The Effect of Operating Temperatures on Wax Deposition

In this study, a deposition model called the Michigan Wax Predictor (MWP) was used to establish criteria as to whether the rate of wax deposition increases or decreases as the oil/coolant temperature is changed in a series of flow-loop experiments. The model was able to predict the effects of the temperature conditions on wax deposition without applying any adjustable parameters. Despite the fact that many previous studies have used the “thermal driving force” to characterize the effect of temperature on wax deposition, it was not the most comprehensive predictive parameter, as it neglects the importance of the solubility curve on wax deposition. This study has revealed that the most important factors affecting deposition are the mass driving force and the shape of the solubility curve. The major impact of the shape of the solubility curve is to affect the change in characteristic mass flux for wax deposition the when the oil and the coolant temperatures are changed. In particular, the differences in the shapes of the solubility curve can be used to explain the discrepancies on the effect of the oil temperature on wax deposition observed in different deposition studies.