PR593-22700-R01 Predictive Tool for Critical Velocity for Configuration 3 and 4

This report describes the work done at McGill University under contract with PRCI and Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI) on modeling the dynamics of the brine string in solution-mined caverns in salt formations, under excitation by the internal fluid flow and reverse external axial flow around the brine string. Specifically, two flow configurations are studied: Configuration 3, in which the fluid flows down the brine string, discharging at its free end; this forces fluid in the cavern to flow upwards in the annulus around the upper end of the string. In Configuration 4, the flow directions are reversed. Modeling for Configurations 3 and 4 has been successfully completed, predicting the critical flow velocities leading to instability of the brine string, and pertinent software has been generated and tested. In both configurations, the brine string, well, and cavern are represented as a dual-fluid system, with brine and product separated at an interface level.

The primary audience for this work includes engineers, operators, and researchers responsible for the design and safe operation of underground storage facilities. This tool enables engineers to evaluate the effects of geometry, material properties, fluid characteristics, and operating conditions on brine string stability.