Numerical Study on Two-phase Flow in M-type Jumper Pipe

M-shaped jumpers play an indispensable role in the subsea production system. Since they have long-suspended spans and multiple bending parts, vibrations are more prone to be induced by the internal multiphase flow, especially the slug flow. In this paper, the slug flows in a typical M-type jumper are numerically investigated under different working conditions, and the flow patterns in the jumper pipe are analyzed, including the occurrence position and length of the slugs. First, the gas-liquid flow characteristics in the jumper are simulated under the gas contents of 30%, 50%, and 70%, respectively, to figure out the working conditions and locations where the slugs are most likely to occur. Then, the horizontal and vertical lengths of the M-shaped jumper are verified to analyze their effects on the internal slug flow, which involves the lengths of the bottom and top horizontal tubes and the height of the vertical tube. This study reveals the flow pattern of multiphase flow in M-shaped jumpers and the corresponding structural effects, which can provide a reference for the vibration and optimization studies on the pipelines with jumpers.