Investigating the impact of wax deposition on the thaw depth of buried crude oil pipelines in permafrost regions

IF 5.4 3区工程技术 Q2 ENERGY & FUELS

Thermal Science and Engineering Progress Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.tsep.2025.104114

Zhongrui Yan , Yujiang Li , Xusheng Wan , Jianguo Lu , Jianchun Guo

{"title":"Investigating the impact of wax deposition on the thaw depth of buried crude oil pipelines in permafrost regions","authors":"Zhongrui Yan , Yujiang Li , Xusheng Wan , Jianguo Lu , Jianchun Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.tsep.2025.104114","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-temperature crude oil in buried pipelines can warm the surrounding permafrost, thereby impacting the stability of pipelines in permafrost regions. Wax deposition caused by cooling crude oil may block pipelines, while enhancing thermal resistance to reduce heat transfer to permafrost. To clarify the impact of wax deposition on permafrost thermal stability, a coupled ’oil-wax-pipe-soil’ heat transfer model was developed to analyze heat exchange between hot crude oil pipelines and permafrost. The results show that after 30 years, the maximum thaw depth of frozen soil is 8.05 m with thawing rate of 0.188 m/a when wax deposition is not considered, and 7.40 m with thawing rate of 0.166 m/a when a 10 mm wax layer is considered. Considering wax deposition, the maximum thaw depth is reduced by 0.52 m in cold season and 0.67 m in warm season, while the maximum lateral impact decreases by 0.59 m and the soil temperature at 4 m depth decreases by 0.6 ℃. For wax thicknesses of 1 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm, the maximum thaw depth decreases by 0.12 m, 0.25 m, 0.39 m, and 0.65 m, respectively. This study quantitatively characterizes the insulating effects of wax deposition in permafrost pipelines, providing critical guidance for thermal management in permafrost regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23062,"journal":{"name":"Thermal Science and Engineering Progress","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 104114"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Thermal Science and Engineering Progress","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451904925009059","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

High-temperature crude oil in buried pipelines can warm the surrounding permafrost, thereby impacting the stability of pipelines in permafrost regions. Wax deposition caused by cooling crude oil may block pipelines, while enhancing thermal resistance to reduce heat transfer to permafrost. To clarify the impact of wax deposition on permafrost thermal stability, a coupled ’oil-wax-pipe-soil’ heat transfer model was developed to analyze heat exchange between hot crude oil pipelines and permafrost. The results show that after 30 years, the maximum thaw depth of frozen soil is 8.05 m with thawing rate of 0.188 m/a when wax deposition is not considered, and 7.40 m with thawing rate of 0.166 m/a when a 10 mm wax layer is considered. Considering wax deposition, the maximum thaw depth is reduced by 0.52 m in cold season and 0.67 m in warm season, while the maximum lateral impact decreases by 0.59 m and the soil temperature at 4 m depth decreases by 0.6 ℃. For wax thicknesses of 1 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm, the maximum thaw depth decreases by 0.12 m, 0.25 m, 0.39 m, and 0.65 m, respectively. This study quantitatively characterizes the insulating effects of wax deposition in permafrost pipelines, providing critical guidance for thermal management in permafrost regions.

查看原文本刊更多论文

研究多年冻土区埋地原油管道蜡沉积对解冻深度的影响

埋地管道中的高温原油会使周围的多年冻土变暖，从而影响多年冻土区管道的稳定性。原油冷却产生的蜡沉积可能堵塞管道，同时增加热阻，减少热量传递到永久冻土。为了明确蜡沉积对冻土热稳定性的影响，建立了“油-蜡-管-土”耦合传热模型，分析了热原油管道与冻土之间的热交换。结果表明：30年后，不考虑蜡沉积时，冻土最大融化深度为8.05 m，融化速率为0.188 m/a；考虑10 mm蜡层时，冻土最大融化深度为7.40 m，融化速率为0.166 m/a。考虑蜡沉积，冷季最大融化深度减少0.52 m，暖季最大融化深度减少0.67 m，最大侧向冲击减少0.59 m， 4 m深度土壤温度降低0.6℃。当蜡厚为1mm、3mm、5mm和10mm时，最大融化深度分别减小0.12 m、0.25 m、0.39 m和0.65 m。该研究定量表征了冻土区管道中蜡沉积的保温效果，为冻土区的热管理提供了重要指导。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Thermal Science and Engineering Progress Chemical Engineering-Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

10.40%

发文量

327

审稿时长

41 days

期刊介绍： Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (TSEP) publishes original, high-quality research articles that span activities ranging from fundamental scientific research and discussion of the more controversial thermodynamic theories, to developments in thermal engineering that are in many instances examples of the way scientists and engineers are addressing the challenges facing a growing population – smart cities and global warming – maximising thermodynamic efficiencies and minimising all heat losses. It is intended that these will be of current relevance and interest to industry, academia and other practitioners. It is evident that many specialised journals in thermal and, to some extent, in fluid disciplines tend to focus on topics that can be classified as fundamental in nature, or are ‘applied’ and near-market. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress will bridge the gap between these two areas, allowing authors to make an easy choice, should they or a journal editor feel that their papers are ‘out of scope’ when considering other journals. The range of topics covered by Thermal Science and Engineering Progress addresses the rapid rate of development being made in thermal transfer processes as they affect traditional fields, and important growth in the topical research areas of aerospace, thermal biological and medical systems, electronics and nano-technologies, renewable energy systems, food production (including agriculture), and the need to minimise man-made thermal impacts on climate change. Review articles on appropriate topics for TSEP are encouraged, although until TSEP is fully established, these will be limited in number. Before submitting such articles, please contact one of the Editors, or a member of the Editorial Advisory Board with an outline of your proposal and your expertise in the area of your review.