Hydrate Deposition in Multiphase Compressed Natural Gas Flow Lines

The main aim of the research is to develop a comprehensive flow model capable of predicting the nucleation process, the growth rate, and the deposition potential of hydrate particles. The model is developed for applications in two-phase fluid flow through flow lines with flow restriction geometries using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) approach. The proposed model employs the following three main components to approach the problem: (a) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique is used to configure the flow field; (b) nucleation and growth are incorporated in the simulation to predict the incipient hydrate particles size and growth rate; and finally(c) the novel approach of the migration and deposition of the particle is used to determine how particles deposit and adhere to the flow conduit wall. Experimental tests are also presented to illustrate the assessment and agreement of the proposed model. Further, the influence of pipe size and flow rate on the distance of deposition is also studied.