Multiphase sand erosion in standard elbows
Chong Yau Wong A , Amir Zamberi B , Amira Shaffee B , Zurita Johar B , Maharon Jadid B and Joan Boulanger AA CSIRO
B PETRONAS
The APPEA Journal 55(1) 371-378 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ14030
Published: 2015
Abstract
Standard elbows are used to redirect multiphase flows in oil and gas facilities. Internal erosion of the pipe walls is expected when produced solids are present in the pipe system. The literature widely documents erosion modelling through empirical and numerical methodologies validated with experimental data on elbow erosion.
There are no studies documenting the full internal surface of standard elbows in multiphase flow erosion.
This peer-reviewed paper fills that knowledge gap through experimental erosion modelling of standard elbows at various multiphase flow conditions. The results provide a source of validation for numerical and analytical methodologies. Surface profiling of standard elbows at gas volume fractions (GVFs) from zero to one are studied.
Results suggest that erosion hot spots for all GVFs are located past an angle of approximately 45° from the flow inlet plane.
In gas only flows, moderate levels of erosion occur upstream of the erosion hot spot. All GVF conditions exhibit moderate levels of erosion downstream of the erosion hot spot. In liquid only flows, the erosion hot spot is at the extrados in the vicinity of the elbow outlet plane, and is not easily detectable by ultrasonic probes.
Comparison of multiphase experimental erosion pattern is made with computational fluid dynamics multiphase erosion simulations. A new relationship between the erosion rate of standard elbows and the reference cylinder-in-pipe data is proposed.
Chong Yau Wong obtained his mechanical engineering degree (Class I Honours) from the University of Adelaide in 2000, and his doctorate from the same institution in 2004. Chong then worked as a post-doctoral fellow specialising in laser diagnostics (particle image velocimetry and laser Doppler velocimetry) for two-phase flows at the University of Adelaide until 2006. He then investigated the structure of turbulent boundary layer flows with PIV/Stereoscopic-PIV systems at Monash University until early 2008 when he joined CSIRO. Chong now works at CSIRO as a research scientist and is involved with industrial projects involving multiphase separation technologies, droplet dynamics, multiphase erosion, sand transportation for the minerals and petroleum industries, and the industrial scale-up and separation of microalgae for bio-fuel production. He has published more than 50 conference and journal papers on fundamental and applied fluid mechanics and particle erosion. |
M. Shahrul Amir B. Zamberi obtained his chemical and process engineering degree (hons) in 2006 from the University of Canterbury, (Christchurch, New Zealand). He started his career at PETRONAS as a process engineer in the LNG business for two years before pursuing his interest in research at PETRONAS’s Technology and Engineering (T&E) Division. For the past five years, he has focused on the development and application of new technologies on sand control and management. He has authored and co-authored more than 20 technical publications and reports, and is the inventor of several patents. |
Amira Shaffee (B Eng, Chem Eng, 2008, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS) started her career as an engineer in 2009 and since then has been involved in various research & development and technical consultancy projects, in solving oil and gas field challenges related to Sand Management. She is now with PETRONAS Group Technical Solutions and her areas of focus include geomechanics, sand production prediction, erosion and transport. |
Zurita Johar graduated from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia with a degree in petroleum engineering in 2000, and started her career at PETRONAS in January 2002. She joined the Production Technology Department (PET) and started working for Field Development Plan (FDP) for multi-field gas development. In 2007, she was transferred to Myanmar to support production enhancement and well surveillance activities. She was the manager of New Technology & Deepwater since 2010, prior to becoming a staff production technologist in the specialised studies section of PET. She has led two major research and development projects in integrated sand management with CSIRO Australia. |
Maharon Jadid obtained his chemical engineering degree (hons) in 1976 from the University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). He started working as a wellsite petroleum engineer for Shell in Sarawak/Sabah. Including some five years of overseas postings in UK and Norway, Maharon has worked as a senior petroleum engineer at Shell for some 19 years. After a short stint in Crest Petroleum he joined PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Berhad in 2004 as a staff production technologist. He was promoted to Principal and eventually to Custodian Production Technologist specialising in sand face completion and sand control management. He is the champion and advisor for subsurface sand onset prediction and sand erosion research for PETRONAS. |
Dr Joan Boulanger holds degrees in science and engineering from the Université and Instituts Nationaux des Sciences Appliquées (Rouen, France). During the past 15 years, Joan has worked in the field of fluid process modelling in the domains of transport, energy, resources and transformation, and health/biology, and has been exposed to both academic and industrial environments. In the specific topic of erosion, Joan has gained experience during the past five years in the modelling of particle-laden flows in gas turbine engines and piping systems, which includes CFD models and code developments for particles tracking and particle-induced erosion prediction. He has also worked with thermal aspects of the problem such as particle-induced radiation, melting, and clogging risks and associated failures. |
