Method and apparatus for conveying fluids, particularly useful with respect to oil wells

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for conveying fluids. The invention is particularly useful in conveying liquid-gas mixtures and is therefore described below with respect to these applications, but it will be appreciated that the invention could advantageously be used in many other applications, such as in conveying liquid-sand mixtures, gas-liquid mixtures, viscous liquids, and immiscible-liquid mixtures. Also, while the invention is particularly useful in oil production wells, it can also be used in gas and condensate production wells, liquid transporting systems, wells drilling systems, etc. A method and apparatus for conveying a fluid flowing through a flow passageway () in a tubing (), by; introducing into the flow passageway () flow zones of small cross-sectional area () alternating with flow zones of large cross-sectional area () to produce high-velocity, low-pressure zones alternating with low-velocity, high-pressure zones; and providing abrupt transitions from the small cross-sectional area zones () to the large cross-sectional area zones () to produce a turbulent flow generating swirls and eddies () at such transitions. The method and apparatus are particulary useful in oil well applications where the fluid is an oil-gas mixture, but could be used in other applications where the fluid is a liquid-sand mixture, a gas-liquid mist, or a viscous liquid.