The Decompression Behaviour of Carbon Dioxide in the Dense Phase

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cosham ◽  
David G. Jones ◽  
Keith Armstrong ◽  
Daniel Allason ◽  
Julian Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Shock Tube ◽  
Gaseous Phase ◽  
Initial Pressure ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Dense Phase ◽  
Test Programme ◽  
Rich Mixtures ◽  
Arrest Toughness

Pipelines can be expected to play a significant role in the transportation infrastructure required for the successful implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS). National Grid is undertaking a research and development programme to support the development of a safety justification for the transportation of carbon dioxide (CO2) by pipeline in the United Kingdom. The ‘typical’ CO2 pipeline is designed to operate at high pressure in the ‘dense’ phase. Shock tube tests were conducted in the early 1980s to investigate the decompression behaviour of pure CO2, but, until recently, there have been no tests with CO2-rich mixtures. National Grid have undertaken a programme of shock tube tests on CO2 and CO2-rich mixtures in order to understand the decompression behaviour in the gaseous phase and the liquid (or dense) phase. An understanding of the decompression behaviour is required in order to predict the toughness required to arrest a running ductile fracture. The test programme consisted of three (3) commissioning tests, three (3) test with natural gas, fourteen (14) tests with CO2 and CO2-rich mixtures in the gaseous phase, and fourteen (14) tests with CO2 and CO2-rich mixtures in the liquid (or dense) phase. The shock tube tests in the liquid (dense) phase are the subject under consideration here. Firstly, the design of the shock tube test rig is summarised. Then the test programme is described. Finally, the results of the dense phase tests are presented, and the observed decompression behaviour is compared with that predicted using a simple (isentropic) decompression model. Reference is also made to the more complicated (non-isentropic) decompression models. The differences between decompression through the gaseous and liquid phases are highlighted. It is shown that there is reasonable agreement between the observed and predicted decompression curves. The decompression behaviour of CO2 and CO2-rich mixtures in the liquid (dense) phase is very different to that of lean or rich natural gas, or CO2 in the gaseous phase. The plateau in the decompression curve is long. The following trends (which are the opposite of those observed in the gaseous phase) can be identified in experiment and theory: • Increasing the initial temperature will increase the arrest toughness. • Decreasing the initial pressure will increase the arrest toughness. • The addition of other components such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen or methane will increase the arrest toughness.

Under Pressure Welding and Preheat Temperature Decay Times on Carbon Dioxide Pipelines

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Slater ◽  
Robert Andrews ◽  
Peter Boothby ◽  
Julian Barnett ◽  
Keith Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Cooling Rate ◽  
Gaseous Phase ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Dense Phase ◽  
Pressure Welding ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Decay Times

Whilst there is extensive industry experience of under pressure welding onto live natural gas and liquid pipelines, there is limited experience for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) pipelines, either in the gaseous or dense phases. National Grid has performed a detailed research programme to investigate if existing natural gas industry under pressure welding procedures are applicable to CO2 pipelines, or if new specific guidance is required. This paper reports the results from one part of a comprehensive trial programme, with the aim of determining the preheat decay times, defined by the cooling time from 250 °C to 150 °C (T250–150), in CO2 pipelines and comparing them to the decay times in natural gas pipelines. Although new build CO2 pipelines are likely to operate in the dense phase, if an existing natural gas pipeline is converted to transport CO2 it may operate in the gaseous phase and so both cases were considered. The aims of the work presented were to: • Determine the correlations between the operating parameters of the pipeline, i.e. flow velocity, pressure etc. and the cooling rate after removal of the preheat, characterised by the (T250–150) cooling time. • Compare the experimentally determined T250–150 cooling times with the values determined using a simple one dimensional heat transfer model. • Define the implications of heat decay for practical under pressure welding on CO2 pipelines. Small-scale trials were performed on a 150 mm (6″) diameter pressurised flow loop at Spadeadam in the UK. The trial matrix was determined using a one dimensional heat transfer model. Welding was performed on a carbon manganese (C-Mn) pipe that was machined to give three sections of 9.9 mm, 19.0 mm and 26.9 mm wall thickness. Trials were performed using natural gas, gaseous phase CO2 and dense phase CO2; across a range of flow velocities from 0.3 m/s to 1.4 m/s. There was relatively good agreement between the T250–150 cooling times predicted by the thermal model and the measured T250–150 times. For the same pipe wall thickness, flow velocity and pressure level, the preheat decay cooling times are longest for gaseous phase CO2, with the fastest cooling rate recorded for dense phase CO2. Due to the fast cooling rate observed on dense phase CO2, the T250–150 times drop below the 40 second minimum requirement in the National Grid specification for under pressure welding, even at relatively low flow velocities. The practical limitation for under pressure welding of pipelines containing dense phase CO2 will be maintaining sufficient preheating during welding. The results from this stage of the technical programme were used to develop the welding trials and qualification of a full encirclement split sleeve assembly discussed in an accompanying paper (1).

Under Pressure Operations on Dense Phase CO2 Pipelines: Issues for the Operator

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Barnett ◽  
Richard Wilkinson ◽  
Alan Kirkham ◽  
Keith Armstrong
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Wall Thickness ◽  
Gaseous Phase ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cooling Time ◽  
Phase Behaviour ◽  
Pipeline System ◽  
Dense Phase ◽  
Pressure Welding

National Grid, in the United Kingdom (UK), has extensive experience in the management and execution of under pressure operations on its natural gas pipelines. These under pressure operations include welding, ‘hot tap’ and ‘stopple’ operations, and the installation of sleeve repairs. National Grid Carbon is pursuing plans to develop a pipeline network in the Humber and North Yorkshire areas of the UK to transport dense phase Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from major industrial emitters in the area to saline aquifers off the Yorkshire coast. One of the issues that needed to be resolved is the requirement to modify and/or repair dense phase CO2 pipeline system. Existing under pressure experience and procedures for natural gas systems have been proven to be applicable for gaseous phase CO2 pipelines; however, dense phase CO2 pipeline systems require further consideration due to their higher pressures and different phase behaviour. Consequently, there is a need to develop procedures and define requirements for dense phase CO2 pipelines. This development required an experimental programme of under pressure welding trials using a flow loop to simulate real dense phase CO2 pipeline operating conditions. This paper describes the experiments which involved: • Heat decay trials which demonstrated that the practical limitation for under pressure welding on dense phase CO2 systems will be maintaining a sufficient level of heat to achieve the cooling time from 250 °C to 150 °C (T250–150) above the generally accepted 40 second limit. • A successful welding qualification trial with a welded full encirclement split sleeve arrangement. The work found that for the same pipe wall thickness, flow velocity and pressure, dense phase CO2 has the fastest cooling time when compared with gaseous phase CO2 and natural gas. The major practical conclusion of the study is that for dense phase CO2 pipelines with a wall thickness of 19.0 mm or above, safe and practical under pressure welding is possible in accordance with the existing National Grid specification (i.e. T/SP/P/9) up to a flow velocity of around 0.9 m/s. The paper also outlines the work conducted into the use of the Manual Phased Array (MPA) inspection technique on under pressure welding applications. Finally, the paper identifies and considers the additional development work needed to ensure that a comprehensive suite of under pressure operations and procedures are available for the pipeline operator.

Measurements of Decompression Wave Speed in Natural Gas Containing 2-8% (Mole) Hydrogen by a Specialized Shock Tube

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. K. Botros ◽  
S. Igi ◽  
J. Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Shock Tube ◽  
Hydrogen Concentration ◽  
Wave Speed ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
Initial Pressure ◽  
Propagation Speed ◽  
Wave Speeds ◽  
Decompression Wave ◽  
Curve Method

The Battelle two-curve method is widely used throughout the industry to determine the required material toughness to arrest ductile (or tearing) pipe fracture. The method relies on accurate determination of the propagation speed of the decompression wave into the pipeline once the pipe ruptures. GASDECOM is typically used for calculating this speed, and idealizes the decompression process as isentropic and one-dimensional. While GASDECOM was initially validated against quite a range of gas compositions and initial pressure and temperature, it was not developed for mixtures containing hydrogen. Two shock tube tests were conducted to experimentally determine the decompression wave speed in lean natural gas mixtures containing hydrogen. The first test had hydrogen concentration of 2.88% (mole) while the second had hydrogen concentration of 8.28% (mole). The experimentally determined decompression wave speeds from the two tests were found to be very close to each other despite the relatively vast difference in the hydrogen concentrations for the two tests. It was also shown that the predictions of the decompression wave speed using the GERG-2008 equation of state agreed very well with that obtained from the shock tube measurements. It was concluded that there is no effects of the hydrogen concentration (between 0–10% mole) on the decompression wave speed, particularly at the lower part (towards the choked pressure) of the decompression wave speed curve.

GASDECOM: Carbon Dioxide and Other Components

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cosham ◽  
Robert J. Eiber ◽  
Edward B. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Phase Diagram ◽  
Phase Boundary ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Carbon Capture And Storage ◽  
Vapour Phase ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Arrest Toughness

Carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines are more susceptible to long running fractures than hydrocarbon gas pipelines because of the decompression characteristics of CO2. The key to understanding this issue is the phase diagram and the liquid-vapour phase boundary. GASDECOM — based on the BWRS equation of state — is a program widely used for calculating the decompression behaviour of mixtures of hydrocarbons. The calculated decompression wave velocity curve is then used in models such as the Battelle Two Curve Model to determine the toughness required to arrest a propagating ductile fracture. GASDECOM is capable of modelling mixtures of hydrocarbons (methane through to hexane), nitrogen and carbon dioxide. It therefore can (and has) been used to investigate the effect of methane and nitrogen on the decompression characteristics of CO2. Pipelines can be expected to play a significant role in the transportation infrastructure required for the successful implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The composition of the carbon dioxide rich stream to be transported in a pipeline depends on the capture technology, e.g. post-combustion, pre-combustion and oxy-fuel. Post-combustion tends to result in an almost pure stream. The other capture technologies produce a less pure stream, containing potentially significant proportions of other components such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, argon and methane. One of the factors that will constrain the design and operation of a carbon dioxide pipeline is the effect of these other components on the decompression characteristics, and hence the arrest toughness (amongst other issues). Components such as hydrogen, oxygen and argon cannot currently be considered using GASDECOM. Through a study of the underlying algorithms implemented in GASDECOM, it is shown how GASDECOM can be modified to include these additional components relevant to carbon capture and storage. The effect of impurities such as hydrogen on the decompression characteristics is then illustrated, and related back to their effect on the phase diagram and the liquid-vapour phase boundary. The sensitivity of the results to the use of equations of state other than BWRS is also illustrated. Simplifications that follow from the decompression behaviour of carbon dioxide are also highlighted. Finally, the small and large scale experimental studies that are required to validate predictions of the decompression behaviour and the arrest toughness are discussed.

Analysis of Two Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide Full-Scale Fracture Propagation Tests

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cosham ◽  
David G. Jones ◽  
Keith Armstrong ◽  
Daniel Allason ◽  
Julian Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Saturation Pressure ◽  
Fracture Propagation ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Battelle Memorial Institute ◽  
Dense Phase ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Curve Model ◽  
Rich Mixtures

Two full-scale fracture propagation tests have been conducted using dense phase carbon dioxide (CO2)-rich mixtures at the Spadeadam Test Site, United Kingdom (UK). The tests were conducted on behalf of National Grid Carbon, UK, as part of the COOLTRANS research programme. The semi-empirical Two Curve Model, developed by the Battelle Memorial Institute in the 1970s, is widely used to set the (pipe body) toughness requirements for pipelines transporting lean and rich natural gas. However, it has not been validated for applications involving dense phase CO2 or CO2-rich mixtures. One significant difference between the decompression behaviour of dense phase CO2 and a lean or rich gas is the very long plateau in the decompression curve. The objective of the two tests was to determine the level of ‘impurities’ that could be transported by National Grid Carbon in a 914.0 mm outside diameter, 25.4 mm wall thickness, Grade L450 pipeline, with arrest at an upper shelf Charpy V-notch impact energy (toughness) of 250 J. The level of impurities that can be transported is dependent on the saturation pressure of the mixture. Therefore, the first test was conducted at a predicted saturation pressure of 80.5 barg and the second test was conducted at a predicted saturation pressure of 73.4 barg. A running ductile fracture was successfully initiated in the initiation pipe and arrested in the test section in both of the full-scale tests. The main experimental data, including the layout of the test sections, and the decompression and timing wire data, are summarised and discussed. The results of the two full-scale fracture propagation tests demonstrate that the Two Curve Model is not (currently) applicable to liquid or dense phase CO2 or CO2-rich mixtures.

Predicting the Decompression Characteristics of Carbon Dioxide Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. E. Jie ◽  
B. P. Xu ◽  
J. X. Wen ◽  
R. Cooper ◽  
J. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Shock Tube ◽  
Pipe Wall ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Wall Friction ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Dense Phase

In a previous paper, we reported the development of CFD-DECOM, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) approach and the Homogeneous Equilibrium Method (HEM) for simulating multi-phase flows, to predict the transient flow following the rupture of pipelines conveying rich gas or pure carbon dioxide (CO2). The use of CFD allows the effect of pipe wall heat transfer and friction to be quantified. Here, the former is considered through the implementation of a conjugate heat transfer model while the two-phase pipe wall friction is computed using established correlations. The model was previously validated for rich gas and to a limited extent dense phase CO2 decompression against the available shock tube test data. This paper describes the extension of the model to the decompression of both gaseous and dense phase CO2 with impurities. The Peng-Robinson-Stryjek-Vera Equation Of State (EOS), which is capable of predicting the real gas thermodynamic behaviour of CO2 with impurities, has been implemented in addition to the Peng-Robinson and Span and Wagner EOSs. The liquid-vapour phase equilibrium of a multi-component fluid is determined by flash calculations. The predictions are compared with the measurements of some of the recent gaseous and dense phase CO2 shock tube tests commissioned by National Grid. The detailed comparison is presented showing reasonably good agreement with the experimental data. Further numerical study has also been carried out to investigate the effects of wall friction and heat transfer, different EOSs and impurities on the decompression behaviour.

Assessment of Failure Frequency Methodology Applied to Dense Phase Carbon Dioxide Pipelines

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Lyons ◽  
Julia Race ◽  
Ben Wetenhall ◽  
Enrong Chang ◽  
Harry Hopkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Dense Phase ◽  
Failure Frequency
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