Erosion of pipe bends for multiphase flow: An Overview

Solid particle erosion is the most critical issue of the hydrocarbon industry as sand and other solid particles are naturally produced in the oil and gas production processes. Since sand particle production is natural and inevitable, the prime focus of this research work is to mitigate its devastating effects. Sand and other solid particles can impose several alarming threats to the hydrocarbon industries, but the prime concern of this review article is erosion due to solid particles, like sand and fine particles. Erosion imposes partial and severe damage to flow-changing devices like elbows, tees, bends, and even the entire pipeline system. Solid particle erosion is an ambiguous mechanical phenomenon that is not yet fully understood. Therefore, a depth investigation of all the parameters influencing solid particle erosion in the hydrocarbon industry is most desirable. This review article articulates summarized work done so far in the published literature. Furthermore, the erosion prediction models used in the published research have been discussed extensively. Eventually, limitations in the published research and research gaps for future work are identified to facilitate researchers intending to proceed with the concerned research investigations further.