Modelling and Validation of Severe Slugging in Laboratory Pipeline-Riser Systems

For multiphase flows in offshore pipelines, severe slugging could lead to serious consequences, e.g. reduction in production, damages of facilities, and pollutions to environment. In order to predict slugging behaviours and to eliminate its occurrence, it is desired to have a reliable mathematical model to simulate the slugging behaviour. However, it is also challenging to model severe slugging in risers with diverse geometries. A one-dimensional, isothermal and quasi-equilibrium model is developed based on the severe slugging mechanism and verified with experiment data. Riser geometric structure, pipeline diameter and riser height and boundary conditions have been inserted into the model to analyze the impact on the severe slugging characteristics, which make the model more generic and reliable.