The Feasibility of OpenFOAM-Based One-Dimensional Prediction of Slugging Induced Pressure Fluctuations in Pipeline-Riser Systems

A quasi one-dimensional OpenFOAM-based transient solver is proposed to investigate slugging-induced pressure fluctuations for multi-phase flow in pipeline-riser systems. Following the two-fluid Eulerian approach, the governing equations of mass, momentum and energy are expressed for each phase of gas and liquid. The frictions and energy exchanges between the two phases are estimated by several empirical enclosure models. Gmsh is employed for geometrical models and one-dimensional mesh generations, while ParaView is used for data collection and necessary processing. By two of previously published experimental investigations, the newly proposed open source approach is validated and demonstrated capable of carrying out the study of transient multi-phase flow dynamics in pipeline-riser systems. Using the OpenFOAM-based one-dimensional way in the present work, the multi-phase slugging-related analysis for subsea product transportations in future deep ocean projects could be much more economical due to the approach natures of ‘open source’ and ‘one-dimensional’.