Modeling and simulation of severe slugging with mass transfer effects.

Author(s)

Rafael Horschutz Nemoto

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP/BC)
• Defense date: 2012-12-07

Examining board members

Jorge Luis Baliño; Júlio César Passos; Celso Pupo Pesce; Gherhardt Ribatski; Jurandir Itizo Yanagihara

• Advisor: Jorge Luis Baliño

Abstract

A mathematical model and numerical simulations are presented to investigate the dynamics of gas, oil and water flow in a pipeline-riser system. The pipeline is modeled as a lumped parameter system and considers two switchable states: one in which the gas is able to penetrate into the riser and another in which there is a liquid accumulation front, preventing the gas from penetrating the riser. The riser model considers a distributed parameter system, in which movable nodes are used to evaluate local conditions along the subsystem. Mass transfer effects are modeled by using a black oil approximation. The model predicts the location of the liquid accumulation front in the pipeline and the liquid level in the riser, so it is possible to determine which type of severe slugging occurs in the system. The method of characteristics is used to simplify the differentiation of the resulting mixed hyperbolic-parabolic system of equations. The equations are discretized and integrated using an implicit method with a predictor-corrector scheme for the treatment of the nonlinearities. Simulations corresponding to severe slugging conditions are presented and compared to results obtained with OLGA computer code, showing a very good agreement. A description of the types of severe slugging for the three-phase flow of gas, oil and water in a pipeline-riser system with mass transfer effects is presented, as well as a study of the influence of geometric and fluid characterization parameters on the stability maps. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/11225-5 - Analysis of severe slugging in petroleum production systems
• Grantee: Rafael Horschutz Nemoto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)