3 Top software for flow and stress analysis of pipelines

Question :

• Which software is better for analyzing the stress and flow of composite and metal pipelines?
• Should specialized CFD and FEA software be used?
•  Is specialized pipeline software accurate enough for design and analysis?
• Is it possible to analyze the current and stress of several thousand kilometers of lines with software such as ABAQUS and ANSYS Fluent?
• Does the simulation process require coding?
• These are usually common questions that come to the mind of the design and simulation engineer during the design and analysis of pipelines.

In this article, we will get acquainted with 3 of the most important and specialized softwares for designing and calculating pipelines. These softwares are widely used in oil and gas industry for flow analysis inside pipelines and stress analysis and are used for analysis of several kilometers of pipelines.

1. The two-phase flow dynamics simulator OLGA

OLGA software was developed by Statoil for multiphase flow modeling. This software is used to simulate offshore, underground, oil, and gas pipelines in two-phase mode. Behavior is simulated as time-dependent or transient. Steady State calculations and modeling are also performed to investigate the challenges and problems of the flow.

Application of OLGA software

• Calculations of heat transfer during fluid transfer, flow loss due to equipment (pumps, compressors, converters, etc.)
• Calculate the amount of corrosion in pipelines
• Slug modeling for two-phase current
• Dynamic simulation of fluid flow in pipelines
• Calculate flow parameters such as pressure drop, flow rate of different phases at any point of the pipeline
• Environmental hazard assessment in complex deep water drilling environments

Features of OLGA software

• Development of oil and gas transfer technology from wells to consumers with the highest reliability and maximum efficiency
• Assist oil and gas companies with the highest efficiency at the lowest cost
• Managing slugs and preventing them from occurring
• Suggest the best mode of oil and gas transmission that shows which phase of the flow is needed to have the highest efficiency, for example, what phase of the flow from the well is done to give the highest efficiency
• Prevent corrosion of pipelines
• Predict the effects of temperature changes during shutdown and startup processes

2. PIPESIM flow simulation software

PIPESIM software for modeling multiphase flows used in the oil and gas industry to understand the behavior of liquids in their systems. Safe design of wells and pipelines so that the produced fluids reach the process facilities safely and cost-effectively. The basis of correct modeling of production systems is based on three main and scientific areas:

• Multiphase flow modeling
• Modeling fluid properties
• Heat selection modeling

Features of PIPESIM flow simulation software

• Safe and beneficial fluid transfers
• Determine the pressure at the beginning of the line for a given flow
• Determine the temperature of the outlet fluid
• Simulation of oil and gas production well column
• Tubing inside the well
• Determination of corrosion rate in oil and gas pipelines and well columns
• Pipeline network modeling
• GAS LIFT simulation in well column
• Determine the operating point of the well and determine the well floor pressure
• Determining Inflow Performance Relationship

3. The piping stress analysis software Caesar II

CAESAR II software, a product of the American company Intergraph, is designed for designing and analyzing stress in piping systems. Using this software, accurate and fast analyzes of piping systems can be performed by considering weight, pressure, heat, earthquake effect and other dynamic and static loads. This software has full modeling features and users will be able to do their modeling with different materials and different sizes and conditions. This software allows analysis in various situations and according to international standards. CAESAR II software has the capability of static and dynamic analysis of the piping system. This software has four different types of analysis:

• Natural frequency calculations of the piping system
• Harmonic analysis
• Response spectrum analysis
• Time-dependent analysis

Features of Caesar II

• Improvement of marine and coastal pipelines
• It has advanced modeling facilities and offers different settings in different temperature and pressure conditions
• Performing various static and dynamic analyzes of different piping systems
• Investigation and analysis of the effects of thermal loads, wind, earthquake and… on piping systems
• Has an extensive database of materials and tools (usable for analyzing composite pipes)
• Coordinate with CADWOR X software and link engineering design with engineering analysis
• Troubleshooting and accurate reporting of analysis operations
• Display analysis results graphically and animated
• Support for creep conditions in piping according to EN-13480

In the end, do not forget that the analysis of flow and stress of pipelines with a length of several thousand kilometers using software such as ANSYS FLUENT and ABAQUS is not justified and the software mentioned above should be used. To contact our consultant in this field, you can contact the communication methods available on the site.