Transportation of unprocessed multiphase reservoir fluids from deep/ultra deep offshore through a long subsea tieback/pipeline is inevitable. This form of transportation is complex and requires accurate knowledge of critical transport velocity, flow pattern changes, phase velocity, pressure drop, particle drag & lift forces, sand/liquid/gas holdup, flow rate requirement and tieback sizing etc at the early design phase and during operation for process optimisation. This research investigated sand transport characteristics in multiphase, water‐oil‐gas‐sand flows in horizontal, inclined and vertical pipes. Two critical factors that influence the solid particle transport in the case of multiphase flow in pipes were identified; these are the transient phenomena of flow patterns and the characteristic drag & lift coefficients ( D C , L C ). Therefore, the equations for velocity profile were developed for key flow patterns such as dispersed bubble flow, stratified flow, slug flow and annular flow using a combination of analytical equations and numerical simulation tool (CFD). The existing correlations for D C & L C were modified with data acquired from multiphase experiment in order to account for different flow patterns. Minimum Transport Velocity (MTV) models for suspension and rolling were developed by combining the numerically developed particle velocity profile models with semi‐empirical models for solid particle transport. The models took into account the critical parameters that influence particle transport in pipe flow such as flow patterns and particle drag & lift coefficients, thus eliminate inaccuracies currently experienced with similar models in public domain. The predictions of the proposed MTV models for suspension and rolling in dispersed bubble, slug flow and annular flow show maximum average error margin of 12% when compared with experimental data. The improved models were validated using previously reported experimental data and were shown to have better predictions when compared with existing models in public domain. These models have the potential to solve the problems of pipe and equipment sizing, the risk of sand deposition and bed formation, elimination of costs of sand unloading, downtime and generally improve sand management strategies.

L’érosion éolienne est un phénomène complexe avec des interactions entre la couche limite atmosphérique, le transport des particules et la déformation des dunes. Dans cette thèse des simulations numériques de transport de particules solides sur des dunes fixes ou déformables sont effectuées. L’écoulement turbulent est calculé par des simulations des grandes échelles (LES) couplée avec une méthode de frontières immergées. Les particules solides sont tractées par une approche Lagrangienne. L’entraînement des particules, leur interaction avec la surface et leur dépôt sont pris en compte par des modèles physiques complets d’érosion. D’un point de vue numérique, une méthode de frontières immergées a été introduite pour simuler les écoulements turbulents sur des frontières mouvantes. Le nouveau solveur a été validé en effectuant des comparaison avec les résultats expérimentaux de Simoens et al. (2015) dans le cas d’une colline Gaussienne. D’un point de vue physique, des modèles complets ont été développés pour l’érosion éolienne en se basant sur les forces agissant sur les particules. Des modèles instantanés pour l’envol, le roulement et le glissement des particules sont développés pour initier le mouvement des particules. Leur rebond et le splash sont également pris en compte. Des équations Lagrangiennes sont utilisées pour simuler la trajectoire des particules solides dans l’air. Une équation de transport d’un lit de particules a également été développée pour les cas de glissement et de roulement des particules sur la surface. La déformation de la dune est effectuée en faisant le bilan des particules qui s’envolent et se déposent. Ces modèles ont été validés en comparant les résultats de simulation avec les résultats expérimentaux de Simoens et al. (2015) sur les profils de concentration autour d’une colline Gaussienne. Enfin, des simulations numériques d’une dune sinusoïdale déformable sont effectuées. La forme de la dune simulée est comparée avec les résultats expérimentaux de Ferreira and Fino (2012). Un bon agrément est obtenu a t = 2.0 min, par contre la hauteur de la dune est sous-estimée entre 4.0 min et 6.0 min. Les résultats numériques montrent que la zone de recirculation diminue progressivement quand la dune se déforme. L’érosion, due à l’envol et au splash, est important a l’avant de la dune tandis que les particules se déposent a l’arrière de la dune. Le modèle de splash a été modifié pour prendre en compte l’effet de la pente, ce qui a permis une meilleure estimation de la hauteur de la dune a t = 4.0 min. / Wind erosion is a complex dynamic process consisting in an atmospheric boundary layer, aeolian particle transport, sand dune deformation and their intricate interactions. This thesis undertakes this problems by conducting three-dimensional numerical simulations of solid particle transport over a fixed or deformable sand dune. Turbulent flow is calculated by a developed numerical solver (Large-eddy simulation (LES) coupled with immersed boundary method (IBM)). Solid particle trajectories are tracked by a Lagrangian approach. Particle entrainment, particle-surface interactions and particle deposition are taken into account by physical comprehensive wind erosion models. Firstly, a new numerical solver has been developed to simulate turbulent flows over moving boundaries by introducing the IBM into LES. Two canonical simulation cases of a turbulent boundary layer flow over a Gaussian dune and over a sinusoidal dune are performed to examine the accuracy of the developed solver. Recirculation region characteristics, mean streamwise velocity profiles, Reynolds stress profiles as well as the friction velocity over the dune are presented. In the Gaussian case, a good agreement between experimental data and simulated results demonstrates the numerical ability of the improved solver. In the sinusoidal case, the developed solver with wall modeling over the immersed boundary shows a better performance than the pure one, when a relatively coarse grid is used. Secondly, physical comprehensive modeling of wind erosion is described in detail, based on the forces acting an individual particle. An instantaneous entrainment model for both lifting and rolling-sliding modes is proposed to initialize particle incipient motions. Lagrangian governing equations of aeolian particle motion are presented and used to simulate the trajectories of solid particles. Particularly, Lagrangian governing equations of bed-load particle motion are originally deduced and applied to model the particle rolling-sliding movement on the bed surface. In addition, particle-surface interactions are taken into account by probabilistic rebound/splash models. Thirdly, numerical simulations of particle transport over a fixed Gaussian dune and over a deformable sinusoidal dune are carried out. In the fixed Gaussian case, an overall good agreement on the particle concentration profiles over the dune between the simulated results and the experimental data of Simoens et al. (2015) preliminarily validates the ability and accuracy of the developed numerical solver coupled with physical comprehensive wind erosion models. In the deformable sinusoidal case, the simulated dune shapes are compared with the experimental ones of Ferreira and Fino (2012). A good agreement between them is observed at t = 2.0 min and an obvious underestimate of the dune shape is shown at t = 4.0 min and t = 6.0 min. By analyzing the simulated results, it is shown that the recirculation zone behind the dune is gradually reduced as the dune deforms and that windward erosion and lee side deposition is observed. It is also shown after testing that the splash entrainment is important for the lee side erosion. Moreover, a preliminary attempt is presented to apply an improved splash model with accounting for the bed slope effect to the simulation of sand dune deformation. A better performance on the simulated dune shape is achieved at t = 4.0 min in comparison with the experimental one.