Abstract
To study the scaling process in sub-sea pipelines, a mesoscale experimental loop was developed, it was used to generate inorganic salt deposition in a one-inch diameter pipe. A specially monitored test section was developed, it would be removed and weighed after the experiments to study the scale build-up over time. Changes on the experimental conditions such as flow rate and fluid concentration allowed us to understand how calcium carbonate accumulation affects pipeline surfaces over time. The calcium carbonate concentration of the fluid passing through the pipe was controlled using a turbidity meter. The size of the loop, a novelty on the field, allowed us to generate extensive data on the calcium carbonate scaling process, conduct longer experiments, and visualize smaller changes in temperature or accumulation using non-intrusive infrared (IR) technology. The experiments were conducted using IR images and chemical analyses by Energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and the results were compared with predictions from analytical models.
NSTL