Validating Sub-sea gas pipeline leaks discharge model for Arabian Sea

The study of sub-sea gas pipeline leaks plume behavior is very vital from the risk assessment point of view. In the recent years some research works are done in UK and Norway to study the sub-sea gas leaks plume behaviour for North Sea conditions. However as of now no such research work is carried out in India for Arabian Sea Conditions. This paper analyses various sub-sea gas discharge models used in North Sea i.e. Empirical model, Integral model and CFD model. The empirical models assume that the plume radius is proportional to the release depth or correlations that have been produced to fit the available experimental data. Integral models are based on local similarity i.e. the radial profiles of velocity and density defect are assumed to have a similar form at different heights within the plume. The plume properties can be represented, using for example Gaussian profiles, by their plume centreline values. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or field codes solve the Navier Stokes equation. The study indicates that the plume radius and centreline velocity are directly influenced by ocean depth. The salinity and temperature do not have notable effect on the plume behaviour.

Autorentext

Author is a Mechanical Engineer and a qualified Safety practitioner with 25 years of experience in managing Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), Quality Management, and Enterprise-wide Risk Management (ERM)in petrochemicals, oil & gas and power industries.