Flow Assurance By Design

Transcription

1 Flow Assurance By Design Multi-Fidelity Simulation for Improved Design, Development, and Validation of Subsea Pipelines and Equipment

2 What You Need to Know The importance of Up-Front and Multi-Fidelity simulation Examples and Benefits of 3-D Flow and Thermal Simulation The Software Behind the Benefits: STAR-CCM+ The Company Behind the Solutions: CD-adapco 2

3 Ocean Temperature Slugging/Hydrates Ocean Pressure Inhibitors Well Fluid Temp/pressure Accessibility for Repair/Replacement 3

4 The Importance of 3D Simulation in Engineering Design The deeper you go, the less you know Engineers need to know if proposed equipment and system designs will function properly under increasingly harsh operating offshore/subsea conditions Past experience and gut feel become less reliable in new and unfamiliar environments Physical testing of components/equipment is increasingly expensive and less reliable due to scaling assumptions 3D Simulation is rapidly moving from a troubleshooting tool into a leading position as a design tool: Up-Front numerical/virtual testing to validate and improve designs before they are built and installed

5 The Importance of Using the Right Numerical Tools To be effective, simulations must be Fast enough to provide answers within the design timeframe Accurate enough to provide sufficiently insightful answers for better design decisions Choice and use of a judicious mix of tools for Multi-Fidelity Simulation to meet these effectiveness requirements, e.g. 1-D simulations (e.g., OLGA) for long pipeline systems 3-D simulations (STAR-CCM+) for 3D equipment, transition regions A user-friendly computing environment for activating the right mix of tools for the situation being examined: co-simulation

6 Flow Assurance Toolkit: 1D, 3D & Test 1D codes such as OLGA: Fast, for overall networks & long pipelines But limits to physics/geometry, tuned from empiricism 3D CFD with STAR-CCM+ / coupled 1D-3D: Test: Higher fidelity physics/geometry Detailed simulation More computing resource required (but getting cheaper) Includes all physics Costly, time-consuming, lack of facility availability, scaling, data acquisition It s cheaper to be wrong in the virtual world-- Failure in the real world is not an option!

7 Example Areas for Use of 3D Flow and Thermal Simulation in Deep Offshore Engineering Subsea and topside: Separators/Slugcatchers/FWKO Advanced thermal /flow modeling Jumpers/errosion Subsea processing Sand transport Coldspots Split nodes Pumps VIV of risers/umbilicals Component Errosion Drill Bits/Sand Control ICV/Valves 7

8 Further Relevant Topside 3D Flow and Thermal Simulation Application Areas Tankers/LNG Ships: Seakeeping, Sloshing, Propulsion Offshore Platforms: Wave Slamming, Wind Loading Flare Combustion/Radiation VIM of Spars 8

9 Subsea Applications (partial list) Gas lift Equipment sizing Operating procedures Cool-down times/ insulation Solid transport Displacement problems Hydrate remediation Testing of assumptions (e.g. wax during pigging) VIV Heat transfer coefficinets In-pipe heating Installation (component loads) Equipment optimization (weight reduction) Erosion Heavy oils Inhibitors, top-line wetting Sulfur transport/melting

10 Troubleshooting with 3D Simulation Deeper insight into operation of existing equipment Greater spatial/temporal resolution Confidence that you ll get it right the first time! Failure is not an option Example: pipeline VIV

11 Carryover in Separator: Dynamic Free-Surface Tracking

12 Riser section of long pipeline: 3D CFD Captures Transition of Flow Regimes Around Sharp Bends

13 Effects of Cooling in Transportation of Viscous Oil When heavy/viscous oil is cooled along the pipe, expect density and viscosity to increase as temperature drops. 3D simulation is used to capture the cross-sectional effects.

14 Effects of Cooling in Pipeline Flow of Viscous Oil Temperature, density and viscosity after 200m Viscosity Temperature Density

15 Pressure drop along pipe Isothermal With cooling

16 Multiphase Flow in Pipe Bends Large bubbles Medium bubbles Small bubbles Liquid 4-phase model for more accuracy 16

17 Example: Riser Section

18 Example: Thermal Study (1) Identify possible occurrence and location of cold spots in open loop electrically-heated sub-sea pipeline. Identify three-dimensional heat transfer effects important during the pipeline cool down. Sub-sea pipeline wellhead to platform Sections are electrically heated and unheated e.g., riser unheated. Blue unprotected pipeline section Red heated pipeline section Orange riser (unheated)

19 Example: Thermal Study (2) Initial start-up apple oil, water & gas pumped into the pipeline until an approximate steady-state condition is reached (Duration: 2 hrs). Shutdown apple fluids within the pipeline are allowed to settle and redistribute (Duration: 1hr). Cool down apple fluid in pipeline allowed to cool down. Electrical heating is activated when the fluid temperature in the pipeline reaches 25 o C. (Duration: 36 hrs) Start-up apple oil, water & gas pumped into the pipeline until an approximate steady-state condition is reached (Duration: 2 hrs).

20 Example: Thermal Study (3)

21 Examples: Solid Transport / Erosion

22 Examples: Solid Transport / Erosion 2222

23 The optimized case (right) has 67% less erosion than the original case (left) Testimonial to the Benefits of 3D CFD These applications demonstrate that CFD offers the potential for huge advancements in drilling, especially under more challenging conditions. CFD gives design engineers the ability to easily and accurately analyze fluid flow, making it possible to rapidly evaluate alternatives and also provides comprehensive diagnostic information. The result is that design engineers can optimize the drilling bit from a fluid flow perspective during the design phase. --Dr. Michael Wells, Director of Research and Development, Hughes Christensen Division of Baker Hughes The optimized case (right) has 67% less erosion than the original case (left) 23

24 The Software Behind the Benefits: STAR-CCM+

25 The Integrated Flow, Thermal and Stress Process Geometry Import & CAD Embedded Front End Accelerated Pre-Processing with Surface Wrapping Automated Volume Meshing Advanced Physics Solutions

26 Some Further Examples of 3D Flow/Thermal Simulation Solutions Slug Catcher Pig Insertion Top-side Separator Christmas Tree: Bubble Simulation 2 m Pipe Junction: flow regime disruption Your CAE Partner for Success 26

27 CD-adapco: The Company Behind the Solutions The world s largest independent flow/thermal-focused provider of 3D transient engineering simulation solutions (CFD) software, consulting (20% of turnover), mentoring, training STAR-CCM+ : the world s best 3D simulation environment ~30 years of providing flow, thermal, and stress solutions across industries from oil & gas, nuclear, chemical, automotive, to aerospace & defense Independence allows flexibility in meeting engineering challenges Over US$100 million p.a. end-user spend, 17-20% current growth rate 450+ employees across 21 offices in 8 countries 90% postgraduate degrees; 40% PhDs More than 8000 users in over 3500 companies Multiphase process equipment CFD knowhow: Individuals who have help shape today s CFD world:» Prof. Gosman, Prof. Lo, Prof. Peric 27

28 A Selection of our Oil and Gas Clients

29 CD-adapco and SPT established a partnership in 2008 to develop/ integrate tools for Up-Front (Multi-Fidelity) Computational Flow Assurance. Both companies are fully committed. Very close working relationship between management and engineers. To develop and enhance the STAR-OLGA Link: CD-adapco engineers from New York and London offices visit &work with SPT experts in SPT Oslo headquarters. CD-adapco and SPT are partners in European TMF and FACE research consortia, US (U. Of Tulsa) Hydrates JIP.

30 OLGA-STAR Coupling for Co-Simulation: The Concept Study 3D effects of in-line equipment: valves, junctions, elbows, risers, obstacles, jumpers, separators, slug catchers, compressors,... OLGA <-> STAR: Flow rates/pressure STAR <-> OLGA: Flow rates/pressure One-way or two-way, one end or multiple ends of 3D in-line equipment

31 OLGA-STAR Link Example: Slugcatcher Investigation Slugcatcher undersized? Original design with 5 tanks Built with only two (cost saving) Questions: what happens during pigging? carryover? hydrate/wax particles melt? Gas/oil/water flow: co-simulation with OLGA for upstream pipeline input

32 SLUG CATCHER (Upstream Olga Model) (200m) (24 Km)

33 Olga Oil Flow Rate Blue graph below (BC to CFD Model) SLUG CATCHER: Oil Surface

34 Jumper Experimental Setup (U. of Tulsa Hydrates JIP: ¼ scale)

35 Talk to Us About Next Steps More detailed technical presentations on specific topics/examples of interest (live or via Webex) STAR-CCM+ demonstration (live or Webex) Trial licenses, Training, Mentoring Benchmarks/pilot project(s)

36 In Particular, Come to the SPT Dynamic Partnership Showcase Wednesday, May 5 Event details Date: Wednesday May 5th 9:00 am 8:00 pm Location: Directors Club in Reliant Stadium (enter Reliant Stadium through the Coca Cola entrance and take the elevator to the 7th floor) Schedule: Continental Breakfast 9:00 am 10:30 am Lunch (by invitation only contact SPT directly) 12:15 am 1:45 pm SPT s CEO Tom Even Mortensen will speak during lunch Networking Happy Hour 5:00 pm 8:00 pm Partner Showcase Demonstration Area: STAR-OLGA Link

37 Come to CD-adapco s 2nd Annual STAR Global Forum 2010: Simulation for Energy Engineering Professor Philip J. Smith, Director Institute for Clean and Secure Energy (ICSE) University of Utah A. Michael Schaal, Director Oil and Gas Division Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting Energy Information Administration (DOE)

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