Simplified dynamic models for control of riser slugging in offshore oil production

Elaborated models such as those used for simulation purposes (e.g. OLGA simulator) cannot be used for model-based control design. The focus of this paper is on deriving simple dynamical models with few state variables that capture the essential behaviour for control. We propose a new simplified dynamic model for severe slugging flow in pipeline-riser systems. The proposed model, together with five other simplified models found in the literature, are compared with results from the OLGA simulator. The new model can be extended to other cases, and we consider also a well-pipeline-riser system. The proposed simple models are able to represent the main dynamics of severe slugging flow and compare well with OLGA simulations and experiments.