Carbon steel pipeline CO2 erosion-corrosion damage prediction model and numerical simulation research

Abstract

CO₂ erosion-corrosion (E-C) represents a significant and pervasive threat to the integrity of carbon steel pipeline in the oil and gas industry, which has attracted more and more attention. On this basis, a CO₂ E-C damage prediction model considering the synergistic effect is established combining with multiphase flow model, corrosion model and CO₂ corrosion model, in which the Eulerian-Lagrangian discrete particle method is employed in the multiphase flow model and the CO₂ corrosion model is modified and verified by the erosion-corrosion test method. By using the CFD-DPM technology, the three-dimensional numerical simulation of the elbow is carried out to demonstrate the characteristics of the prediction model, and the dominant factors and extent of CO₂ E-C damage can be determined based on the numerical simulation results. Both erosion and corrosion are non-negligible parts that lead to CO₂ E-C damage, with corrosion factors being the more important factor to be considered. The prediction results can not only provide suggestions for improving the design of carbon steel pipelines in the oil and gas industry, but also provide protective measures for the operation of existing pipelines to extend their service life, which is helpful for the development and implementation of plans in the oil and gas industry.