Stabilizing slug flow at large valve opening using active feedback control

The threat of slugging to production facilities has been known since the 70's. This undesirable flow phenomenon continues to attract the attention of researchers and operators alike. The most common method for slug mitigation is by choking the valve at the exit of the riser which unfortunately could negatively affect, production. The focus therefore is to satisfy the need for system stability and to maximize production simultaneously. Active feedback control is a promising way to achieve this. However, due to the complexity of multiphase flow systems, it is a challenge to develop a robust slug control system to achieve the desired performance using existing design tools. In this paper, a new general method for multiphase flow system stability analysis was proposed. Active feedback control was observed to optimize slug attenuation compared with manual choking.