Flow characteristics and pigging performance degradation of high-concentration ice slurry in pipelines

doi:10.11949/0438-1157.20250532

Abstract

Abstract:

In order to quantitatively describe the cleaning ability of ice-pigging, this study analyzes the characteristics of supercooled ice slurry cleaning through experimental research. Firstly, the morphology of supercooled ice slurry particles produced from a 5% NaCl solution was studied, and the interpolation estimation method was used to determine an average ice crystal particle size of 275 μm with a roundness of 0.64. The shear stress of ice slurry plungers with an ice volume fraction of 22.7%—33.5% was investigated, revealing that it is primarily influenced by ice fraction and pushing water flow velocity, with minimal dependence on solution salinity. This study primarily investigates the performance degradation characteristics of ice-pigging. Research on the permeability characteristics of ice slurry plungers revealed that both the pushing water flow rate and porosity significantly influence the permeability rate: the higher the pushing water flow rate and porosity, the faster the permeability rate. When the plunger length accounted for 10% of the total pipe length, at temperatures of 6, 9 and 12℃ respectively,the ice slurry plungers advanced 21.5 m along the pipe section, with pressure drop retention rates of 87.02%, 81.13% and 74.21%, respectively. The pressure drop retention rates decreases by 5.89% and 6.92%, respectively, for each 3℃ temperature increase. When the plunger length was 20% and the temperatures were 15, 18 and 21℃, respectively, the pressure drop retention rates decreased by 1.75% and 3.09%, respectively, due to the effect of a 0.02 m/s increase in the driving water velocity. The pressure drop reduction caused by the increase in driving water temperature cannot be ignored. Based on the impulse law, the retention rate of ice slurry plunger cleaning ability was defined, and its attenuation performance was studied. At plunger lengths of 10%, 20% and 30%, the ice slurry plunger advances 21.5 meters, with cleaning ability retention rates at 6℃ of 67.18%, 79.60% and 86.67%, respectively. For every 1℃ temperature increase, the cleaning ability decreases by approximately 1.1% at 10% and 20% plunger lengths and by about 0.9% at a 30% plunger length.

Key words: ice slurry, flow, permeation, ice-pigging, performance degradation

摘要：

为了对冰浆清管能力进行定量描述，以实验研究的方式分析过冷水冰浆管内流动及清管能力特性。首先，对体积含冰率范围为22.7%~33.5%的冰浆柱塞流动的管壁切应力进行研究，发现切应力大小主要受含冰率和推动水流速的影响。重点研究冰浆清管能力衰减特性，发现推动水流速越快，冰浆空隙率越高，渗透速率越快。柱塞长度为总管长度的10%，且温度分别为6、9和12℃时，冰浆柱塞前进21.5 m，压降保持率分别为87.02%、81.13%和74.21%，温度提高3℃，压降保持率分别下降了5.89%和6.92%。柱塞长度为20%，温度分别为15、18和21℃时，叠加了推动水流速提高了0.02 m/s对压降的影响，温度提高3℃，压降保持率分别下降了1.75%和3.09%，推动水温度增加引起的压降降低不容忽视。根据冲量定律定义冰浆柱塞清管能力保持率，柱塞长度分别为管长的10%、20%和30%时，冰浆柱塞前进21.5 m，6℃时清管能力保持率分别为67.18%、79.60%和86.67%。且温度每增加1℃，10%和20%冰浆柱塞长度时的清管能力衰减约为1.1%，30%冰浆柱塞长度时的清管能力衰减约为0.9%。

关键词: 冰浆, 流动, 渗透, 冰清管, 性能衰减

CLC Number:

TB 64

Yongzhen CHEN, Wenji SONG, Erxiong CHEN, Kun QIN, Yujie ZHOU, Qun DU, Ziping FENG. Flow characteristics and pigging performance degradation of high-concentration ice slurry in pipelines[J]. CIESC Journal, 2025, 76(11): 5842-5852.

陈永珍, 宋文吉, 陈二雄, 秦坤, 周雨杰, 杜群, 冯自平. 高浓度冰浆管内流动特性及清管能力衰减研究[J]. 化工学报, 2025, 76(11): 5842-5852.

Figures/Tables 16

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of ice slurry flow experimental system

Table 1 Relative error of ice fraction

序号	Φ_v	Φ_m	Φ	相对误差/%
1	31.01	29.23	30.51	4.20
2	41.04	39.01	39.41	1.01
3	45.60	43.51	45.74	4.88

Fig.2 Ice crystal morphology in ice slurries prepared with 1.0%, 2.0% and 4.0% NaCl solutions respectively

Fig.3 Particle size distribution (a) and Gaussian fitting curves (b) of ice slurry at different initial NaCl concentrations

Fig.4 Relationship between liquid flow velocity and shear stress of ice slurry prepared with 1.5% NaCl solutions under different ice fractions

Fig.5 Relationship between liquid flow velocity and shear stress of ice slurry prepared with 2.2% NaCl solutions under different ice fractions

Fig.6 Relationship between liquid flow velocity and shear stress of ice slurry prepared with 2.9% NaCl solutions under different ice fractions

Fig.7 Relationship between ice fraction and shear stress at flow velocities of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 m/s

Fig.8 Ice-pigging permeation interface (a) and measurement method (b)

Table 2 Calculation results of σ values

序号	实验条件			实验结果
序号	Φ_v,caf	ε	推动水流速/(m/s)	渗透速率/(mm/s)	修正σ
1	0.72	0.59	0.47	6.09	303.10
2	0.70	0.60	0.21	4.16	791.88
3	0.70	0.60	0.22	4.49	783.90
4	0.68	0.61	0.21	4.31	763.28
5	0.68	0.61	0.40	6.73	367.22
6	0.66	0.62	0.23	5.09	691.76
7	0.66	0.62	0.27	5.30	542.90
8	0.66	0.62	0.34	6.17	411.94
9	0.66	0.62	0.54	7.69	234.69
10	0.65	0.63	0.24	5.26	612.69
11	0.65	0.63	0.53	7.95	244.97
12	0.65	0.63	0.56	8.21	217.74
13	0.64	0.64	0.21	4.89	709.87
14	0.64	0.64	0.22	5.00	668.29
15	0.63	0.64	0.49	7.46	234.24
16	0.62	0.64	0.52	7.90	215.92
17	0.61	0.65	0.54	8.97	222.85
18	0.61	0.65	0.56	9.30	218.25

Fig.9 Relationship between σ value and percolation rate

Fig.10 Pressure drop and liquid flow velocity variation across test sections during ice-pigging flow

Table 3 Average pressure drop retention rates under different ice-pigging lengths and temperatures

温度/℃	柱塞长度10%		柱塞长度20%		柱塞长度30%
温度/℃	ΔP_r/%	Δu/(m/s)	ΔP_r/%	Δu/(m/s)	ΔP_r/%	Δu/(m/s)
6	87.02	-0.0058	90.22	0.0273	101.12	0.0212
9	81.13	0.0062	87.28	0.0286	101.49	0.0217
12	74.21	0.0054	86.83	0.0301	88.08	0.0266
15	77.76	0.0202	83.29	0.0180	88.93	0.0327
18	72.01	0.0402	81.54	0.0196	85.39	0.0271
21	71.00	0.0395	78.45	0.0189	89.07	0.0458
24	—	—	68.47	0.0140	78.51	0.0251

Fig.11 Pigging performance maintenance for 10%-length ice plug

Fig.12 Pigging performance maintenance for 20%-length ice plug

Fig.13 Pigging performance maintenance for 30%-length ice plug

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