Modeling and Analysis of the Hydraulic–Thermal Coupling System for the Barrier Fluid System in Subsea Boosting Pumps

The barrier fluid system in subsea boosting pumps primarily serves to seal and cool the pumps, representing a critical auxiliary system in subsea oil and gas development. Throughout their entire service life, these pumps experience both steady-state and transient operating conditions, making the monitoring of key parameters in the barrier fluid system essential. However, existing sensor configurations are relatively limited, hindering comprehensive monitoring of various components of the system, which constrains performance evaluation and optimal design. To address the sealing and cooling requirements of subsea boosting pumps, this paper establishes a system-level simulation model of the barrier fluid system based on the AMESim 2021.1 platform. The model captures the flow and pressure relationships among different components and incorporates the pump’s cooling circuit to investigate the thermal management efficiency of the barrier fluid system. Furthermore, integrated control algorithms enable automatic valve operation. The model’s accuracy is validated against measured data, and it can be used for parametric optimization to improve design and enhance overall system performance. Based on the analysis results, the model can identify optimal parameters for the subsea boosting pump barrier fluid system, providing a theoretical foundation for preventing potential issues in subsea boosting operations.