Methods and systems for investigation and prediction of slug flow in a pipeline

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing at least one computer processor to perform a method of investigating slug flow in a pipeline, the method comprising:

• defining a plurality of one-dimensional cells along a length of the pipeline, wherein the cells correspond to at least one portion of the pipeline;
• obtaining a plurality of measurements of at least one physical parameter at a plurality of positions along the length of the pipeline;
• generating a model of multiphase flow in the plurality of cells over time based at least on the plurality of measurements;
• solving the model for a time period of interest to identify at least one property of multiphase flow in the plurality of cells for the time period of interest;
• and
• evaluating the at least one property of multiphase flow in the plurality of cells for the time period of interest to predict occurrence of slug flow in the pipeline for the time period of interest.

A system for investigating slug flow in a pipeline, comprising:

• a plurality of sensors that measure at least one physical parameter at a plurality of positions along the length of the pipeline;
• and
• a computer processing system, including at least one computer processor and a computer memory, wherein the computer processing system is configured to investigating slug flow in a pipeline by a number of operations that include:
• i) defining a plurality of one-dimensional cells along a length of the pipeline, wherein the cells correspond to at least one portion of the pipeline,
• ii) obtaining the plurality of measurements made by the plurality of sensors,
• iii) generating a model of multiphase flow in the plurality of cells over time based at least on the plurality of measurements,
• iv) solving the model for a time period of interest to identify at least one property of multiphase flow in the plurality of cells for the time period of interest, and
• v) evaluating the at least one property of multiphase flow in the plurality of cells for the time period of interest to predict occurrence of slug flow in the pipeline for the time period of interest.