INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE TWO-PHASE FLOWS PARAMETERS ON THE EROSION WEAR OF THE GAS PIPELINES BENDS

Abstract

CFD modeling (Computational Fluid Dynamics) Lagrangian approach (model DPM (Discrete Phase Model)) in ANSYS Fluent R19.2 Academic software complex investigates the influence of twophase gas flow velocity, size and flow rate of dispersed particles on the location and magnitude of gas pipeline bends erosion wear. The motion of the continuous phase was modeled by the solution of the Navier-Stokes equation and the continuity of the closed two-parameter k-ε turbulence model with the corresponding initial and boundary conditions. The motion trajectories of the dispersed particles were determined by integrating the force equations acting on each particle. The erosion wear of gas pipeline bends was modeled using the Finney equation. The studies were performed for gas flow velocities at the inlet of the bend from 4 m/s to 19 m/s, the diameters of the dispersed particles 0.005 mm, 0.01 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm and the flow rate of the dispersed particles from 0.0002 kg/s to 0.0022 kg/s. Natural gas was selected as the continuous phase, and sand was dispersed. The geometry of each of the simulated taps and the pressure at the outlet of the bend were assumed to be the same. The simulation results were visualized in the postprocessor software complex by constructing erosion rate velocity fields on gas pipeline bends. From the visualized results it is determined that the largest influence on the location of the erosion wear of the pipeline bends has the diameter of the dispersed particles and the least concentration. The influence of the two-phase gas flow parameters on the location of the field of their maximum erosion wear is determined. The graphical dependences of the maximum velocity of erosion wear of gas pipeline bends on each of the studied parameters of the two-phase gas stream are constructed. It has been determined that the diameter of the dispersed particles and the velocity of the gas stream have the greatest influence on the erosion wear of the erosion of the bends. Keywords: bend, dispersed particle diameter, dispersed particle rate, dispersed phase, erosion wear, Finney equation, gas flow rate, Lagrange approach.