Detecting Pipeline Anomalies and Variations in Acoustic Velocity in Multiphase Flow Regimes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

The use of hydrodynamic pressure wave generated from the action of a fast acting valve as well as acoustic reflectometry in the detection of anomalies like leaks, deposits and blockages in a pipe or fluid flow system in the context of the prevailing scientific theories in fluid flow is discussed. The focus of this paper is the application of the theories to more complex scenarios involving multi-phase fluid flow, specifically, two-phase and two-component fluid flow. The principal concern is the determination of acoustic velocity in a two-phase flow regime; which is problematic because it varies with mixture composition along multiphase flowlines. A technique for simulating flow regimes in the laboratory using stacked S-shaped pipes is presented as well as a discussion of the results from a computational fluid dynamics model.