Open Access

ARTICLE

CFD Investigation of Solid CO₂ Formation and Dispersion in High-Pressure Pipeline Leakage Events

Hai Yang¹, Chao Yang¹, Guoyong Sui¹, Wendi Yang¹, Zongkai Han¹, Dan Guo^2,*

1 Technology Inspection Center of Shengli Oilfield, SINOPEC, Dongying, China
2 School of Petroleum Engineering, Shandong Institute of Petroleum and Chemical Technology, Dongying, China

* Corresponding Author: Dan Guo. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Theoretical Foundations and Applications of Multiphase Flow in Pipeline Engineering)

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2026, 22(7), 5 https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2026.082466

Received 16 March 2026; Accepted 30 June 2026; Issue published 31 July 2026

Abstract

This study investigates the leakage and dispersion behavior of high-pressure CO₂ in long-distance pipelines using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with a regional-scale modeling framework. The influence of key operational and environmental parameters, including transport temperature, pressure, pipeline diameter, leak orifice size, and ambient wind speed, is systematically examined, with particular emphasis on their role in governing the spatial extent of solid CO₂ formation. The results indicate that the evolution of the leakage flow field is governed by a strong coupling between thermodynamic effects and fluid dynamic processes. Elevated temperatures delay the formation of the Mach disk structure, while higher pressures enhance jet momentum, suppress turbulent mixing, and consequently slow the decay of CO₂ concentration. Smaller pipeline and leak diameters promote the development of deep, localized low-temperature cores due to reduced thermal inertia. In contrast, increased wind speeds significantly enhance convective heat and momentum exchange, accelerating both dispersion and warming of the CO₂ plume. Overall, the temperature and pressure state of the transported CO₂ emerges as the primary internal control on dry ice formation, whereas geometric constraints and atmospheric conditions govern the accumulation and transport of cold energy. The findings highlight critical risk conditions associated with low transport temperatures, high operating pressures, small leak diameters, and low-wind environments, which collectively favor the formation of extended solid CO₂ deposition zones.

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Keywords

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