Investigation of the Impact of Solid Particles Suspended in Fluid on Steel Pipe Erosion: CFD Analysis and Experimental Validation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Armin Sabetghadam-Isfahani 1, 2
Yegane Davoodbeygi 3
Seyed Mahmood Latifi 4
1 Ph.D. Student, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
2 Hormozgan Province Gas Company, P.O. Box: 7915996489, Bandar Abbas, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Faculty, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
4 B.Sc., Department of Safety Engineering and Technical Inspection, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Faculty, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Abstract
Erosion caused by suspended solid particles in fluid flow is a key problem in the oil and gas industry, which can reduce the service life of steel pipelines. In this study, multiple experimental tests were conducted to investigate and validate three different modeling methods: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the Eulerian model, and the Lagrangian model. Initially, gas-solid flow was established in a straight pipe of 10 m length and 56 inches diameter connected to a 90-degree elbow, and the erosion rate on the outer walls of the elbow was predicted using all three approaches. Subsequently, pin-on-disk wear tests were performed on ST37 steel samples, and the modeling results were compared with experimental data. The findings indicated good agreement between the modeling results and experimental data; the CFD-Lagrangian model showed a deviation of less than 17.76%, while the CFD-Eulerian model showed a deviation of less than 10.7%. This detailed comparison demonstrated the superior accuracy of the CFD-Eulerian method in predicting ST37 steel erosion. The results of this study can pave the way for improving the design and maintenance of steel pipelines in the oil and gas industry and reduce costs associated with erosion and equipment failure.
Keywords
Solid particles
Erosion
Mechanical properties
Erosion rate
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Numerical modeling
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 26 March 2025
  • Revise Date 17 May 2025
  • Accept Date 31 May 2025