Transient Study of Carbon Dioxide Transportation Pipeline Rupture and a Novel Approach for the Carbon Dioxide Plume Containment

The safe and efficient operation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipelines is essential for compliance with federal regulations and the operational safety of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects. In this study, we aim to gain insights into the hydraulic conditions and CO₂ phase changes during fullbore rupture and investigate the potential of using pipe-in-pipe configuration to achieve better CO₂ plume containment during this pressure loss event.

In this study, we modeled high-concentration CO₂ with less than 1% impurities using a pressure-enthalpy flashing routine. We applied the transient multiphase flow analysis to model the CO₂ pipeline midpoint fullbore rupture to the atmosphere to predict temperature, pressure, and fluid thermodynamic properties within the pipeline. Key results such as pipe bore temperature profile change over time on either side of the rupture, the minimum temperature locations, and the time to return to ambient temperature were extracted to understand the risk and impact on the pipeline integrity because of the CO₂ pipeline rupture. Then the investigation of the use of eccentric pipe-in-pipe systems for hydraulic changes in the event of a pipeline rupture was carried out. Based on the results, the potential of using the casing pipe to contain the leaked CO₂ and prevent CO₂ plumes from escaping into the atmosphere was explored.