Patent Publication Number: US-2018051549-A1

Title: Erosion management system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/131,639, entitled “Erosion Prediction &amp; Warning System”, filed Mar. 11, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/173,740, entitled “Erosion Predicting &amp; Warning System,” filed Jun. 10, 2015, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Natural resources, such as oil and gas, are a common source of fuel for a variety of applications, such as heating homes, powering vehicles, and generating electrical power, for example. Mineral (e.g., oil, gas, and/or hydrocarbon) extraction systems are typically employed to access, extract, and otherwise harvest desired natural resources, such as oil, gas, and/or hydrocarbon, that are located in a reservoir below the surface of the earth. For example, a mineral extraction system may include one or more wellhead assemblies and Christmas trees for controlling the flow of a production fluid including oil, gas, and/or hydrocarbon out of a well. In some instances, the production fluid may also include solids, such as sand. The solids in the production fluid may erode equipment (e.g., piping, valves, etc.) of the mineral extraction system, which may reduce wall thickness of the equipment, damage or remove protective layers on the equipment, and/or reduce the life of the equipment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying figures in which like characters represent like parts throughout the figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a mineral extraction system with an erosion management system; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an embodiment of an erosion management system; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an embodiment of an erosion management system coupled to a wellhead system; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a method for managing erosion of a mineral extraction system based on erosion parameters; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method for managing erosion of a mineral extraction system based on erosion rate; and 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method for managing erosion of a mineral extraction system based on predicted erosion parameters. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of the present disclosure. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features of the embodiments may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form, and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and conciseness. Although one or more embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed may be employed separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Any use of any form of the terms “connect,” “engage,” “couple,” “attach,” or any other term describing an interaction between elements is intended to mean either an indirect or a direct interaction between the elements described. 
     Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function, unless specifically stated. 
     The present disclosure is directed to embodiments of an erosion management system configured to monitor (e.g., oversee) erosion of one or more components of a mineral (e.g., oil, gas, and/or hydrocarbon) extraction system. For example, the erosion management system may be configured to monitor and determine one or more erosion parameters for the one or more components, such as a rate of erosion, an amount of accumulated erosion, a wall thickness of the respective component, a thickness of protective layers on the respective coating, and so forth. In order to determine and monitor the erosion parameters, the erosion management system may include a controller that receives feedback (e.g., signals, data, etc.) from one or several flow meters and sensors of the mineral extraction system. The controller or another device (e.g., computer) may use the feedback in algorithms, modeling programs, and/or lookup tables to determine the one or more erosion parameters. 
     Additionally, in some embodiments, the erosion management system may be configured to monitor and determine one or more predictive erosion parameters based on the one or more erosion parameters. For example, the erosion management system may determine a remaining usable life of the respective component based on the one or more erosion parameters. Further, in certain embodiments, the erosion management system may be configured to provide recommendations to a user based on the one or more erosion parameters and/or the one or more predictive erosion parameters. For example, the erosion management system may provide recommendations to adjust a flow rate of a fluid (e.g., a production fluid) to reduce the erosion rate and/or to increase the remaining useable life of a component. In some embodiments, the erosion management system may provide recommendations based on inputs from a user. For example, a user may input a desired or target life of a component, and the erosion management system may recommend one or more actions that, if executed by the user, may enable use of the component for the duration of the desired or target life. In some embodiments, the erosion management system may automatically adjust one or more parameters of the mineral extraction system, such as a flow rate of a production fluid, to reduce the erosion rate and/or to achieve a desired useable life of a component. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a mineral extraction system  10  with an erosion management system  12  that determines and monitors one or more parameters or conditions of the mineral extraction system  10 . For example, as described in more detail below, the erosion management system  12  may determine or monitor one or more erosion parameters for one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as a rate of erosion, an amount of accumulated erosion, a wall thickness of the respective component, a remaining usable life of the respective component, and so forth. Additionally, as described in more detail below, the erosion management system  12  may provide recommendations to a user, monitoring system, or control system relating to recommended adjustments for one or more parameters of the mineral extraction system  10  and/or may automatically adjust one or more parameters of the mineral extraction system  10  based on the determined erosion parameters (e.g., via a control system). 
     The mineral extraction system  10  may be configured to extract various minerals and natural resources, including hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and/or natural gas), from the earth. In some embodiments, the mineral extraction system  10  may be land-based (e.g., a surface system). In certain embodiments, the mineral extraction system  10  may be subsea (e.g., a subsea system). As illustrated, the mineral extraction system  10  may include a surface vessel  14 , such as a rig or platform, generally located at a surface  16  of the earth. 
     Additionally, the mineral extraction system  10  may include one or more wellhead systems  18  located at a depth or distance below the surface  16 . Each wellhead system  18  may include a wellhead  20  coupled to a production tree  22  (e.g., Christmas tree). The wellhead systems  18  may each couple to a well  24  that enables extraction of a production fluid containing minerals and natural resources, such as hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and/or natural gas), from a subterranean reservoir  26 . In some embodiments, one or more of the production trees  22  may be coupled to a common manifold  28  by a jumper  30  (e.g., hose, pipe, tubing, flow line, etc.). Production fluids extracted from the wells  24  may flow from the production trees  20  to the manifold  28  via the jumpers  30 . The manifold  28  may direct the production fluids to the surface vessel  14  through one or more risers  32  for collection and/or processing. In some embodiments, one or more production trees  22  may be coupled to (e.g., directly coupled to) a riser that directs the production fluids to the surface vessel  14 . 
     Additionally, the mineral extraction system  10  may include components to control the extraction and production processes from the wells  24 . For example, the mineral extraction system  10  may include one or more fluid control devices  34  (e.g., valves, chokes, choke actuators, etc.) configured to control the flow of the production fluid. For example, the fluid control devices  34  may be configured to adjust the flow rate of the production fluid. In some embodiments, the manifold  28  and each production tree  24  may include and/or may be coupled to a fluid control device  34 . Further, in some embodiments, each wellhead system  18  (e.g., each wellhead  20  and/or each production tree  22 ) may include one or more chemical injection metering devices (e.g., chemical injection metering valves (CIMV))  36  configured to inject one or more chemicals into the production fluid flow from the wells  24 . In some embodiments, mineral extraction system  10  may include CIMVs  36  in the manifold  28 , the riser  32 , and/or other locations in the hydrocarbon extraction system  10 . 
     During extraction operations, additional substances, such as water and solids (e.g., solid particulates, sand, sediment, rock fragments, etc.), may flow out of the wells  24  with the hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and/or natural gas) in the production fluid flow. For example, solids may be present in the production fluid due to the characteristics of the reservoir  26 , such as the strength and/or porosity of the reservoir  26 . Additionally, solids may be present in the production fluid if the drawdown pressure (e.g., the differential pressure between the reservoir  26  and the wellhead system  16 ) is too high. The solids in the production fluid may erode one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the wellheads  20 , the production trees  22 , the manifold  28 , the fluid control devices  34 , and so forth. For example, the solids in the production fluid may reduce the wall thickness (e.g., pipe thickness) of the components and/or may wear through erosion-protective layers on the components. The erosion from the solids in the production fluid may damage and/or reduce the useable life of various components in the mineral extraction system  10 , which may increase the downtime and expense of the mineral extraction system  10  associated with repairing and/or replacing the various components. While the embodiments described below relate to solids in a production fluid, it should be appreciated that the present techniques for monitoring and controlling erosion may be applied to any suitable fluid including solids or erosive particles. 
     As described below, the erosion management system  12  may determine and monitor one or more erosion parameters of one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the wellheads  20 , the production trees  22 , the manifold  28 , and/or the fluid control devices  34 . For example, the one or more erosion parameters of a component may include the rate of erosion of the component, an amount of accumulated erosion of the component (e.g., the reduction in wall thickness of the component and/or the reduction in the thickness of protective layers on the component), the wall thickness of the component, the thickness of protective layers on the component, and so forth. Additionally, as described below, the erosion management system  12  may be configured to determine and monitor one or more predictive erosion parameters of the one or more components based at least in part on the one or more erosion parameters. For example, the one or more predictive erosion parameters of a component may include a remaining useable life of the component. Additionally, as described below, the erosion management system  12  may provide recommendations to a user and/or may automatically adjust one or more parameters of the mineral extraction system  10  based on the one or more erosion parameters. In particular, the erosion management system  12  may provide recommendations and/or adjust parameters of the mineral extraction system  10  to reduce, block, or minimize erosion to one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10 . 
     In order to determine and monitor the erosion parameters and/or the predictive erosion parameters of the mineral extraction system  10 , the erosion management system  12  may include sensors  38  (e.g., erosion detectors, solid particulate detectors, sand detectors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, conductivity probes, optical sensors, salinity sensors, water sensors, etc.), flow meters  40  (e.g., multi-phase flow meter, wet-gas flow meter, etc.), and a controller  42 . For example, as described below, the sensors  38  may measure and/or generate feedback relating to erosion, a mass flow of solids in the production fluid flow, a concentration and/or amount of solids in the production fluid flow, temperature, pressure, conductivity, salinity, water content (e.g., water cut) in the production fluid flow, or any other suitable parameter. Additionally, the flow meters  40  may measure the flow rate of a fluid (e.g., the production fluid). Further, as described below, the controller  42  may be configured to determine erosion parameters and/or predictive erosion parameters based at least in part on feedback from the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40 . 
     The sensors  38  and the flow meters  40  may be placed in different locations in the mineral extraction system  10 . For example, in some embodiments, the sensors  38  and/or the flow meters  40  may be disposed in and/or adjacent to one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the wellhead systems  18  (e.g., the wellhead  20  and/or the production tree  22 ), the manifold  28 , the jumpers  30 , the riser  32 , and/or other locations in the mineral extraction system  10 . In certain embodiments, the sensors  38  and/or flow meters  40  may be mounted on a pipe section (e.g., a bore) downstream of a bend, a change (e.g., reduction) in cross-sectional area, or other point that may be susceptible to erosion from solids in the production fluid. Further, in some embodiments, one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10  may include multiple sensors  38  and/or multiple flow meters  40  disposed about different locations of the respective component. By providing the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40  in multiple locations in the mineral extraction system  10 , the erosion management system  12  may provide precise monitoring and/or targeted control of erosion throughout the mineral extraction system  10 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the erosion management system  12 . As illustrated, the erosion management system  12  may include the controller  42  (e.g., one or more controllers) that may be configured communicate with and/or control the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40 . Additionally, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may be configured to communicate with and/or control the flow control devices  34  (e.g., chokes, choke actuators, etc.), and the CIMVs  36 . The controller  42  may be operatively coupled to the sensors  38 , the flow meters  40 , the flow control devices  34 , and/or the CIMVs  36  via any suitable communication link, such as, for example, RS-422, RS-435, RS-485, Ethernet, controller area network (CAN) (e.g., CAN bus, CANopen), optical fibers, and/or wireless communication. 
     As described below, the controller  42  may include one or more processors  60  that are configured (e.g., programmed) to access and execute instructions stored by one or more memories  62  (e.g., tangible, non-transitory memory devices) to control the erosion management system  12 . Additionally, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may include a user interface  66  (e.g., an input and/or output device) configured to receive inputs from a user and/or to provide user-perceivable indications related to the mineral extraction system  10  and/or the erosion management system  12 . For example, the user interface  66  may include a display, a speaker, a keyboard, a mouse, buttons, switches, a workstation, a computer, a handheld device, and so forth. 
     During operation, the controller  42  may receive feedback (e.g., data, signals, etc.) from the various sensors  38 . As illustrated, in some embodiments, the sensors  38  may include one or more erosion detectors  68  (e.g., solid particulate detectors, sand detectors, etc.), one or more pressure sensors  70 , one or more temperature sensors  72 , one or more fluid density meters  74  (e.g., fluid densitometers). However, as noted above, the erosion management system  12  may include any suitable sensors  38 , such as water sensors, conductivity sensors, salinity sensors, optical sensors, and so forth. In some embodiments, the pressure sensor  70  and the temperature sensor  72  may be combined (e.g., a pressure and temperature transmitter (PTTx)). Additionally, the controller  42  may receive feedback from the various flow meters  40  (e.g., multi-phase flow meter, wet-gas flow meter, etc.). In some embodiments, the multi-phase flow meters  40  may measure the full three-phase performance over the entire gas volume fraction (GVF) and water liquid ratio (WLR) ranges. 
     Further, as described below, the controller  42  may send control signals to the CIMVs  36  and/or the flow control devices  34  to control the erosion management system  12 . For example, the controller  42  may send control signals to the CIMVs  36  to cause the CIMVs  36  to inject one or more chemicals into the production fluid flow and/or to adjust a flow rate of one or more chemicals injected into the production fluid flow. Additionally, the controller  42  may send control signals the flow control devices  34  to cause the flow control devices  34  to adjust a flow rate of the production fluid. In some embodiments, the flow control devices  34  may include a choke  76  operatively coupled to a choke actuator  78 . The choke  76  may be configured to adjust the flow rate of the production fluid based on control signals from the choke actuator  78 . Accordingly, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may send control signals to the choke actuator  78  to control the choke  76 . 
     The controller  42  may determine measurement data (e.g., parameters of the mineral extraction system  10 ) based on the feedback from the sensors  38  and/or the feedback from the flow meters  40 . In some embodiments, the measurement data may include real-time or substantially real-time measurement data. In particular, the measurement data may include parameters or characteristics of a fluid flow of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the production fluid. For example, the controller  42  may determine the pressure of the production fluid based on feedback from the pressure sensors  70 , the temperature of the production fluid based on feedback from the temperature sensors  72 , and the density of the production fluid based on feedback from the fluid density meter  74 . In some embodiments, mineral extraction system  10  may include additional sensors  38  (e.g., salinity sensors, water sensors, conductivity sensors, optical sensors, etc.), and the controller  42  may determine additional parameters of the production fluid flow, such as the salinity, water content, composition, conductivity, and so forth. Further, the controller  42  may be configured to determine the flow rate and/or mass flow of the production fluid based on feedback from the flow meters  40 . In some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the flow rate and/or mass flow of the liquids in the production fluid and the flow rate and/or mass flow of the gases in the production fluid based on feedback from the flow meters  40 . 
     Further, the controller  42  may determine one or more parameters related to solids (e.g., solid particulates, sand, sediment, rock fragments, etc.) in the production fluid based on feedback from the erosion detectors  68  relating to solids in the production fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may generate feedback relating to the mass flow of solids in the production fluid. In certain embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may be generate feedback relating to a proportion, a concentration, a percentage, and/or an amount of solids in the production fluid. In some embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may generate feedback (e.g., output signals) relating to a velocity of solids in the production fluid, such as an impact velocity of solids in the production fluid impacting a surface of a component of the mineral extraction system  10 . Accordingly, the controller  42  may be configured determine the mass flow of solids in the production fluid, the amount of solids in the production fluid, and/or the velocity of the solids in the production fluid, which may be collectively referred to as erosion measurement data, based at least in part on the feedback from the erosion detectors  68 . For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may use the feedback in one or more algorithms, look-up tables, databases, or models to determine erosion measurement data. 
     The erosion detectors  68  may be any suitable type of sensor configured to generate feedback relating to the solids in the production fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may include acoustic detectors  80  (e.g., acoustic sand detectors) configured to detect acoustic signals and to convert the detected acoustic signals to an output signal. The characteristics of the acoustic signals, such as amplitude and frequency, and therefore, the characteristics of the output signals, may vary based on the mass flow of solids in the production fluid, the amount of solids in the production fluid, and/or the velocity of the solids in the production fluid. Accordingly, the controller  42  may be configured determine the mass flow of solids in the production fluid, the amount of solids in the production fluid, and/or the velocity of the solids in the production fluid, which may be collectively referred to as erosion measurement data, based at least in part on the output signals from the acoustic detectors  80 . In some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the erosion measurement data based at least in part on the output signals and the location of the acoustic detectors  80  in the mineral extraction system  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may include electrical resistance detectors  82  configured to generate output signals based on the electrical resistance of the electrical resistance detectors  82 , which may vary based on an extent or degree of erosion of the electrical resistance detectors  82 . In particular, the electrical resistance detectors  82  may include a sensing element covered (e.g., protected) by an electrically insulated material. In operation, solids from the production fluid may impinge upon the electrically insulated material, which may erode (e.g., wear) the electrically insulated material and may expose the sensing element to the production fluid. The resistance of the sensing element may vary based on the extent or degree of exposure of the sensing element (e.g., the degree of erosion). In some embodiments, the electrical resistance detectors  82  may also include a reference sensing element, which may be disposed on a protected portion of the electrical resistance detector  82  that is protected or blocked from exposure to the production fluid and may generate a reference signal related to the resistance of the reference sensing element. Accordingly, the controller  42  may be configured determine the erosion measurement data based at least in part on the resistance of the sensing element and, optionally, the resistance of the reference sensing element from the electrical resistance detectors  82 . 
     In certain embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may include pressure sensors  84  (e.g., piezoelectric sensors) that may be configured to generate output signals based on detected pressure, which may vary based on the mass flow of solids impacting the pressure sensors  84 . Accordingly, the controller  42  may be configured determine the erosion measurement data based at least in part on the pressure detected by the pressure sensors  84 . Further, in some embodiments, the erosion detectors  68  may include optical sensors  86 , which may be configured to emit and detect one or more wavelengths of light corresponding to absorption peaks of one or more components of the production fluid, such as solids, water, oil, and/or natural gas. The controller  24  may be configured to determine the amounts (e.g., proportion) of solids and/or other components in the production fluid flow based on the detected light (e.g., reflected light). 
     Further, the controller  42  may be configured determine one or more erosion parameters for one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the wellheads  20 , the production trees  22 , the flow control devices  34  (e.g., the chokes  76 ), the manifold  28 , the jumpers  30 , and/or the risers  38 . As noted above, the one or more erosion parameters may include the rate of erosion of the component, the accumulated erosion of the component (e.g., a reduction in wall thickness of the component and/or a reduction in the thickness of protective layers of the component), the wall thickness of the component, and/or the thickness of the protective layers of the component. In particular, the controller  42  may determine the erosion parameters based at least in part on the measurement data, such as the mass flow of solids in the production fluid, the amount of solids in the production fluid, the velocity of the solids in the production fluid, the flow rate of the production fluid, the density of the production fluid (e.g., the density of the liquid phase of the production fluid), the temperature of the production fluid, any other suitable parameter, or any combination thereof. In order to determine the one or more erosion parameters, the controller  42  may be configured to use the measurement data with one or more modeling programs, algorithms, look-up tables, databases, user inputs from the user interface  66 , or any combination thereof. For example, the controller  42  may include one or more modeling programs, algorithms, look-up tables, and/or databases stored in the memory  62  that the processor  60  executes or accesses to determine the erosion parameters. 
     In some embodiments, the controller  42  may execute one or more algorithms to determine the erosion rate. For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine erosion rate using the following equation: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
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     where Ė L  is the erosion rate in millimeters (mm) per year (mm/yr), {dot over (m)} p  is the mass flow of solids in kilograms (kg) per second (s) (kg/s), K is a material constant (e.g., of the respective component) in meters (m) per second (m/s), U p   n  is the impact velocity of the solids (e.g., the velocity or flow rate of the fluid) in m/s, F(α) is a function characterizing the ductility of the material (e.g., of the respective component), ρ l  is the density of the liquid phase in kg/m 3 , A t  is the area exposed to corrosion in m 2 , and C unit  is a unit conversion factor converting m/s to mm/year. 
     As discussed above, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the mass flow of the solids ({dot over (m)} p ) based on feedback from one or more erosion detectors  68 . As noted above, in certain embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the amount (e.g., proportion, percentage, concentration, etc.) of solids in the production fluid based on feedback from one or more erosion detectors  68 . In such embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the mass flow of the solids ({dot over (m)} p ) based on the amount of solids in the production fluid and the flow rate of the production fluid. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the mass flow of the solids ({dot over (m)} p ) based on the amount of solids in the production fluid, the flow rate of the production fluid, and an average mass of the solids. In some embodiments, the average mass may be an assumed (e.g., estimated) value stored in the memory  62  and/or inputted by a user via the user interface  66 . In certain embodiments, the memory  62  may store a plurality of assumed values, where each assumed value is specific for a particular reservoir  26 , and the controller  42  may select an assumed value based on the reservoir  26  accessed by the mineral extraction system  10 . In certain embodiments, the average mass may be a measured value (e.g., from a subsea sample), which may be inputted by a user via the user interface  66 . 
     Further, the controller  42  may determine the impact velocity of the solids (U p   n ) (e.g., the flow rate of the production fluid) based feedback from one or more flow meters  40  and may determine the density of the liquid phase of the production fluid (ρ l ) based on feedback from the fluid density meter  74 . In some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the material constant (K), the ductility function (F(α)), and the area exposed to erosion (A t ) using the modeling programs, look-up tables, databases, and/or user inputs from the user interface  66 . For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may use the location of the erosion detectors  68  and the flow meters  40  that provided the feedback to determine erosion rate for a particular component of the mineral extraction system  10  in a model, a look-up table, and/or a database to determine the material constant (K), the ductility function (F(α)), and the area exposed to erosion (A t ). 
     As noted above, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the accumulated erosion of the component (e.g., a reduction in wall thickness of the component and/or a reduction in the thickness of protective layers of the component), the wall thickness of the component, and/or the thickness of the protective layers of the component. In particular, the controller  42  may determine these erosion parameters based on the determined erosion rate and based on assumed (e.g., estimated) and/or known characteristics of the component, such as an initial wall thickness of the component and/or an initial thickness of protective layers on the component. Specifically, the controller  42  may determine the integral of the erosion rate and the period of time to determine a depth or thickness of a wall (e.g., surface) of the component that may be eroded over the period of time. Further, the controller  42  may subtract the accumulated erosion from the initial wall thickness or the initial thickness of the protective layers to determine the wall thickness and the thickness of the protective layers, respectively, at the end of the period of time. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may use the location of the erosion detectors  68  and the flow meters  40  that provided the feedback to determine erosion rate for the respective component in one or more models, look-up tables, and/or databases to determine the assumed and/or known characteristics. In certain embodiments, the controller may determine the assumed and/or known characteristics based on inputs from a user via the user interface  66 . 
     In some embodiments, the controller  42  may use one or more models, algorithms, look-up tables, and/or databases to determine one or more predictive erosion parameters for one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10  based on determined erosion parameters for the respective component. As noted above, in some embodiments, the predictive erosion parameters may include the erosion rate, the accumulated erosion, the wall thickness, and/or the thickness of protective layers at a predetermined time in the future. In some embodiments, the predetermined time may be selected by the controller  42  or inputted by a user via the user interface  66 . 
     For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the erosion rate at a predetermined time in the future by inputting a current (e.g., real-time or substantially real-time) value of the erosion rate (or current values of the parameters used to determine erosion rate) in a model that predicts or estimates changes in the production fluid over time that may alter the erosion rate. For example, over time, the flow rate of the production fluid extracted from the well  24  may decrease. Further, in some instances, the composition of the production fluid extracted from the well  24  may change over time. For example, the amount or oil and/or natural gas in the production fluid may decrease and the amount of water and/or solids in the production fluid may increase over time, which may decrease the density of the production fluid. As noted above, the erosion rate may be based on the flow rate of the production fluid, the density of the production fluid, and the amount (e.g., mass flow) of the solids in the production fluid. Accordingly, the controller  42  may use a model that predicts or estimates changes in the flow rate of the production fluid, changes in the density of the production fluid, and/or changes in the amount of solids in the production fluid to provide a more accurate predictive value of erosion rate. 
     Further, the controller  42  may determine the accumulated erosion, the wall thickness, and/or the thickness of protective layers at a predetermined time in the future (e.g., at the end of a predetermined period of time) based on the predicted value of the erosion rate over the predetermined period of time and one or more assumed and/or known characteristics of the component. Specifically, the controller  42  may determine the integral of the predicted erosion rate and the period of time to determine the predicted accumulated erosion. Further, the controller  42  may subtract the predicted accumulated erosion from the initial wall thickness or the initial thickness of the protective layers to determine the predicted wall thickness and the predicted thickness of the protective layers, respectively, at the end of the period of time. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may determine the accumulated erosion, the wall thickness, and/or the thickness of protective layers at a predetermined time in the future based on a current value of the erosion rate of over the predetermined period of time and one or more assumed and/or known characteristics of the component. For example, the controller  42  may assume that the erosion rate remains constant over the period of time, and the controller  42  may multiply the current erosion rate by the period of time to determine the predicted accumulated erosion. 
     Further, in some embodiments, the predictive erosion parameters may include a predicted remaining useful life of the component. In some embodiments, the remaining useful life of the component may be based on a minimum wall thickness threshold for the component or a minimum protective layer thickness threshold for the component. That is, the controller  42  may determine that the component has reached the end of its useful life in response to a determination that the wall thickness of the component is less than or equal to the minimum wall thickness threshold and/or in response to a determination that the protective layer thickness is less than or equal to the minimum protective layer thickness threshold. In some embodiments, the memory  62  may store a plurality of thresholds for the minimum wall thicknesses and/or the protective layer thicknesses, where each threshold is specific for a particular component of the mineral extraction system  10  and/or a particular location of a particular component of the mineral extraction system  10 . Accordingly, the controller  42  may be configured to select suitable thresholds from the memory  62  based on the location of the erosion detectors  38  and the flow meters  40  that provided the feedback. In some embodiments, the minimum wall thickness threshold and/or the minimum protective layer thickness threshold may be inputted by a user via the user interface  66 . 
     The controller  42  may be configured to determine the predicted remaining life based on one or more predicted values of the erosion rate. In particular, the controller  42  may be configured to use one or more predicted values of the erosion rate in one or more models or algorithms to estimate when the wall thickness of the component will likely be minimum protective layer thickness threshold and/or when the protective layer thickness will likely be less than or equal to the minimum protective layer thickness threshold. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may use a current value of the erosion rate as the predicted erosion rate. In certain embodiments, the controller  42  may predict the erosion rate over time using one or more models, as discussed above. 
     Further, as discussed in more detail below, the controller  42  may be configured to provide one or more recommendations to a user and/or to automatically adjust one or more parameters of the mineral extraction system  10  based on the erosion parameters and/or the predicted erosion parameters. For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display a recommendation to decrease the flow rate of the production fluid to decrease the erosion rate and/or to increase the remaining useful life of the component. In certain embodiments, the controller  42  may control the choke  76  to decrease the flow rate of the production fluid decrease the flow rate of the production fluid to decrease the erosion rate and/or to increase the remaining useful life of the component. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the erosion management system  12  coupled to a wellhead system  18 . As explained above, the erosion management system  12  may enable precise monitoring and/or targeted control of erosion throughout the mineral extraction system  10 , which may reduce damage to components of the mineral extraction system  10 , as well as the downtime and expense associated with repairing and/or replacing damaged components. Accordingly,  FIG. 3  illustrates erosion monitoring of a specific wellhead system  18 . 
     As illustrated, the wellhead system  18  includes the wellhead  20  and the production tree  22  to extract a production fluid including hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and/or natural gas) from the reservoir  26  via the well  24 . The wellhead  20  may include a wellhead hub  100 , which generally includes a large diameter hub disposed at the termination of the well  24 . The wellhead hub  100  may connect the wellhead  20  to the well  24 . Additionally, the wellhead  20  may include a casing spool  102 , a tubing spool  104 , and a hanger  106 . 
     The production tree  22  may include a variety of flow paths (e.g., bores), valves, fittings, and controls for operating the well  24 . For example, the production tree  22  may include a tree bore  108 , which may provide fluid communication with the well  24 . Additionally, the production fluid extracted from the well  24  may be regulated and routed via the production tree  22 . For example, as noted above, the production tree  22  may couple to the jumper  30  that is coupled to the manifold  28 . The tree bore  108  may provide for completion and workover procedures, such as the insertion of tools (e.g., the hanger  106 ). Further, as illustrated, the tree bore  108  may include multiple flow paths in some embodiments. Additionally, the production tree  22  may include the choke  76  and the choke actuator  78  to control the flow rate of the production fluid. In some embodiments, the choke  76  and/or the choke actuator  78  may be disposed in the production tree  22  (e.g., in the tree bore  108 ). Further, in some embodiments, the production tree  22  may include one or more CIMVs  36  to inject one or more chemical additives into the production fluid flow. 
     The tubing spool  104  may provide a base for the production tree  22 . The tubing spool  104  includes a tubing spool bore  110 , and the casing spool  102  includes a casing spool bore  112 . The tubing spool bore  110  and the casing spool bore  112  connect (e.g., enables fluid communication between) the tree bore  108  and the well  24 . Further, the hanger  106  may include a hanger bore  114  that is in fluid communication with the casing spool bore  112  and the well  24 . 
     As noted above, the production fluid may include solids, which may erode components of the mineral extraction system  10 . For example, the production fluid may erode inner walls  116  (e.g., inner surfaces) of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the inner walls  116  defining the tree bore  108 , the tubing spool bore  110 , the casing spool bore  112 , and/or the hanger bore  114 , which may reduce the thickness of the inner walls  116 . In some embodiments, one or more components of the mineral extraction system  10  may include one or more protective layers  118  disposed on the inner walls  116  to provide protection against erosion. For example, the wellhead system,  18  may include protective layers  118  disposed on the inner walls  116  defining the tree bore  108 , the tubing spool bore  110 , the casing spool bore  112 , and/or the hanger bore  114 . 
     To monitor and/or reduce erosion, the wellhead system  18  may include one or more sensors  38  (e.g., the erosion detectors  68 , the pressure sensors  70 , the temperature sensors  72 , the fluid density meters  74 , etc.) and one or more flow meters  40  to generate feedback that may be used by the controller  42  to determine the erosion parameters and/or the predictive erosion parameters. The sensors  38  and the flow meters  40  may be disposed in any suitable location of the wellhead system  18  (e.g., disposed in the production fluid flow). For example, in some embodiments, the sensors  38  and/or and flow meters  40  may be disposed in along pipes in areas that are prone to erosion, such as near (e.g., upstream, downstream, or centered about) a bend or corner, near a change (e.g., reduction) in cross-sectional area, and so forth. As illustrated, in some embodiments, a flow meter  40  may be disposed in the tree bore  108  and upstream from the choke  76 . In certain embodiments, the flow meter  40  may be disposed in the tubing spool bore  110 , the casing spool bore  112 , and/or the hanger bore  114 . Further, it should be noted that the wellhead system  18  may include multiple flow meters  40 , which may be disposed in different locations about the wellhead system  18 . 
     In some embodiments, the wellhead system  18  may include one or more pressure sensors  70 , one or more temperature sensors  72 , and/or one or more fluid density meters  74  disposed in the tree bore  108 , tubing spool bore  110 , the casing spool bore  112 , and/or the hanger bore  114 . As illustrated, in some embodiments, a pressure sensor  70 , a temperature sensor  72 , and a fluid density meter  74  may be disposed in the tree bore  108  proximate to the flow meter  40  (e.g., upstream from the choke  76 ). In certain embodiments, the wellhead system  18  may additionally or alternatively include a pressure sensor  70 ; a temperature sensor  72 , and a fluid density meter  40  in the tree bore  108  downstream from the choke  76 . 
     Further, the wellhead system  18  may include one or more erosion detectors  68 . In some embodiments, one or more erosion detectors  68  may be located in the tree bore  108 , tubing spool bore  110 , the casing spool bore  112 , and/or the hanger bore  114 . For example, in some embodiments, one or more electrical resistance detectors  82  may be disposed in the tree bore  108  upstream and/or downstream from the choke  76 . In certain embodiments, one or more acoustic detectors  80  may be disposed in the tree bore  108  upstream and/or downstream from the choke  76 . In certain embodiments, acoustic detectors  80  may be disposed in (e.g., in the frame of) the production tree  22 , the tubing spool  104 , the hanger  106 , the casing spool  102 , and/or the wellhead hub  100 . Further, in some embodiments, acoustic detectors may be external and adjacent to the production tree  22 , the tubing spool  104 , the hanger  106 , the casing spool  102 , and/or the wellhead hub  100 . 
       FIG. 4  is an embodiment of a method  130  for managing erosion of the mineral extraction system  10  based on determined erosion parameters. The method  130  may be a computer-implemented method. For example, one or more steps of the method  130  may be executed using a controller, such as the controller  42  (e.g., the processor  60 ). The method  130  may include receiving (block  132 ) feedback from one or more sensors  38  and/or one or more flow meters  40  disposed in the mineral extraction system  10 . For example, the controller  42  may receive the feedback from the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40 . The one or more sensors  38  may include one or more erosion detectors  68  (e.g., acoustic detectors  80 , electrical resistance detectors  82 , pressure sensors  84 , and/or optical sensors  86 ), pressure sensors  80 , temperature sensors  72 , fluid density meters  74 , or any other suitable sensor. Additionally, as noted above, the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40  may be disposed in any suitable location of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as the wellhead system  18 , the wellhead  20  (e.g., the wellhead hub  100 , the casing spool  102 , the tubing spool  104 , and/or the hanger  106 ), the production tree  22 , the manifold  28 , the jumpers  30 , and/or the risers  32 . 
     Additionally, the method  130  may include determining (block  134 ) one or more erosion parameters based on the feedback. For example, the controller  42  may determine the erosion parameters based on the feedback. In embodiments in which the mineral extraction system  10  includes sensors  38  and flow meters  40  disposed in multiple locations of the mineral extraction system  10 , the controller  42  may determine the erosion rate for each monitored location. As noted above, the controller  42  may be configured to determine erosion parameters such as erosion rate, accumulated erosion, a wall thickness, and/or a thickness of protective layers. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display one or more indications relating to the erosion parameters (e.g., graphical indications, numerical values, etc.). 
     Further, the method  130  may include determining (query  136 ) whether the one or more erosion parameters are greater than respective thresholds (e.g., maximum thresholds). For example, the controller  42  may compare each erosion parameter to a respective threshold, which may be stored in the memory  62  and/or inputted by a user via the user interface  66 . For example, a user may wish to keep the erosion rate under a particular rate, and the user may input the desired erosion threshold rate using the user interface  66 . In some embodiments, the memory  62  may be configured to store default thresholds for the erosion parameters, which may be adjusted by a user. If the one or more erosion parameters are less than the respective thresholds, the controller  42  may continue receiving (block  132 ) feedback from the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40  and determining (block  134 ) the erosion parameters based on the feedback. 
     However, if one or more erosion parameters are greater than their respective erosion parameter thresholds, the method  130  may include providing warnings, providing recommendations, and/or controlling various components of the mineral extraction system  10  to reduce the values of one or more erosion parameters. For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to provide a warning (e.g., an audible and/or displayed warning) in response to a determination that one or more erosion parameters are greater than their respective parameter thresholds. In some embodiments, the method  130  may include providing (block  138 ) a recommendation to a user to adjust (e.g., decrease) a flow rate of the production fluid. For example, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display a recommendation to decrease the flow rate of the production fluid to reduce the values of the erosion parameters and to reduce, block, or minimize erosion. As noted above, decreasing the flow rate of the production fluid may decrease the erosion rate. In some embodiments, the recommendation to adjust the flow rate may include a recommendation to stop or shut off the production fluid flow. 
     Additionally or alternatively, the method  130  may include providing (block  140 ) a recommendation to inject one or more chemical additives into the production fluid that may reduce the erosion parameters. For example, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display a recommendation to inject one or more chemical additives in the production fluid. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display recommended chemical additives to inject, such as additives that bind and/or stabilize solids in the production fluid, additives that increase the viscosity or density of the production fluid (e.g., cross-linkers, borate salts, surfactants, isopropanol, etc.), friction reducers (e.g., petroleum distillate), gelling agents (e.g., guar gum, hydroxyethyl cellulose, etc.), or any combination thereof. In embodiments in which the mineral extraction system  10  includes sensors  38  and flow meters  40  disposed in multiple locations of the mineral extraction system  10 , the controller  42  may provide recommendations (e.g., to adjust the flow rate of the production fluid and/or to inject chemical additives in the production fluid) for each monitored location (e.g., for each wellhead system  18 ). 
     Additionally or alternatively, the method  130  may include controlling (block  142 ) the flow rate of the production fluid. For example, the controller  42  may control the choke  76  to control (e.g., decrease or halt) the flow rate of the production fluid. In particular, the controller  42  may send control signals to the choke actuator  78 , which may control the choke  76  based on the control signals. Additionally or alternatively, the method  130  may include controlling (block  144 ) injection of chemical additives into the production fluid. For example, the controller  42  may control one or more CIMVs  36  to inject one or more chemical additive, such as those listed above, into the production fluid. In embodiments in which the mineral extraction system  10  includes sensors  38  and flow meters  40  disposed in multiple locations of the mineral extraction system  10 , the controller  42  may control the flow rate of the production fluid and/or control injection of chemical additive in the production fluid for each monitored location (e.g., for each wellhead system  18 ). 
       FIG. 5  is an embodiment of a method  160  for managing erosion of the mineral extraction system  10  based on erosion rate. The method  160  may be a computer-implemented method. For example, one or more steps of the method  160  may be executed using a controller, such as the controller  42  (e.g., the processor  60 ). The method  160  may include receiving (block  132 ) feedback from one or more sensors  38  and/or one or more flow meters  40  disposed in the mineral extraction system  10 . Additionally, the method  160  may include determining (block  162 ) erosion rate based on the feedback. For example, the controller  42  may determine the erosion rate based on the feedback using the equation described above and/or one or more models. In embodiments in which the mineral extraction system  10  includes sensors  38  and flow meters  40  disposed in multiple locations of the mineral extraction system  10 , the controller  42  may determine the erosion rate for each monitored location. 
     Further, the method  160  may include determining (query  164 ) whether the erosion rate is greater than an erosion rate threshold (e.g., a maximum threshold). As described above, the erosion rate threshold may be stored in the memory  62  (e.g., a default threshold) and/or inputted by a user using the user interface  66 . If the erosion rate is less than the erosion rate threshold, the controller  42  may continue receiving (block  132 ) feedback from the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40  and determining (block  162 ) the erosion rate based on the feedback. 
     However, if the erosion rate is greater than the erosion rate threshold, the method  160  may include determining (block  168 ) a flow rate of the production fluid and/or an amount of chemical additives to inject in the production fluid based on the comparison of the erosion rate to the erosion rate threshold. In particular, the controller  42  may determine a flow rate of the production fluid and/or an amount of chemical additives to inject in the production fluid that may reduce the erosion rate to a value below the erosion rate threshold or that may minimize the difference between the erosion rate and the erosion rate threshold. For example, the controller  42  may input a desired erosion rate in one or more models and/or the algorithm for determining erosion rate and may determine (e.g., solve for) a flow rate of the production fluid that may achieve the desired erosion rate. In some embodiments, the controller  42  may also may cause the user interface  66  to provide a warning (e.g., an audible and/or displayed warning) in response to a determination that the erosion rate is greater than the erosion rate threshold. 
     In some embodiments, the controller  42  may input various amounts of injected chemical additives in one or more models to determine possible changes in characteristics of the production fluid flow, such as density, viscosity, a proportion of bound/stable verses unbound/unstable solids in the production fluid, and so forth. The controller  42  may then input these potential values for characteristics or parameters of the production fluid flow into models or equations for determining erosion rate. The controller  42  may adjust the amounts of injected chemical additives and thus, the potential values of the parameters of the production fluid flow to determine an amount of injected chemicals additives that may reduce the erosion rate to a value below the erosion rate threshold or that may minimize the difference between the erosion rate and the erosion rate threshold. 
     Further, the method  160  may include providing various recommendations and/or controlling various components of the mineral extraction system  10  based on the determined flow rate of the production fluid and/or the determined amount of chemical additives to inject in the production fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the method  160  may include providing (block  170 ) a recommendation to a user to adjust (e.g., decrease) the flow rate of the production fluid to the determined flow rate. For example, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display the recommendation and the recommended flow rate for the production fluid. Additionally or alternatively, the method  160  may include providing (block  172 ) a recommendation to inject the determined amount of the one or more chemical additives into the production fluid. For example, the controller  42  may cause the user interface  66  to display the recommendation and the recommended amount of each chemical additive to inject. In embodiments in which the mineral extraction system  10  includes sensors  38  and flow meters  40  disposed in multiple locations of the mineral extraction system  10 , the controller  42  may provide recommended flow rates and/or recommended amounts of chemical additives to inject for each monitored location (e.g., for each wellhead system  18 ). 
     Additionally or alternatively, the method  160  may include controlling (block  174 ) the flow rate of the production fluid based on the determined flow rate. For example, the controller  42  may send control signals to the choke actuator  78  to adjust the flow rate of the production fluid to the determined flow rate. Additionally or alternatively, the method  160  may include controlling (block  176 ) injection of chemical additives into the production fluid based on the determined amount of the chemical additives. For example, the controller  42  may control one or more CIMVs  36  to inject the determined amount of each chemical additive, such as those listed above, into the production fluid. In embodiments in which the mineral extraction system  10  includes sensors  38  and flow meters  40  disposed in multiple locations of the mineral extraction system  10 , the controller  42  may control the flow rate of the production fluid based on the determined flow rate and/or control injection of chemical additive in the production fluid based on the determined amounts for each monitored location (e.g., for each wellhead system  18 ). 
       FIG. 6  is an embodiment of a method  190  for managing erosion of the mineral extraction system  10  based on predictive erosion parameters. The method  190  may be a computer-implemented method. For example, one or more steps of the method  190  may be executed using a controller, such as the controller  42  (e.g., the processor  60 ). The method  190  may include receiving (block  132 ) feedback from one or more sensors  38  and/or one or more flow meters  40  disposed in the mineral extraction system  10 . Additionally, the method  160  may include determining (block  134 ) one or more erosion parameters, such as erosion rate, accumulated erosion, wall thickness, thickness of protective layers, and so forth, based on the feedback. 
     Further, the method  190  may include determining (block  192 ) one or more predictive erosion parameters based on the erosion parameters. For example, as noted above, the controller  42  may use the one or more erosion parameters (e.g., erosion rate) and one or more assumed and/or known characteristics of the component (e.g., initial or current wall thickness, initial or current protective layer thickness, etc.) in one or more models, algorithms, look-up tables, and/or databases, to determine the one or more predictive erosion parameters. As noted above, in some embodiments, the predictive erosion parameters may include a predicted remaining useable life of the component. In certain embodiments, the predictive erosion parameters may include predicted values of the erosion rate, accumulated erosion, wall thickness, and/or protective layer thickness at a predetermined time in the future. 
     Additionally, the method  190  may include determining (query  194 ) whether the one or more predictive erosion parameters are less than a respective predictive erosion parameter threshold (e.g., a minimum threshold). In some embodiments, the predictive erosion parameter thresholds may be stored in the memory  62  (e.g., a default threshold). In certain embodiments, the predictive erosion parameter thresholds may be inputted by a user using the user interface  66 . For example, a user may input a desired remaining useable life of a component of the mineral extraction system  10 . If the one or more predictive erosion parameters are greater than the respective predictive erosion rate thresholds, the controller  42  may continue receiving (block  132 ) feedback from the sensors  38  and the flow meters  40 , determining (block  134 ) the erosion parameters based on the feedback, and determining (block  192 ) the predictive erosion parameters based on the erosion parameters. 
     However, if one or more predictive erosion parameters are less than a respective predictive erosion parameter threshold, the method  190  may include determining (block  196 ) a flow rate of the production fluid and/or an amount of chemical additives to inject in the production fluid based on the comparison of the predictive erosion parameters to their respective thresholds. In particular, the controller  42  may determine a flow rate of the production fluid and/or an amount of chemical additives to inject in the production fluid that may increase the predictive erosion parameters (e.g., the remaining useable life) to a value above the respective threshold or that may minimize the difference between the predictive erosion parameter and the respective threshold. For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may input a desired remaining usable life in one or more models and/or algorithms for determining remaining useable life and may determine (e.g., solve for) a flow rate of the production fluid that may achieve the desired remaining useable life. 
     In some embodiments, as described above, the controller  42  may input various amounts of injected chemical additives in one or more models to determine possible changes in characteristics of the production fluid flow, such as density, viscosity, a proportion of bound/stable verses unbound/unstable solids in the production fluid, and so forth. The controller  42  may then input these potential values for characteristics or parameters of the production fluid flow into models or equations for determining remaining useable life. Further, the controller  42  may adjust the amounts of injected chemical additives and thus, the potential values of the parameters of the production fluid flow to determine an amount of injected chemicals additives that may increase the predicted remaining useable life to a value above the desired remaining useable life or that may minimize the difference between predicted remaining useable life and the desired remaining useable life. 
     Further, the method  190  may include providing warnings, providing various recommendations, and/or controlling various components of the mineral extraction system  10  based on the determined flow rate of the production fluid and/or the determined amount of chemical additives to inject in the production fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the controller  42  may also may cause the user interface  66  to provide a warning (e.g., an audible and/or displayed warning) in response to a determining that a predictive erosion parameter is less than its respective threshold. Further, in some embodiments, the method  190  may include providing (block  170 ) a recommendation to a user to adjust (e.g., decrease) the flow rate of the production fluid to the determined flow rate. Additionally or alternatively, the method  190  may include providing (block  172 ) a recommendation to inject the determined amount of the one or more chemical additives into the production fluid. In some embodiments, the method  190  may include controlling (block  174 ) the flow rate of the production fluid based on the determined flow rate. Further, in certain embodiments, the method  190  may include controlling (block  176 ) injection of chemical additives into the production fluid based on the determined amount of the chemical additives. 
     As discussed in detail above, the present embodiments relate to an erosion management system  12  configured to monitor erosion of one or more components of a mineral extraction system  10 . In particular, the erosion management system  12  may determine one or more erosion parameters, such as a rate of erosion, an amount of accumulated erosion, a wall thickness of the respective component, and/or a thickness of protective layers on the respective coating based at least in part on feedback from one or more flow meters  40  and one or more sensors  38  of the mineral extraction system. Additionally, in some embodiments, the erosion management system  12  may determine one or more predictive erosion parameters based on the one or more erosion parameters. For example, the erosion management system  12  may determine a remaining usable life of the respective component based on the one or more erosion parameters, such as the erosion rate. 
     Further, in certain embodiments, the erosion management system  12  may be configured to provide warnings and/or recommendations to a user based on the one or more erosion parameters and/or the one or more predictive erosion parameters. For example, the erosion management system may provide warnings to a user via the user interface  66  if one or more erosion parameters and/or predictive erosion parameters violate a respective threshold (e.g., minimum and/or maximum threshold). In some embodiments, the erosion management system  12  may provide recommendations via the user interface  66  to adjust a flow rate of the production fluid based on the one or more erosion parameters and/or the one or more predictive erosion parameters. By monitoring the erosion parameters and providing the warnings and/or recommendations to a user related to the erosion parameters, the erosion management system  12  may enable a user to make adjustments to various parameters of the mineral extraction system  10 , which may reduce the erosion of various components of the mineral extraction system  10  and may reduce the downtime and expense associated with repairing or replacing eroded components of the mineral extraction system  10 . In certain embodiments, the erosion management system  12  may automatically adjust one or more parameters of the mineral extraction system  10 , such as a flow rate of the production fluid, based on the one or more erosion parameters and/or the one or more predictive erosion parameters. By automatically adjusting various parameters of the mineral extraction system  10 , the erosion management system  12  may reduce the erosion of various components of the mineral extraction system  10  and may reduce the downtime and expense associated with repairing or replacing eroded components of the mineral extraction system  10 . 
     Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, these phrases or similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. 
     Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to specific details, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations on the scope of the invention, except to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims. 
     The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).