Subsea Pipelines Leak-Modeling Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach
Publication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 12, Issue 1
Abstract
Pipelines laid over long distances in harsh offshore environments may be affected by excessive strain, corrosion, scouring, icebergs, and other third-party damage. Small chronic leaks may cause severe safety and environmental effects if left undetected for a long time. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a subsea leaking pipeline is developed to predict the pressure and temperature profiles around the pipe’s leak surroundings. The developed CFD is used to study a pipeline section with a leak on top. In addition, a hydrodynamic model is used to evaluate the parameters of a full-scale model for a 150-km long-distance pipeline. This hydrodynamic model is developed to find the segment of the pipeline where it is difficult to detect the leak (e.g., segment with low temperature and pressure) in the long pipeline system. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic model provides the boundary conditions for the CFD model. The present study will help pipeline operators to select the most appropriate leak detection technology for the pipeline system. In particular, sensitivity analysis using the CFD model will assist pipeline operators to optimize direct sensing technologies including fiber optic cable distributed sensing solutions.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Canada Research Chair (Tier I) program. Special thanks to the Siemens PLM group for the technical support provided for the STAR-CCM application.
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Published In
Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 12 • Issue 1 • February 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 7, 2020
Accepted: Jun 11, 2020
Published online: Sep 18, 2020
Published in print: Feb 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 18, 2021
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