Online pipeline management systems provide real-time and look-ahead functionality for productionnetworks. However, they are limited by a dearth of data to inform their predictions. This represents a barrierto a true, high-fidelity ‘digital twin’ where greater integration with new sensor technologies is neededto bound model predictions and improve their reliability. In this work, we present a novel MEG (Mono-ethylene glycol) sensing system from OneSubsea, the AquaWatcher v2.0, and validate it in our newly-constructed HyJump flowloop. The HyJump flowloop has a unique subsea jumper-like geometry, with three low points and two highpoints and is equipped with a MEG sensor - mounted on the second low point. The sensor features anopen-ended microwave frequency probe mounted flush to the pipe wall which measures the apparentpermittivities of the liquid phases in the vicinity of the probe tip. It can determine the MEG concentration orwater salinity by processing the measured permittivities, and has further shown that it may be able to detecthydrate deposition. Experimental work was performed to test the performance of this novel equipment whileenabling a more accurate calculation of the overall mass balance in the flowloop. An experimental campaign was conducted where, in each measurement, the jumper low points wereloaded with aqueous solutions of MEG at mass fractions between 10 and 30 wt%. The entire loop was thenpressurized with Perth city natural gas to 1200 psi. The pipe wall temperature was controlled with a coolingjacket in the range of 25.2 °F to 35.6 °F. These conditions simulate transient shut-down and restart operationswith a high probability of hydrate formation. Results illustrate that the MEG content readings measuredby the sensor were consistently accurate within a 5% relative deviation with respect to the nominal values.Further, flow restrictions due to hydrate deposition were assessed in their severity through differentialpressure measurements, where it was observed that the measured MEG content oscillates significantlyduring hydrate sloughing-type events.
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