Numerical Prediction of Erosion Patterns in Gas Gathering Pipelines

Erosion is a significant issue in gas transportation pipelines, particularly in the regions of pipe bends where sand particles impinge, potentially leading to equipment malfunction and pipeline failure. Our aim is to develop an engineering approach to track particle trajectories in the pipe bends and predict the interaction between the particles and the pipe's surface. First, Large-Eddy Simulation is carried out to predict flow patterns in the 45°, 75°, 90°, and 180° pipe bend geometries. A one-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach for particle tracking, and a novel particle-wall interaction method was developed to model particle reflections upon impacting on the pipe bends. Experimental studies were conducted to predict erosion-corrosion behavior using the paint removal technique. Simulations of gas flow in various pipe bend geometries, with inlet velocities of 5.5 m/s and 9.5 m/s (as per the experiment), were performed to analyze the velocity and pressure distribution in the turbulent boundary layer region. The energy bubble in this region attracts particles, making it susceptible to erosion. The trajectories of particles show that erosion predominantly occurs downstream of the pipe bend in all geometries. It is observed that the erosion pattern did not change with an increased number of particles. The simulated erosion patterns agree well with experimental results. Our findings are instrumental in the optimal selection of gas pipeline elbows for erosion protection.