The PIPEModelR is state of the art technology for simulating deposition of crystallized waxes in cylindrical conduits. Currently, the model is capable of simulating wax deposition from multiphase systems under many field operating scenarios, such as onshore or offshore, vertical or horizontal, insulated or not insulated, etc. The PIPEModelR can do everything the NODEModelR does, however, with simultaneous wax deposition. Wax deposition is an unsteady state situation, i.e., wax build-up. Hence, the PIPEModelR is a much slower simulator than NODEModelR because it requires at every pipe segment and time step fully compositional wax phase behavior and wax deposition calculations. The temperature, pressure, phase behavior, wax deposit thickness, and hydraulics change continuously along the pipeline length with wax deposition, hence, the simulation is unsteady state.
The PIPEModelR uses the most advanced concepts, theories, and equations to model the momentum, heat, and mass transfer phenomena that are occurring during transportation of multiphase hydrocarbon systems under conditions that favor wax crystallization and deposition. In the vertical direction, the model uses a compositional version of the ORKISZEWSKI correlation developed by AsphWax. In the horizontal direction, the model uses a compositional version of the FLANAGAN-DUKLER correlation also developed by AsphWax. The wax deposition module of the PIPEModelR has been developed by AsphWax after extensive 20 year research.
An example calculation of the PIPEModelR for a 16-inch, 23-mile submarine pipeline is shown below. It is noted that after about 101.1 hours of operation the pipeline has reached steady state operation.
For a powerpoint presentation on the PIPEModelR giving additional details about the approach and theory, click the link below:
PIPEModelR PowerPoint Presentation