Numerical Study of Pipeline-Riser Slugging in an Open Source Way

This paper describes an open source numerical investigation into slugging flow in a typical two-dimensional pipeline-riser for the first time. CFD tools Gmsh, OpenFOAM and ParaView are employed for mesh generation, numerical simulation and post process respectively. Original OpenFOAM solver ‘twoPhaseEulerFoam’ is used to simulate the gas-liquid flow in the system consisting of inclined pipeline and vertical riser. By comparing the numerical results of slugging phenomena and pressure fluctuation periods to previous experimental observations, it can be confirmed that it is possible to carry out such simulations in a complete open source way. Based on case studies, pressure fluctuation features in a typical single slugging cycle is also discussed in details. Furthermore, temperature variation of the internal flow due to air compressibility is found to have similar fluctuation period as that of pressure. In the end, the impacts of fluid properties on system pressure variations are discussed too. To future numerical investigations of subsea pipeline-riser induced slugging, present work is a basis for further open source solvers development.