Numerical solution of the problem was implemented in Frost 3D Universal software, with a computational mesh of 58.5 million nodes, to predict ground thaw under the influence of the pipeline. A 2-year simulation of the ground thaw around the pipeline was performed. The computation in Frost 3D Universal software on a quad-core CPU took approximately 70 hours and used 17 GB of RAM. We had already simulated this model before with less detailed discretization: the mesh consisted of 22.3 million nodes and this wasn’t enough to enable us to factor in small elements such as thin heat insulators. Using an NVIDIA Titan graphics accelerator, the prediction of ground thaw over a 20-year period took about 7 hours.
The model of a lengthy section of a gas pipeline
The specific nature of the current problem – simulation of the ground thaw formation along a 500-meter section of the oil pipeline, 1.2 meters in diameter – rendered a large computational mesh necessary. This section is characterized by a complex geological-lithological structure of grounds, which also includes layers of ice deposits. A total of 21 ground typologies with various thermophysical properties were revealed in this section alone. Altitude differences in the daylight surface of 35 meters were also taken into account.