Numerical study of elbow erosion due to sand particles under annular flow considering liquid entrainment--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Zhao, X., Cao, X., Cao, H., Zhang, J., Zhang, J., Peng, W., & Bian, J. (2023). Numerical study of elbow erosion due to sand particles under annular flow considering liquid entrainment. Particuology, 76, 122-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2022.07.006

Numerical study of elbow erosion due to sand particles under annular flow considering liquid entrainment

Xiangyang Zhao ^a, Xuewen Cao ^a *, Hengguang Cao ^a, Jun Zhang ^{a b}, Jianing Zhang ^a, Wenshan Peng ^c, Jiang Bian ^a *

a College of Pipeline and Civil Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China
b Erosion/Corrosion Research Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
c State Key Laboratory for Marine Corrosion and Protection, Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute (LSMRI), Qingdao, China

10.1016/j.partic.2022.07.006

Volume 76, May 2023, Pages 122-139

Received 14 March 2022, Revised 28 June 2022, Accepted 8 July 2022, Available online 19 July 2022, Version of Record 22 September 2022.

E-mail: caoxw@upc.edu.cn; bj@s.upc.edu.cn

Highlights

• VOF-DPM coupled numerical model for erosion prediction in annular flow was developed.

• Liquid entrainment behavior in annular flow was reasonably simulated.

• Cushion effect of liquid film was evaluated through the particle impact behavior.

• Erosion morphology generation mechanism was revealed by trajectory analysis.

Abstract

Sand particle erosion is always a challenge in natural gas production. In particular, the erosion in gas–liquid–solid annular flow is more complicated. In this study, a three-phase flow numerical model that couples the volume of fluid multiphase flow model and the discrete phase model was developed for prediction of erosion in annular flow. The ability of the numerical model to simulate the gas–liquid annular flow is validated through comparison with the experimental data. On the basis of the above numerical model, the phase distribution in the pipe was analyzed. The liquid entrainment behavior was reasonably simulated through the numerical model, which guaranteed the accuracy of predicting the particle erosion. Additionally, four erosion prediction models were used for the erosion calculation, among them, the Zhang et al. erosion model predicted the realistic results. Through the analysis of the particle trajectory and the particle impact behavior on the elbow, the cushion effect of the liquid film on the particles and the erosion morphology generation at the elbow were revealed.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Erosion of elbow; Multiphase annular flow; Liquid entrainment; Numerical simulation

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