Sales Gas Pipeline

Part I

Ref.1: Brill & Beggs, Two Phase Flow in Pipes, 6th

Edition, 1991. Chapter 1.
Ref.2: Menon, Gas Pipeline Hydraulic, Taylor &
Francis, 2005, Chapter 2.

General Flow Equation

U1 : Internal Energy
P1 V1 : Expansion or Compression Energy
m v12
: Kinetic Energy
2 gc
m g Z1
: Potential Energy
gc

Energy balance at steady state:

mv12 mgZ1
mv22 mgZ 2

U1 P1V1

q Ws U 2 P2V2

2gc
gc
2gc
gc

Where q Heat added to the fluid and Ws Work done on the fluid

U2
P2 V2
m v22
2 gc
m g Z2
gc

General Flow Equation

Dividing by m and writing in differential form:
P v dv g dZ
dU d

dq dWs 0
gc
gc

By using the enthalpy and entropy definition:

P
dh dU d ,

dP
dh T dS

dP v dv g dZ
T dS

dq dWs 0

gc
gc

General Flow Equation

For irreversible process TdS dq d (losses ) therefore:
No Work

dP v dv g dZ

d(losses ) dWs 0

gc
gc
For an inclined pipe, dZ dL sin therefore:

dP
v dv g sin d(losses )

g c dL
gc
dL
dL

For Up Flow : 0
For Down Flow : 0

dP

dL

friction

General Flow Equation

f

Fanning friction factor ( f ):

Wall shear stress:

w
v2

2gc

P+dP

d2
dP
w ( d ) dL

P ( P dP)
dL
4

4 w 2 v 2 f

d
gcd

Darcy or Moody friction factor (fm):

dP
fm 4 f

dL

fm v2

2 gc d

General Flow Equation

Pressure gradient in pipe:

dP
v dv g sin f m v 2

g c dL
gc
2 gc d
dL

dP

dL

total

dP

dL

Usually negligible

dP

dL
acceleration

dP

dL
elevation

Zero for horizontal pipe

friction

Single Phase Gas Flow

Reynolds Number
Reynolds Number in Gas Pipeline:
N Re

d (ft ) v(ft/sec) (lb m /ft 3 )

1488
(cp)

Mass flow rate v A g q g sc g sc v

q g sc g sc
A g

4 q g sc 0.0764 g

N Re

1488

d g
2

20.14 q g sc (Mscfd) g

(cp) d (in )

Single Phase Gas Flow

Friction Factor
Laminar Flow (NRe < 2100):

64
fm
N Re

Turbulent Flow (NRe > 2100): Moody Diagram

Smooth Wall Pipe:
0.32
f m 0.0056 0.5 N Re

for 3 103 N Re 3 106

Rough Wall Pipe:

21.25
1
1.14 2 log10 0.9 , Commonly : 0.0006 in
fm
d N Re

Single Phase Gas Flow

General Equation
v dv g sin f m v 2

dP

g c dL
dL

gc

2 gc d

PM g

fm
z RT
g

PM g

dP


dL

g sin

z RT
g

gc

PM g g sin
dP

g c z g RT
dL

, v

4 g sc q g sc

d 2 g

Psc M g

4q g sc
RTsc

2 PM g

d
z g RT

2 gc d

8 Psc2 M g q g2sc z g T f m

2 g cTsc2 d 5 P R

Single Phase Gas Flow

General Equation
If T and zg are constant (T=Tav and zg=zav):
M g g sin

g c z av RTav

dP
P

dL

P1

P2

P2

C2

8Psc2 q g2sc z av2 Tav2 f m

gT d sin
2

2
sc

M g g L sin S
P dP

2
2
P C
g c z avTav R
2

P12 C 2
2
S 2
2 S

ln 2
S P1 e P2 C e 1
2
P2 C

Single Phase Gas Flow

General Equation
P e P
2
1

2
2

16 Psc2 q g2sc z avTav f m L M g

T d gc S R
2

P e P
2
1

2
2

2
sc

Where S

0.0375 g Z (ft )
zavTav ( o R )

2.527 10 5 g z av f mTav ( o R) q g2sc (Mscfd)

eS 1
L(ft)

d 5 (in)

Le

q g sc

P e P d
198.94
g z avTav f m Le
2
1

2
2

0.5

Tsc

5.6354
Psc

P e P d

g z avTav f m Le
2
1

2
2

eS 1
For Horizontal Pipe : lim
1 Le L
S 0
S

0.5

Single Phase Gas Flow

Average Pressure
P12 e S P22

16 Psc2 q g2sc z avTav f m L M g

2Tsc2 d 5 g c S R

P12 Px2 K L x Where 0 x 1

Px2 P22 K L(1 x)

P12 Px2 Px2 P22

Px P12 x( P12 P22 )

x
1 x
1

Pav

0.5

2
P22 2 P13 P23
2

Px dx Pav P1
2
3
P1 P2 3 P1 P2

Single Phase Gas Flow

Erosional Velocity
Higher velocities will cause erosion of the pipe interior
over a long period of time. The upper limit of the gas
velocity is usually calculated approximately from the
following equation:
vmax (ft/s)

100

g (lbm/ft 3 )

Usually, an acceptable operational velocity is 50% of the above.

Single Phase Gas Flow

Pipeline Efficiency
In Practice, even for single-phase gas flow, some water or
condensate may be present. Some solids may be also
present. Therefore the gas flow rate must be multiply by
an efficiency factor (E).
A pipeline with E greater than 0.9 is usually considered
clean .

Single Phase Gas Flow

Non-Iterative Equations
Several equations for gas flow have been derived from General
Equation. These equations differ only in friction factor relation
assumed:

Gas Transmission Pipline

1. AGA equation
2. Weymouth equation
3. Panhandle A equation
4. Panhandle B equation

Gas Distribution Pipeline

1. IGT equation
2. Spitzglass equation
3. Mueller equation
4. Fritzsche equation

Single Phase Gas Flow

AGA Equation
The transmission factor is defined as:

2
F
fm

First, F is calculated for the fully turbulent zone. Next, F is

calculated based on the smooth pipe law. Finally, the smaller of
the two values of the transmission factor is used.

4
log
3
.
7
Fully Turbulent
10

Min
N Re
N Re
F 4 log10

0.6 Smooth Pipe

, Ft 4 log10

1.4125 Ft
Ft

Single Phase Gas Flow

Weymouth Equation
The Weymouth equation is used for high pressure, high flow
rate, and large diameter gas gathering systems.
The Weymouth friction factor is:

0.032
f m 1/ 3
d

Single Phase Gas Flow

Panhandle A Equation
The Panhandle A Equation was developed for use in large
diameter natural gas pipelines, incorporating an efficiency factor
for Reynolds numbers in the range of 5 to 11 million. In this
equation, the pipe roughness is not used.
The Panhandle A friction factor is:

0.0768
f m 0.1461
N Re

Single Phase Gas Flow

Panhandle B Equation
The Panhandle B Equation is most applicable to large diameter,
high pressure transmission lines. In fully turbulent flow, it is
found to be accurate for values of Reynolds number in the range
of 4 to 40 million.
The Panhandle B friction factor is:

0.00359
f m 0.03922
N Re

Single Phase Gas Flow

Gas Transmission Equations
A. Comparison of the calculated Output Pressure by AGA,
Colebrook, Weymouth and Panhandle equations: Figure 2.5
B. Comparison of the calculated Flow rate by AGA, Colebrook,
Weymouth and Panhandle equations: Figure 2.6
We therefore conclude that the most conservative flow equation
that predicts the highest pressure drop is the Weymouth equation
and the least conservative flow equation is Panhandle A.

Single Phase Gas Flow

IGT Equation
The IGT equation proposed by the Institute of Gas Technology is
also known as the IGT distribution equation:

q g sc

Tsc

35.861
Psc

e
P

T L
e

2
1
0.8
g
av

2
2
0.2

0.555

d 2.667 , cp

Single Phase Gas Flow

Spitzglass Equation
The Spitzglass equation originally was used in fuel gas piping
calculations. This equation has two version
A. Low pressure (less than 1 psig):
0 .5

Tsc
P1 P2
d 2 .5

q g sc 278.956
Psc g Tav Le (1 3.6 0.03 d )
d

B. High pressure (more than 1 psig):

q g sc

Tsc
P12 e S P22

53.016
Psc g Tav z av Le (1 3.6 0.03 d )
d

0 .5

d 2.5

Single Phase Gas Flow

Mueller and Fritzsche Equation
The Mueller equation is:

q g sc

Tsc

35.4509
Psc

0.575

e
P

L
e

2
1
0.7391
g
av

2
2
0.2609

d 2.725 , cp

The Fritzsche formula, developed in Germany in 1908, has found

extensive use in compressed air and gas piping:

q g sc

Tsc

41.28
Psc

P e P

T L

2
s 2
1
2
0.8587
g
av e

0.538

d 2.69

16 in., 100 MMSCFD, 80F

roughness of 700 in. for AGA and Colebrook,
pipeline efficiency of 0.95 in Panhandle and Weymouth

30 in., 100 miles, 80F, output pressure of 800 psig

roughness of 700 in. for AGA and Colebrook,
pipeline efficiency of 0.95 in Panhandle and Weymouth