Numerical Investigation on Severe Slugging in A Catenary Riser

A mathematical model is presented to study the main characteristics of severe slugging in a downward inclined pipeline followed by a catenary riser. In this model, both simplified transient model and phase distribution model are included so that the flow characteristics of each stage for severe slugging can be accurately reproduced, especially for blowout stage. The results show that the flow features of severe slugging can be simulated by the proposed mathematical model. A good agreement between the experimental data and the numerical results is observed. The model can predict the transient fluctuation of many respects, such as the superficial gas velocity at the bottom of the riser and the average velocity at the outlet of the riser.