Numerical Simulation on Erosion Wear Law of Pressure-Controlled Injection Tool in Solid Fluidization Exploitation of the Deep-Water Natural Gas Hydrate

Abstract

The pressure-controlled injection tool (PCIT) is the key equipment in the process of high-pressure water jet fragmentation in the solid fluidization exploitation of deep-sea natural gas hydrate (NGH). The internal flow field erosion wear numerical simulation model of PCIT is established through computational fluid dynamics software to study the influence law and main factors of the drilling fluid erosion wear of PCIT. The influence laws of different drilling fluid physical parameters and different structural parameters on PCIT erosion wear were analyzed based on the Euler–Lagrangian algorithm bidirectional coupled discrete phase model (DPM) and the solid–liquid two-phase flow model. The results show that the easily eroded areas are the cone of the sliding core, the plug transition section, the plug surface, and the axial flow passage. The sliding core inlet angle and solid particle size are the main factors affecting the PCIT erosion rate. When the inlet angle of the sliding core is 30°, the diameter of solid-phase particles in drilling fluid is less than 0.3 mm, and the erosion degree of the PCIT could be effectively reduced. The research results can provide guidance for the design and application of the PCIT and advance the early realization of the commercial exploitation of hydrate.