CFD Simulations and Experimental Validation of Sand Erosion on a Cylindrical Rod in Wet Gas Conditions

Abstract

The paper analyses original wet gas data from laboratory experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Air and water containing sand particles are transported in a vertical pipe and eventually impact on a centrally located aluminium rod. To determine the surface material loss over the rod surface, the surface profiles of the rod before and after the erosion test are accurately measured by a coordinate measurement machine. Three types of flow regimes with sand are examined and simulated, namely, water only, slug and annular flows. The application of CFD as an engineering tool for assessment of sand erosion in field equipment is highlighted as well as the application of erosion intrusive well monitoring devices (e.g. ER probes) in wet gas conditions. CFD simulation results predict the maximum depth loss in liquid only and annular regimes within 12%. In contrast, erosion caused by slug flows is under predicted by 2 orders of magnitude. The material loss is more focussed on the central location of the rod in the wet gas condition than it is in the annular flow case. The material loss in the liquid only case is more distributed over the rod than the annular case. Experimental results for all the flows show higher erosion loss on the cylindrical rod on the pipe centreline than closer to the pipe wall. The work has identified important areas for improvement and further development in CFD techniques as they relate to sand erosion in field equipment.