INTRODUCTION TO OLGA

Contents

Introduction
Physical models and numerical solutions
Network topology
How to make fluids flow
Fluid properties
Heat transfer
Process equipment and modules
File structure and execution

Fundamental features
OLGA is
transient ( df/dt # 0 )
one-dimensional (along pipe axis)
complete
a modified two-fluid model
realised with a semi-implicit numerical solution
staggered grid
made for (relatively) slow mass transients

The dynamic three phase flow simulator

8 Conserv. Equations
mass (5)
momentum (2)
energy (1)

Closure Laws
Fluid
Properties

mass transf.
momentum transf.
energy transf.

Initial
Conditions

Boundary
Conditions

OLGA

The OLGA Three-phase Flow Model

Mass conservation
Gas
Hydrocarbon bulk
Hydrocarbon droplets
Water bulk
Water droplets
Momentum conservation
Gas + droplets
Liquid bulk
Energy conservation
Mixture (only one temperature)
Constitutive equations

Variables
Primary variables

5 mass fractions (specific mass)

2 velocities
1 pressure
1 temperature

Secondary variables

Volume fractions
Velocities
Flow rates
Fluid properties
etc.

Conservation of mass

Conservation of energy

energy = mass (thermal energy + kinetic energy + potential energy)spec

energy flow + work = mass flow (enthalpy + kinetic energy + potential energy)

Force balance equation

(Conservation of momentum)
Pj

Pj+1
gas
liquid

dM /dt =

dZj

j+1

((MV )j - (MV )j+1) /dzj - S j + G j + F j + F j+1+ MT

M - Momentum
V - Velocity
m - Mass
M = m V

S =

Shear

G=
F =
MT =

Gravity = m gravity acceleration

Force = pressure flow area
Momentum Transfer =
mass transfer - entrainment + deposition

= wall shear + interfacial shear

Sources of numerical errors in general

Linearization of strongly non-linear models
Iteration is not performed
Thermal expansion or contraction
Temperature decoupled from pressure may give
volume errors
Local changes of total composition neglected in standard
OLGA*)
may give volume errors
*)Taken into account in CompTrack

Volume error
At each time step when all equations have been solved the
net fluid volume change in each section usually is 0
and the volume error can be expressed as
VOLi = 1- Vi f / Vsectioni 0
f
Vi f =
Vi f =
mi f =

mif /i f
fluid volume in section no i
mass in pipe section no i

i f =

density of fluid in section no i

(f indicates liquid , gas and droplets)

(VOL is an output variable which should be plotted
together with phase velocities during fast transients)

Modeling the pipeline profile in OLGA

OLGA topology

GEOMETRY is a sequence of PIPES

a PIPE is defined by its
LENGTH
INCLINATION
INNER DIAMETER
ROUGHNESS and
WALL

OLGA topology cont.

NODE-1

a BRANCH consists of one

GEOMETRY and two NODES

a BRANCH has flow direction

NODE-2

OLGA topology cont.

a NODE is either TERMINAL or INTERNAL *)

An OLGA network consists of a number of BRANCHES

*) MERGING or SPLITTING

OLGA topology cont.

PIPE_4
1

Boundary
variables

2
2

PIPE_1

PIPE SECTIONS
PIPE_2

1
1

2
2

3
3

PIPE_3

2
1

PIPE SECTION BOUNDARIES

Volume
variables

OLGA topology cont.

PIPE_4
1
2

Volume variables e.g.

Pressure (PT)
Temperature (TM)
Volume fractions (HOL)

2
2

3
3

PIPE_3

1
PIPE_2

PIPE_1
1

2
1

4
Volume variables calculated in section
mid-points

OLGA topology cont.

PIPE_4
1

Boundary variables e.g.

Velocities
Flow-rates
Flow-pattern

2
2

PIPE_3

1
PIPE_2

PIPE_1
1
1

2
2

3
3

Valves are always located on

section boundaries

2
1
Boundary variables are
calculated on section
boundaries

OLGA topology cont.

a TERMINAL NODE is
either type CLOSED
i.e. no flow across node

or of type
PRESSURE i.e. flow
across the node.

OLGA topology cont.

Pressure
node

You must specify:

- Pressure,
- Temperature,
- Gas Mass Fraction
- Water Mass Fraction

Generally:
flow in both
directions

How to make fluids flow

a mass SOURCE
pressure boundaries
the standard WELL

a mass SOURCE
NODE TYPE = CLOSED
OLGA calculates this P and T

A mass source into the pipe

You must specify its
Total mass rate
Temperature
Gas mass fraction
Water fraction

NODE
TYPE =
PRESSURE

mass SOURCE cont.

a SOURCE feeds its mass regardless of the pressure in the pipe

a SOURCE can be positioned in any pipe section

one pipe section can have several SOURCES

a SOURCE can be negative (a sink)

a negative SOURCE

NODE TYPE = CLOSED

NODE TYPE =
PRESSURE

OLGA calc. this P

a mass source out of the pipe

SOURCE-out

two PRESSURE NODES

NODE TYPE =
PRESSURE

NODE TYPE =
PRESSURE
Pin

Pout
Pin > Pout

Pin

Pout
Pin < Pout

a WELL
NODE

NODE

TYPE = CLOSED

TYPE = PRESSURE

WELL-1
Pres

Reservoir P & T
PI (productivity index)
Injection index
Gas mass fraction
Water fraction

a WELL cont.

a WELL is essentially a pressure NODE

fluid flows into the well when the bottom hole pressure
is less than the reservoir pressure
a WELL can be positioned anywhere along a pipe
a pipe can have several WELLs
the Advanced Well Module provides numerous
additional options.

Starting the dynamic calculation sequence

Conditions at t = 0 must be available.

They can either be
calculated from user
given
calculated by the
OLGA Steady State OR BE Initial Conditions:
i.e. profiles of T, P,
pre-processor
mass flow,
gas volume fraction,
water cut

Steady State pre-processor

Activated when setting STEADYSTATE = ON in mainkey
OPTIONS
Gives a full steady state solution at time 0
(STARTTIME = ENDTIME = 0 in INTEGRATION gives
only the steady state solution)
The subsequent dynamic simulation will tell you
if the system is stable or not

time

Basic wall heat transfer in OLGA

Standard heat transfer correlations

Averaged fluid properties
Radial heat conduction in pipe walls symmetrical around pipe axis
OLGA calculates heat accumulation in the pipe walls
as well as heat conduction through walls
Tambient

Tambient

Tfluid

Tambient

Tambient

How to represent pipe walls in OLGA

For each wall MATERIAL you specify
> Density
> Cp
> Thermal conductivity.

Tfluid
Tws

Tambient

For improved accuracy you should

specify several layers for each
material layer.
For each WALL you specify
sequences of
MATERIAL and the thickness of each
layer -starting with the innermost layer

Heat transfer cont.

Conduction through pipe walls

Assumptions
One dimensional radial heat conduction
(axial conduction not accounted for)

an example

PIPE_4

PIPE_3
Numerical PIPE
SECTIONS
PIPE_2

PIPE_1

Axial specification of pipe walls in OLGA

PIPE-1

PIPE-2

WALL-a

global

PIPE-3

PIPE-1

PIPE-2

PIPE-3

WALL-a

WALL-B

WALL-a

global with
exception(s)

PIPE-n

PIPE-n

PIPE-1

PIPE-2

PIPE-3

WALL-1

WALL-2

WALL-3

detailed

Axial specification of pipe ambient conditions in

OLGA

Pipe ambient heat transfer parameters may

be specified on 4 levels:

Global i.e. entire network

Branch-wise

Pipe-wise

Section-wise

Axial specification of pipe ambient conditions in OLGA

e.g.: exception for PIPE-2 of BRANCH B-2
PIPE-1

PIPE-2
Tamb-B-22
Vair-B-22

PIPE-3

PIPE-n

Axial specification of pipe ambient conditions in OLGA

e.g. exceptions for
Sections 1 and 2 of PIPE-1 of BRANCH B-3
PIPE-1
Section#1 Section#2 Section#3
Vwater-311 Vwater-312

Temperatures when walls are specified:

You need to specify: Tambient and the outer wall heat
transfer coefficient, directly or indirectly by a fluid velocity.
Tfluid
Tws

Tambient

The temperature in the fluid and in each wall layer

is calculated by solving the general heat
transfer equations:

T
Cp = 2T
t

Applicable for transients

as well as for steady state.

qi
Inner wall heat transfer
coefficient. Calculated
by standard correlations.

Inner wall
surface
temperature

h i ( T ws T fluid )

Assuming one temperature

for the fluid mixture.

Overall heat transfer coefficient; the U-value:

You only need to specify: Tambient and U-value
Tfluid

OLGA calculates: Tfluid

Then the heat flux is:

Tambient

q = U(Tambient -Tfluid)

(W/m)

U-value assumed to be specified wrt.

inner pipe diameter.
Only applicable for steady state.

Fluid properties with standard OLGA

General

The fluid properties are pre-calculated tables as a

function of P and T and for one fluid composition
It follows that the total composition is constant
throughout a fluid table1)
The exact value of a fluid property for a given P and T
is found by interpolating in the relevant property table

1)

The Compositional Tracking module

allows for detailed fluid description as
function of time and position.

Restrictions - limitations with fluid tables

Total composition is assumed constant for one fluid table.
the solution is accurate for steady state co-current flow.
It is more approximate in case of local phase separation, local
mixing and varying sources of different compositions

Well A has
Fluid Table 1

Flowline has
fluid properties ?
Well B has
Fluid Table 2

Compositional Tracking is required in practical

applications when

During a shut-in, fluid re-distribution causes local

composition changes.

350

Compositional Tracking is required in practical

applications when
At steady state flow conditions
gas phase is at its dew point
oil phase is at its bubble point

300

250

After e.g. shutdown oil and gas

segregates and P and T changes
locally

200

150

e.g.oil above its bubble point

gas in its retrograde area

flowing total composition

oil phase
gas phase

100

50

0
-50

50

150

250

350

450

550

650

Black-Oil Module

Tracks Black-oil components (oil, gas and water) described

by a minimum of information:
Specific Gravity of of the oil and gas components
Gas/Oil ratio or equivalent

With water
Specific gravity of the water
Salinity
Watercut

Water is assumed to be inert

no water vapor and no hydrocarbons in liquid water

Properties in the fluid tables

More on Rs: the gas mass fraction

Rs =

mass of gas at P and T

mass of gas + HC-liquid at P and T

e.g. local mass transfer from oil to gas:

mtotHC* in sec tion Rs

=
(kg / m3s)
Vof sec tion
t

thus: Rs (P,T) = constant gives no mass transfer

*includes water vapor in gas

Process equipment with OLGA basic

Separators
Compressors
Heat exchangers
Chokes and Valves (CV)
- critical, sub-critical
Check valves
Controllers
PID,PSV,ESD etc.
Controlled sources and leaks
Pig/plug
Heated walls

OLGA Modules
Water
three-phase flow
Slugtracking
also with water
FEM -Therm
conductive 2-D (radial) heat transfer
integrated with OLGA bundle
grid generator
CompTrack
compositional tracking
MEG-track
allows for hydrate check as function of MEG
conc.

OLGA Modules cont.

Advanced Well
including gas-lift valves and drilling
functions
UBitTS
under Balanced interactive transient
Training Simulator
Multiphase Pumps
positive displacement
rotodynamic
Corrosion
Wax
with pigging

OLGA files
.out
Input File

OLGA

Fluid Properties File

.tab

is reflex of the Input File +

results from OUTPUT

.tpl

Trend Plot File

results from TREND

.ppl

Profile Plot File

results from PROFILE

.plt

Animation Plot File

results from PLOT

.rsw

Restart File

OUTPUT

extract of the
.out file

TREND

Liquid volume
flow as function
of time at a
specific position

PROFILE

Profiles of P and
hold-up for a
flow-line-riser at
t=0

PLOT
Liquid Hold-up
as function of
time along the
flowline-riseranimation by
OLGA-viewer

OLGA execution
.out
OLGA
GUI

OLGA
simulator

.tpl
Input File

PVTsim

Fluid Properties File

.tab

.ppl

.plt

.rsw