Vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE), density, and viscosity of the ternary mixtures of ethane, water, and bitumen at T = 190–210 °C and P = 2.5 MPa—Measurements and CPA-EoS modeling

Abstract

In this paper, we study vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE) of a ternary system consisting of ethane, water and Mackay River bitumen. The experimental measurements were compared with the predictions of the Cubic Plus Association (CPA) Equation of State (EoS) model at temperatures ranging from 190 to 210 °C and at 2.5 MPa pressure. The feed mole fractions of ethane and water are varied while maintaining a constant bitumen mole fraction to study the VLE region and the associated thermophysical properties, such as the density and viscosity, of the liquid phase. The ternary phase diagrams are constructed at three different temperatures (190, 200, and 210 °C) and pressure at 2.5 MPa. Liquid (L), liquid–liquid (LL), vapor–liquid (VL), and vapor–liquid–liquid (VLL) phase boundaries are determined using phase stability analysis and flash calculations. The experimentally determined phase molar compositions are reported for ethane, water, and bitumen and compared with the model predictions. The AARDs for predicting the liquid phase composition for bitumen, water, and ethane are 1.71 %, 9.34 %, and 3.16 %, respectively. For the vapor phase composition, the AARDs for the water and ethane are 5.91 % and 4.75 %, respectively.