Numerical study on flow aggregation and deposition processes of hydrates in water-based systems using CFD-DEM

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20250484

CIESC Journal ›› 2025, Vol. 76 ›› Issue (11): 5554-5573.DOI: 10.11949/0438-1157.20250484

• Special Column: Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer in Energy Utilization Processes • Previous Articles Next Articles

Numerical study on flow aggregation and deposition processes of hydrates in water-based systems using CFD-DEM

Bohui SHI¹(), Guangshuo LIU¹, Enqi GUO¹, Xiaohang SHI¹, Haotian LIU², Haihao WU¹, Xiaoping LI¹, Shangfei SONG¹(), Jing GONG¹

^1.National Engineering Research Center for Pipeline Safety, Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Oil and Gas Distribution Technology, School of Mechanical and Storage Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China
^2.China National Petroleum Corporation Northeast Sales Branch, Shenyang 110013, Liaoning, China

Received:2025-05-06 Revised:2025-07-01 Online:2025-12-19 Published:2025-11-25
Contact: Shangfei SONG

基于CFD-DEM的水基体系水合物流动聚集与沉积过程模拟研究

史博会¹(), 刘光硕¹, 郭恩岐¹, 史潇航¹, 刘浩田², 吴海浩¹, 李晓平¹, 宋尚飞¹(), 宫敬¹

^1.中国石油大学（北京）机械与储运工程学院，油气管道输送安全国家工程研究中心，城市油气输配技术北京市重点实验室，北京 102249
^2.中国石油天然气股份有限公司东北销售分公司，辽宁沈阳 110013

通讯作者: 宋尚飞
作者简介:史博会（1984—），女，博士，副教授，bh.shi@cup.edu.cn
基金资助:
国家重点研发计划项目(2022YFC2806203);国家自然科学基金项目(52104069);国家自然科学基金项目(U20B6005);北京市自然科学基金面上项目(3232030);中国博士后科学基金面上项目(2022M713460);中国石油大学（北京）科研基金资助项目(2462023BJRC018);中国石油大学（北京）科研基金资助项目(2462020YXZZ045)

Abstract

Abstract:

In deepwater oil and gas and "combustible ice" development, particle deposition and aggregate blockage in hydrate slurries are key challenges in flow assurance. This study conducts numerical simulations of flow aggregation and deposition processes of NGH slurries in water-based systems using the coupling of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) via Fluent and EDEM. The research investigates the aggregation and deposition behaviors of hydrate particles under different slurry velocities and hydrate volume fractions, and the pressure changes inside the pipeline under conditions with and without particles are compared and analyzed. The simulation results show that at a low velocity of 0.5 m/s, particles form a stationary deposition layer on the pipeline inner wall, accompanied by significant axial and radial aggregation. At a higher velocity of 1.5 m/s, enhanced shear forces fragment particle aggregates, leading to uniform dispersion of single particles or small aggregates. As the hydrate volume fraction increases from 5% to 15%, the degree of particle aggregation intensifies, causing a nonlinear increase in pressure drop, and a pressure drop peak is formed in the middle section of the elbow due to the development of the deposition layer. Based on the simulation results, this paper proposes a mechanism for the influence of bend structure on hydrate deposition: at low flow rates, the fluid and particles are coupled. After hydrate aggregates break up at the flow field abrupt change, some of them adhere to the sedimentary layer on the pipe wall, forming a coupled blockage mechanism of adhesion, fragmentation, and redeposition.

Key words: multiphase flow, hydrates, aggregation, CFD-DEM, deposition

摘要：

在深海油气与“可燃冰”开发中，水合物浆液体系中的颗粒沉积与聚集体堵塞是流动保障的核心难题。基于CFD-DEM方法应用Fluent-EDEM软件耦合，针对水基体系水合物浆液的流动聚集与沉积过程开展数值模拟，研究不同浆液流速及体积分数的水合物颗粒流动聚集与沉积过程，比较并分析了有无颗粒条件下管道内压力变化情况。模拟结果表明，0.5 m/s时颗粒在管道内壁会形成静止沉积层，且轴向与径向聚集显著；当流速增大到1.5 m/s时，随着剪切力增强，聚集体会破碎，水合物颗粒以单颗粒或小聚集体均匀分散；当水合物体积分数从5%增至15%时，颗粒聚集程度会加剧，压降呈非线性递增，弯管中段会因沉积层发育形成压降峰值。基于模拟结果，提出弯管结构对水合物沉积的影响机理，即在低流速情况下，流体与颗粒之间相互耦合，在流场突变处的水合物聚集体发生破碎后，部分将附着在管壁沉积层上，形成黏附、破碎与再沉积的耦合堵塞机制。

关键词: 多相流, 水合物, 聚集, CFD-DEM, 沉积物

CLC Number:

TE 832

Bohui SHI, Guangshuo LIU, Enqi GUO, Xiaohang SHI, Haotian LIU, Haihao WU, Xiaoping LI, Shangfei SONG, Jing GONG. Numerical study on flow aggregation and deposition processes of hydrates in water-based systems using CFD-DEM[J]. CIESC Journal, 2025, 76(11): 5554-5573.

史博会, 刘光硕, 郭恩岐, 史潇航, 刘浩田, 吴海浩, 李晓平, 宋尚飞, 宫敬. 基于CFD-DEM的水基体系水合物流动聚集与沉积过程模拟研究[J]. 化工学报, 2025, 76(11): 5554-5573.

Figures/Tables 23

Fig.1 Coupled solution process between Fluent and EDEM

Fig.2 High-pressure hydrate experimental loop

Fig.3 Experimental flow loop geometric model and mesh

Fig.4 Grid independence test

Table 1 Simulation parameter setting

参数	数值
浆液密度/（kg/m³）	998.2
浆液黏度/(kg/(m·s))	0.001
水合物颗粒粒径/mm	1
水合物颗粒密度/(kg/m³)	900
水合物颗粒泊松比	0.21
水合物颗粒剪切弹性模量/(N/m²)	1.22×10⁷
管道材料密度/(kg/m³)	7800
管道材料泊松比	0.3
管道材料剪切弹性模量/(N/m²)	7×10¹⁰
颗粒-颗粒的恢复系数	0.15
颗粒-颗粒的静摩擦因数	0.1
颗粒-壁面的恢复系数	0.5
颗粒-壁面的静摩擦因数	0.5

Table 2 Experimental and simulation comparison of hydrate unit pressure drop

工况	压力/MPa	入口流速/(m/s)	水合物体积分数/%	实验单位压降/(Pa/m)	模拟单位压降/(Pa/m)	偏差/%
1	6.45	0.202	5	285.13	336.32	17.6
2	6.45	0.569	2	261.79	301.49	15.2
3	6.45	0.690	4	328.12	351.66	7.0
4	6.45	0.320	8	296.45	338.43	14.2
5	6.45	0.910	9	685.32	802.66	17.1
6	5.15	0.550	2.5	283.21	324.41	14.5
7	5.15	0.618	3	365.28	380.03	3.8
8	5.15	0.323	8	2944.67	325.13	10.6
9	5.15	0.234	10	306.53	361.65	18.0
10	5.15	0.750	10	429.31	405.62	10.6

Table 3 Pure water and hydrate particle-laden simulations comparison of unit pressure drop

工况	纯水单相流动模拟的单位压降/(Pa/m)	含水合物颗粒浆液流动模拟相比纯水单相流动模拟单位压降的增幅倍数
1	4.34	65.7
2	21.53	12.2
3	30.78	10.7
4	7.52	39.4
5	47.81	14.3
6	20.25	14.0
7	25.18	14.5
8	7.25	40.6
9	7.26	42.2
10	35.43	12.1

Fig.5 Inlet pipe cross-sectional velocity contour plots for one-way & two-way coupling simulation in case 1

Fig.6 Velocity distributions in axial and cross view at four cross-sectional positions under different hydrate volume fractions

Fig.7 Distribution of hydrate particle velocity and particle coordination number statistics of four cross-sections along the radial direction

Fig.8 Velocity distributions in axial and cross view at four cross-sectional positions under different hydrate volume fractions

Fig.9 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 1# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate velocity

Fig.10 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 2# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate velocity

Fig.11 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 3# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate velocity

Fig.12 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 4# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate velocity

Fig.13 Distribution characteristics of unit pressure drop in hydrate slurry flow under different flow velocities

Fig.14 Velocity distributions in axial and cross view at four cross-sectional positions under different hydrate volume fractions

Fig.15 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 1# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate volume fractions

Fig.16 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 2# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate volume fractions

Fig.17 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 3# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate volume fractions

Fig.18 Distribution of velocity and coordination number values at 4# cross-sectional locations under varying hydrate volume fractions

Fig.19 Distribution characteristics of unit pressure drop in hydrate slurry flow under different hydrate volume fractions

Fig.20 Mechanism of hydrate plugging process in elbow pipe

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Numerical study on flow aggregation and deposition processes of hydrates in water-based systems using CFD-DEM

基于CFD-DEM的水基体系水合物流动聚集与沉积过程模拟研究

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Figures/Tables 23

References 30

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