Experimental Investigation and Numerical Modeling of Two-Phase Flow Development and Flow-Induced Vibration of a Multi-Plane Subsea Jumper

Abstract

As an essential component in the offshore oil and gas industry, subsea jumpers are likely to encounter the cyclic-induced stresses caused by the alternating movement of gas plugs and liquid slugs while transporting a multiphase mixture. The present study investigates the gas-liquid flow and the induced vibration in a multi-plane jumper by adopting experimental and numerical techniques. The flow patterns at every characteristic section of a Z-shaped jumper with an inner diameter of 48 mm are experimentally investigated, including dispersed bubbly, slug, churn, wavy, stratified and annular flows. Displacement and pressure sensors are installed near each elbow to record the vibration and pressure response of the jumper. It is found that both pressure characteristics and vibration amplitudes are highly related to the gas content rate, mixing velocity, and gas and liquid superficial velocity. The one-way fluid–solid coupling numerical simulations are performed and validated against the experimental data in terms of the flow patterns and the induced vibrations at different gas–liquid velocities. The results reveal that both simulated flow patterns and vibration responses agree well with the experiments.