CFD Analysis of Hydrate Formation in Pipelines

摘要

Offshore oil and gas exploration and production is increasingly moving further into the deep sea where temperature and pressure conditions favor hydrate. Hydrate formation in gas pipeline is one of the major flow assurance problems, which is enhanced as lower temperature and higher pressure condition. This study explores the CFD analysis of hydrate formation behavior in subsea pipeline by performing sensitivity studies exploring the effects that flow (velocity, diameter) and fluid (viscosity and water fraction) parameters on hydrate formation. The results generated showed that changes in flow conditions or fluid properties have significant effects on the hydrate formation in the pipeline.