Numerical Predictions of Mild-Steel Corrosion in a H₂S Aqueous Environment Without Protective Product Layers

The corrosion of mild carbon steel in a H₂S aqueous environment without corrosion product layers is predicted using the computational fluid dynamics method. The Abe–Kondoh–Nagano low-Reynolds-number model is applied to predictions of hydrodynamics and mass transfer in a rotating cylinder electrode system. The flow domain in the system is modeled using three-dimensional geometries and meshed by grids with the first near-wall node at the position y⁺ = 0.1. The azimuthal velocity and mass transfer coefficient are predicted and validated with experimental data. User-defined functions based on the electrochemical model of H₂S uniform corrosion are developed and interpreted with software. Corrosion rates of iron in dissolved H₂S aqueous are predicted and compared with experimental data. Predicted corrosion rates are lower than experimental data with a relative error of 4% to 22%. The Abe–Kondoh–Nagano model shows credible and reliable performance in predicting the hydrodynamics, mass transfer, and H₂S corrosion of a rotating cylinder electrode system.