Design and Material Optimization of Oil Plant Piping Structure for Mitigating Erosion Wear

Abstract

Featured Application: By implementing optimized interventions, erosion wear can be effectively mitigated, ensuring the long-term structural integrity of piping systems in non-conventional oil plants and promoting safe overall plant operation. These interventions represent a significant leap forward in erosion wear management, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the realm of oil plant operations. Erosion in piping structures poses a significant challenge for oil industries as the conveyance of solid particles leads to operational malfunctions and structural failures affecting the overall oil plant operation. Conventional oil recovery methods have historically dominated, while in response to the challenges imposed by declining conventional oil production, the global shift towards non-conventional methods necessitates a reevaluation of erosion mitigation strategies due to increased piping infrastructure. Therefore, in this study research has been conducted to reduce erosion and optimize the piping structure. Variables impacting the erosion in piping were investigated from the literature, and simulation cases were made based on the impacted variables. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFDs) analysis was performed using the Discrete Phase Model (DPM) to determine the erosion wear rate in each simulation case; based on the CFD results, variables with low Turbulent Dissipation Rates (TDRs) and Erosion Rates (ERs) were determined, and the optimized piping structure was designed. As a result, the optimized piping structure showed an 80% reduction in the turbulent dissipation rate and a 99.2% decrease in the erosion wear rate. These findings highlight a substantial improvement in erosion control, ensuring the safety and longevity of piping structures in oil plant operations.