploration and development, drilling, completion, and enhanced recovery within the CNOOC Group, as well as a key incubator for domestically developed products. Ultimately, it will become a world-class marine petroleum technology R&D base with Chinese characteristics.

The functional positioning of this multiphase fluid engineering pilot-scale platform is to support fundamental theoretical research on multiphase pipe flow (oil, gas, and water), scientific studies on fluid flow characteristics in oil and gas wells, simulation and optimization research for fluid dynamics, as well as R&D and testing of core equipment and tools used in drilling & completion, oil/gas production, and workover operations. Additionally, the platform facilitates the development and testing of instruments for measuring oil-gas-water three-phase flows, along with the research and validation of chemical agents designed for stable oil control and efficient gathering and transportation systems. The system comprises six key components: experimental manifold and test pipeline sections, a power system, an evaluation test bench, a separation system, a testing and monitoring system, and an electrical system for the evaluation test bench—catering to various pilot-scale experiments, including oil-gas-water three-phase tests, liquid-solid two-phase tests, and gas-water two-phase tests.

Success Story: The multiphase flow environment structural materials testing facility at the "National Center for Materials Service Safety" of Beijing University of Science and Technology. The "National Center for Materials Service Safety Science" at Beijing University of Science and Technology is the fourth national science center approved to be established, following the National Nanotechnology Center, the Hefei Superconducting Tokamak Device, and the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The multiphase flow environmental structural materials experimental facility project at Beijing University of Science and Technology was undertaken as a general contract by the School of Chemical Engineering. This project has successfully built China's first large-diameter multiphase flow test loop system—and notably, the equipment has been entirely domestically produced. Moreover, this is also the country's first facility capable of raising pipelines at any angle between 0 and 90 degrees, enabling it to simulate high-temperature, high-pressure conditions where oil, gas, water, and solid phases coexist simultaneously. The system can accommodate every possible combination of multiphase flows and various flow regimes. The device is generally at an internationally leading level in technical parameters such as the number of test phases, test pressure, experimental temperature, pipe diameter, and flow rate, providing an essential experimental foundation for addressing the core issue of multiphase flow corrosion in China's pipeline structures.

The Chemical Engineering Institute, as a provincial-level chemical design institute, a specialized, sophisticated, and innovative enterprise of the province, and a "Postgraduate Joint Training Base" integrating industry and education within the province, boasts robust and time-honored technical expertise and a strong technological foundation. Its related technologies distinctly highlight its "specialized, sophisticated, and innovative" strengths, offering clear competitive advantages. The institute is also home to three key innovation platforms: the "Provincial Enterprise Technology Center" under Hunan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the "Municipal Electrochemical Energy Storage Materials Technology Innovation Center" established by Changsha Science and Technology Bureau, and the "Municipal Enterprise Technology Center" supported by Changsha Development and Reform Commission. During project design, the institute adheres to the principles of "safety-first design, green design as the core philosophy, innovation-driven design as the competitive edge, and intelligent design as the development direction." As a result, it has accumulated profound technical expertise in ensuring the reliability, adaptability, and safety of process flows, as well as in evaluating the technical rationality, advanced nature, and feasibility of various process technology routes. Moreover, the institute has cultivated extensive engineering experience in areas such as process package design, experimental equipment scaling-up, construction of chemical and biopharmaceutical pilot-scale facilities, and operation of multiphase fluid engineering test platforms for pilot studies.