Severe slugging in a flexible S-shaped riser system: Experimental studies and transient simulation

Severe slugging, which could induce large-amplitude pressure and flow rate fluctuations, is a major and expensive problem in multiphase transportation systems of offshore oil production system. To avoid such problem is a basic requirement for flow assurance management. This study is an experimental and numerical investigation of severe slugging in a relatively long pipeline-riser system. A series of experiments on two-phase, air-water flow in a flexible Sshaped riser were carried out. The experimental system has a 114m long horizontal pipeline connected to a 19m long pipe which is inclined to −2degree from horizontal, followed by a 15.3m high riser operating at atmospheric end pressure. Four types of flow patterns were found and characterized by the pressure fluctuations at the bottom of the riser. A flow patter map for the prediction of severe slugging was developed based on the experimental results. The detailed characteristics of severe slugging such as pressure fluctuations, liquid holdup, under different gas-liquid superficial velocities were provided. A transient model to predict the flow behavior in the pipeline-S-shaped riser system was developed based on an existing model (OLGA). The modified model, which was tested against new experimental results obtained in this study, showed that the four types of flow patterns observed in the experiment were predicted with acceptable discrepancies. The flow pattern map was obtained using present model, as well as the detailed characteristics of severe slugging. In addition, the reasons for the difference between experimental and numerical results were analysed in this article. The motive of the numerical studies was to identify the areas that could not be reproduced by the present model and to give some suggestions for future models.