1D numerical simulations of wax deposition in a subsea passive cooler prototype for the evaluation of minimum experimental test times

This paper explores a methodology for estimating the minimum time duration of experiments focused on wax deposition studies to be carried out for a passive manifold subsea cooler prototype geometry, upon relevant conditions for offshore oil & gas applications. The methodology encompasses 1D thermohydraulic numerical simulations of a CO 2 -rich dense-gas and waxy oil mixture flowing, as well as a mass transfer approach for the wax deposition. The idea is to obtain the minimum measurable impact of wax deposits on the pressure drop and temperature at the locations in which corresponding sensors shall be installed. The results applied to 10 different operational conditions for the cooler prototype are presented and thoroughly discussed, together with the phenomenology of the wax deposition and its relationship with the test conditions (operating pressure, liquid content and gas flow rates) and other important flow parameters, such as the mixture temperature, the occurrence of condensation, the pressure profile, among others. The main conclusions and possible next steps for this work are then outlined.