Numerical simulation on the gas-liquid flows inside the new offshore hydrate separator

According to the characteristics of offshore platforms, this paper in detail presents the operating principle and configuration design of the new offshore hydrate separator. This device can be used to separate hydrates and liquids form natural gas without using chemicals, and there are some benefits including energy conservation, environmental protection, compact structure, small floor space and high separating efficiency. At the same time, basing on the precise multiphase fluid dynamics theory and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the unsteady gas-liquid flows' key parameters that influence separation performance have been numerically simulated. Simulation results show that this mathematical model and numerical method are correct, and can forecast and reflect variable rule of gas-liquid phase volume fractions inside the new offshore hydrate separator at different time. And the results also can in-depth analysis the flow and separation characteristics of gas-liquid flows in the new hydrate separator. This paper provides the theoretical basic for structure optimization of new offshore hydrate separator from the perspective of gas-liquid flows.