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Computational Flow Assurance for Design and Development of Subsea pipelines Simon Lo June 2009

Contents

Gas-liquid flow in long pipeline Stratified gas-liquid flow Slug flow STAR/OLGA coupled calculation Particle flow Cooling in transport of viscous oil Bubbly flow around pipe bend

Uphill section of long pipeline

Riser section of long pipeline

Stratified flow in a pipe - Espedal (1998)

Air-water stratified flow in near horizontal pipe. Reference data for gas-liquid flows in pipes.

L=18m, D=60mm

Comparison with Espedal data

Liquid level

Pressure gradient

Slug flow test case from TMF

Slug flow benchmark case selected by Prof Geoff Hewitt, Imperial College. TMF programme, Priscilla Ujang, PhD thesis, Sept 2003.

L=37m, D=77.92mm Air/water, P=1atm, T=25C, inlet fraction 50/50 Usl=0.611m/s, Usg=4.64m/s

TMF - Slug flow benchmark

Slug frequency - liquid height at middle of pipe

Experiment

STAR-CD

Slug frequency - liquid height at end of pipe

Experiment

STAR-CD

Slug length along pipe

CFD results show the initial development length. Slug length growth rate agrees well with measured data.

OLGA-STAR coupled model - Objective

To study 3D effects in in-line equipment: valve, junction, elbow, obstacle, jumper, separator, slug catcher, compressor, ... Flow rates from STAR to OLGA Flow rates from OLGA to STAR Inlet

Outlet

Pressure from OLGA to STAR Pressure from STAR to OLGA

DEM particle transport in pipe

DEM particle transport in pipe

Validation : particle transport in pipe

Pipe: L=1m, D=52.6mm Air Particle: =1050 kg/m3 D=2.385 mm Coeff restitution=0.8 Coeff friction=0.3 Flow rate=251 kg/hr

Effects of cooling in transportation of viscous oil

When liquid is cooled along the pipe, we expect density and viscosity to increase as temperature drops. 3D modelling is used.

Effects of cooling in transportation of viscous oil

Temperature, density and viscosity after 200m

Viscosity Density

Temperature

Wall shear stress along pipe

0.35

0.30

0.25

Shear Stress [N]

With cooling
0.20

0.15

0.10

Isothermal

0.05

0.00 A-1 A-2

Sec. 01 0.0846 0.1455

Sec. 02 0.0756 0.1740

Sec. 03 0.0756 0.2030

Sec. 04 0.0756 0.2269

Sec. 05 0.0756 0.2473

Sec. 06 0.0756 0.2649

Sec. 07 0.0756 0.2802

Sec. 08 0.0756 0.2936

Sec. 09 0.0756 0.3052

Sec. 10 0.0756 0.3154

Pressure drop along pipe

Nottingham Multiphase flow in bend pipes

Bubble accumulate at top of the bend
Gas vol. fraction

Bubble size

2-phase model + S-gamma

20

Uniform bubble distribution in vertical section

Nottingham Multiphase flow in bend pipes

Large bubbles Medium bubbles Small bubbles

Liquid

4-phase model
21

Summary

Successful modelling of large range of multiphase flows in pipe systems:

Gas-liquid flow in long pipeline Stratified gas-liquid flow correct pressure drop and liquid level Slug flow transient, large waves, liquid slugs STAR/OLGA coupled calculation Particle flow Discrete Element Model, particle settling Viscous oil transport cooling effect Bubbly flow around pipe bend multiphase modelling