Previously, work has been done in the field of single phase and two phase corrosion and its control. However, little has been done to address the effect of multiphase flow in pipelines. This research focusses on an experimental study of multiphase flow related corrosion in horizontal high pressure pipelines.
The experimental setup consists of a 316 stainless steel tank with a flow loop, capable of holding 1.2 m 3of liquid. The data is collected in the test section which has an ID of 10.16 cm. Oil compositions of 0, 20, 60, 80 and 100% in the liquid mixture have been experimented with. Two oils, Arcopac90 and Conoco LVT200, have been used for this purpose. The temperature at which these experiments have been performed is maintained at 40 C. The rate of corrosion has been measured at different CO 2partial pressures and flow velocities of the liquid mixture.
The experimental results presented are for full pipe flow of liquid with and without gas bubbled in. Interesting observations are made when oil is added to the system to study the effect of multiphase flow on corrosion of carbon-steel. The addition of oil enhances the rate of corrosion upto an oil cut of 60% after which the corrosion rate starts to drop. An increase in the flow velocity of the liquid or CO 2partial pressure, leads to an increase in the corrosion rates. Graphical illustrations are presented to perceive the effect of CO 2partial pressure, flow velocity of the liquid, liquid mixture viscosity, oil concentration and the effect of bubbling gas on corrosion rates. A model to predict corrosion rates in horizontal pipelines has also been developed.