Exploring Multiphase Churn Flow Erosion in Pipes ThroughNumerical Simulation

In gas production from wells, the presence of sand in the extracted product often poses problems,which is a serious concern for the gas industry. Pipe erosion is a complex mechanical processwhere the pipeline material is gradually removed due to the repeated impacts of sand particlesand abrasion, potentially leading to pipeline failure and resulting in financial and environmentallosses. Although erosion studies exist, they primarily focus on single-phase flow conditions,which can lead to inadequate or exaggerated designs. This is because practical fluid flow inpipelines is multiphase, necessitating a thorough analysis of the complex interactions betweenmultiphase liquids and particles.This study employed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs) to investigate the intricate interplaybetween multiphase flows and sand particles in vertical and horizontal pipelines with a pipediameter size of ۷۶.۲ mm. The Euler model of multiphase Volume of Fluid (VOF) was utilizedto simulate a three-phase gas-water-particle flow in conjunction with interphase surface transportequations.The findings revealed that different distances between the two knees (of the pipeline) led tovariations in the erosion rate on the first and second knees. Nonetheless, when churning flowoccurred in both vertical and horizontal pipelines, the knee of the second was more prone toerosion than that of the first. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that a pipe with a length-todiameter(L/D) ratio of ۱۰ experienced the least amount of erosion among all the studied pipelinegeometries.