Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Jan Sagen, e-mail: jans@ife.no

Senior Research Scientist
Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller
http://www.ife.no

04.11.2010

Three major petroleum activities at IFE

Tracer technology

Characteristics:

Process and fluid flow

technology

Corrosion
technology

Developed from competence built up in the nuclear field 25 years ago

Advanced experimental capabilities combined with theoretical

knowledge/ computation/simulation

Close co-operation with the market. 40% funding from international

companies

In international forefront within all three areas

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Multiphase Flow
Laboratories
Well Flow Loop
3-phase gamma
densitometer

Low pressure loop

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Rockdumping

http://www.theartofdredging.com/rockdumping.htm

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Nordnes loading rock in a Norwegian quarry

http://www.theartofdredging.com/rockdumping.htm

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Current status

04.11.2010

Offshore pipelines commonly trenched, covered with backfill

soils and/or gravel dump
Soil/gravel layer affects the heat loss from the pipe
Temperature calculations are often critically important (hydrate,
wax, top of line corrosion)
Heat transfer by convection (natural or forced) can be
significant.
Models are generally not available

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Well and nearwell JIP IFE - SPT

IFE SPT JIP with Statoil and Total
O
L
G
A

OLGA - state-of-the-art multiphase

simulator
Rocx is 3-phase thermal near well
simulator coupled to OLGA
OLGA-Rocx is an appropriate tool for
modelling flow dynamics in the near well
zone and in the well.

04.11.2010

R
O
C
X

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Modelling tool needed

Will be designed for thermal calculations of covered pipelines

- Convective heat transfer in porous soil or gravel layers

Stand-alone design tool or in combination with a pipeline simulator

Needed for validation:

Realistic experimental data for flow and heat transfer in porous media

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Future modelling tool

Model will be based on existing thermal model for flow and
temperature in porous media
Using porosity and permeability data
based on physical properties of the soil
Thermal convection will be modelled by solution of
temperature and pressure equations

Boundary
conditions

K , Permeability Porosity
P, T

04.11.2010

Pressure Temperature

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Geometry example

Grid follows the trench and pipe closely

Exact calculation of grid properties
Generalization to arbitrary geometries

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Experimental data needed

Realistic sea-bed configuration
Measure permeability and porosity for cover material
Measure detailed temperature profiles
Measure effective heat loss coefficients

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

IFE competence
Thermal modelling has been a major activity at IFE for many
years, some of the areas being:
Thermal fluid model in OLGA including heat transfer through
the pipe wall
Thermo-mechanical models related to aluminium moulding
Modelling of thermal convection in risers, shutdown scenarios
Development of thermal near well simulator Rocx coupled to
Olga
IFE posesses relevant laboratory experience and equipment for
carrying out thermal experiments

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Innovation

04.11.2010

Tool for design & performance studies of covered pipes that

include convective heat transfer
Simple to use
Flexible configuration (GUI)
Validated performance
Realistic sea-bed set-up in the laboratory

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines

Wide range of applications

Design studies by comparison of heat transfer coefficients

Evaluation of burying versus pipe-in-pipe technology
Consequance of gravel being silted and soils being washed

Combined with pipeline simulator (e.g. OLGA):

Study of worst case scenarios
Calculate steady state heat loss from pipeline
Predict temperature behaviour during shut-down and start-up
Flow assurance evaluation
Improved top-of-line corrosion predictions

04.11.2010

Temperature calculations for covered pipelines