Novel coupled Cahn-Hilliard Navier-Stokes solver for the evaluation of oil and gas multiphase flow

摘要

A novel two-phase Cahn-Hilliard Navier-Stokes (CH-NS) solver has been developed to predict multiphase flows in oil and gas transport. Compared to more classical CFD methods (like the VOF model), this approach provides additional benefits, namely a better geometrical flexibility and better computational efficiency, as it applies the CH equation for the liquid-gas interface and as it applies the Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretization method. The model predictions have been validated against the spinodal decomposition and the rising bubble test case. The model was also evaluated for four conditions in the Taitel & Dukler flow pattern map. Furthermore, simulations were made for two cases resembling real operational conditions confirms the predictive capacities of the model for industry.