A new calculation method and model of hydrate slurry flow of the multiphase pipeline in deep water gas field

The transportation environment of multiphase pipelines in deepwater gas fields is likely to cause the problem of hydrate flow safety. Aiming at the gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow problem containing hydrate, a hydrate slurry flow model for a multiphase pipeline in a deep-water gas field was developed based on the two-fluid model coupled with the population balance equation, and a mesh was carried out for the axial distance of pipeline and size difference of hydrate particles to obtain a transient solution. The multiphase flow characteristics of the pipeline are simulated upon engineering scale, the transient flow characteristics of gas and liquid phases, the aggregation and fragmentation characteristics of hydrate particles, and the coupling interaction between them were studied, which lays the foundation for further research on the characteristics of hydrate particle deposition and blockage based on particle size distribution. This study provides support for the safety of hydrate flow in multiphase pipelines in deepwater gas fields.