Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of Flow Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Severe Slugging Flow in an Underwater Pipe-Catenary Riser

  • INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES OF OIL AND GAS
  • Published:
Chemistry and Technology of Fuels and Oils Aims and scope

Most of the earth’s surface is covered by seas. Deep underwater reservoirs have abundant resources of oil and gas. In the development of offshore oil and gas reservoirs, oil and gas transportation is performed by a pipe system combining a deep-water pipeline and a riser. In the process of transportation, differences in phase properties of the gas and liquid phases can cause severe slugging accidents. Therefore, studying the characteristics and influencing factors of the severe slugging phenomenon is important for the effective development of deep underwater fields. In this paper, the authors have established a three-dimensional numerical model of a deep-water pipeline-catenary riser. Based on the model, simulation of the transient multiphase is performed using the COMSOL simulation software. Applying the controlling variable method, we analyzed the flow characteristics, fluid velocity field, and bottom pressure of the riser for different types of severe slugging phenomenon and the influence of the angle and pressure in the inclined pipe on slugging. The results show that with decrease in the angle of the inclined pipe or with increase in the pipe diameter, the severe slugging period will increase; with increase in the angle of the pipe or decrease in the pipe diameter, the bottom pressure of the riser will also increase. The results of the research provide a theoretical basis for ensuring safe operation and maintenance of submarine pipelines.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. X. Wang, L. Guo, and L. He, “Severe slug flow and liquid plug characteristics of the riser system of the gathering pipeline,” J. Eng. Thermophys., 29(8), 1339-1342 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  2. B. T. Yocum, “Offshore riser slug flow avoidance: mathematical models for design and optimization,” SPE European Meeting, London, UK, Spe4312 (1973).

  3. Z. Schmidt, “Experimental study of two-phase slug flow in a pipeline-riser pipe system,” Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Tulsa, Tulsa (1977), pp.1-10.

  4. Z. Schmidt, J. P. Brill, and H. D. Beggs, “Choking can eliminate severe pipeline slugging,” Oil Gas J., 77(46), 230-238 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  5. B. F. M. Pots, I. G. Bromilow, M. J. W. F. Konijn, “Severe slug flow in offshore flowline/riser systems,” SPE Prod. Eng., 4(spe13723), 319-324 (1987).

  6. O. J. Nydal, “Dynamic models in multiphase flow,” Energ. Fuels, 26(04), 4117–4123 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. S. Shi, X. Wu, G. Han, et al., “Numerical slug flow model of curved pipes with experimental validation,” ACS Omega, 4(12), 14831-14840 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. M. A. Farghaly, “Study of severe slugging in real offshore pipeline/riser-pipe system,” SPE Middle East Oil Show, Bahrain (1987).

  9. J. Fabre, L. L. Peresson, et al., “Severe slugging in pipeline/riser systems,” SPE Prod. Oper., 5(3), 299-305 (1990).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. T. Corteville, “An experimental study of severe slugging in multi-phase production lines,” 7th International BHRG Conference on Multiphase Production, France (1995), pp.105-121.

  11. F. E. Jansen and O. Shoham, “Methods for elimination pipeline-riser flow instabilities,” SPE Western Regional Meeting, SPE27867, 193-204 (1994).

  12. J. L. Baliño, “Modeling and simulation of severe slugging in air-water systems including inertial effects,” J. Comput. Sci., 5(3), 482-495 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. C. Zhang, “Research on two-phase flow characteristics of undercover pipe-riser pipe system,” Dissertation, Shanghai Jiaotong Univ. (2015).

  14. S. Gao, W. Li, Y. You, et al., “Two-phase flow characteristics experiment of gas-liquid mixed transmission catenary riser system,” Acta Mech. Sin., 44(1), 71-81 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  15. V. Tin and S. Sarshar, “An investigation of severe slugging characteristics in flexible risers,” 6th International Conference on Multiphase Production, Cannes, France: Mechanical Engineering Publications, pp. 205-227 (1993).

  16. R. Cui, N. Li, Y. Dai, X. Zhang, R. Jiang, G. Wu, L. Guo, and W. Li, “The influence of the top throttling of the S-shaped flexible riser on the pressure characteristics of the pipe,” J. Xi’an Jiaotong Univ., 45(10), 122-126 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  17. J. A. Montgomery and H. C. Yeung, “The stability of fluid production from a flexible riser,” ASME J. Energ. Res. Technol., 124(2), 83-89 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. N. Li, W. Li, L. Guo, R. Cui, and X. Zhang, “Experimental study on flow pattern characteristics of air-water two-phase flow in S-shaped flexible riser,” J. Xi’an Jiaotong Univ., 45(07), 100-105 (2011).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. J. Ye, L. Guo, Y. Wang, S. Chen, N. Li, R. Jiang, X. Zhang, and G. Wu, “Characteristic analysis of air-water two-phase slug pressure signal in horizontal-S flexible riser system,” J. Eng. Thermophys., 32(04), 617-620 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  20. S. Mokhatab, “Severe slugging in a catenary-shaped riser: experimental and simulation studies,” Pet. Sci. Technol., 25(6), 719-740 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. S. Mokhatab S. and B. Towler, “Severe slugging in flexible riser: review of experimental investigations and OLGA predictions,” Pet. Sci. Technol., 25(7), 867-880 (2007).

  22. X. M. Luo, L. M. He, and H. W. Ma, “Flow pattern and pressure fluctuation of severe slugging in pipeline-riser system,” Chin. J. Chem. Eng., 19(1), 26-32 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. J. Tengesdal, C. Sarica, and L. Thompson, “Severe slugging attenuation for deepwater multiphase pipeline and riser system,” SPE Prod. Facil., 18(4), 269-279. (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. T. K. Kjeldby, R. Henkes, and O. J. Nydal, “Slug tracking simulation of severe slugging experiments,” World Acad. Sci. Eng. Technol., 54(6), 928-933 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  25. S. I. Sagatun, “Riser slugging--a mathematical model and the practical consequences,” Model. Ident. Contr., 26(2), 95- 120 (2005).

  26. W. Li, L. Guo, and N. Li, “Transient simulation of severe slug phenomenon and top throttling of riser,” J. Eng. Thermophys., 35(01), 104-108 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Z. Li, B. San, W. Wang, and G. Wang, “Numerical simulation analysis of catenary risers under different inclination angles,” J. Liaoning Univ. Pet. Chem. Technol., 05, 1-5 (2019).

    Google Scholar 

  28. L. C. Xing, H. Yeung, Y. F. Geng, et al., “Study on hydrodynamic slug flow mitigation with wavy pipe using a 3D-1D coupling approach,” Comput. Fluids, 99 (2014), 104-115 (2014).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. X. Liu, “Prediction and control of severe slug flow in submarine mixed transportation pipeline,” Dissertation, Chin. Univ. Pet. (2011).

  30. J. Duan, S. Gao, X. Zhang, et al., “Theoretical model of severe slug flow in gas-liquid mixed pipeline system,” J. Shanghai Jiaotong Univ., 50(8), 1286-1293 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oil Production Engineering Research Institute of Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., Key Laboratory for Increasing Oil and Gas Production in Heilongjiang, Daqing, China

    Wei Ren

Authors
  1. Wei Ren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Ren.

Additional information

Translated from Khimiya i Tekhnologiya Topliv i Masel, No. 5, pp. 75–81, September-October, 2021.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ren, W. Analysis of Flow Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Severe Slugging Flow in an Underwater Pipe-Catenary Riser. Chem Technol Fuels Oils 57, 828–840 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10553-021-01313-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10553-021-01313-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation