Modelling of a two-stage high-pressure

reduction station
I. Fletcher,

C. S. Cox, W. J. B. Arden

gas

and A. Doonan

Control Systems Centre, SEAT, Urziuersityof Sunderland, Sunder-land, E&and

The delivery of gas from the national transmission system into the regional supergrids, at the correct pressure, is
accomplished using a facility referred to in the industry as an above-ground installation (AGI). Early attempts
to control such systems were compromised by inadequate models developed to explain system behauiour. This
paper outlines the construction of a multi-input multi-output system model which has been used successfully to
explain system operation to gas engineers as well as prociding a basis for the design and implementation of a
number of advanced control systems. 0 1996 by Elsevier Science Inc.
Keywords: gas transmission,

pressure reduction systems, pipeline and valve modelling

1. Introduction
The work described within this paper develops a line of
analysis which commenced
in the mid-1980s, when research was initiated at British Gas Engineering
into system re-inforcement
requirements
to fulfill the increasing
demand for gas. As time progressed, this growth in demand has slowed down significantly, resulting in a change
in emphasis from construction
towards one of efficient
operation.
The delivery of gas from the national transmission
to
regional systems and ultimately to the consumer, requires
a number of control functions to be performed. The prime
objectives when performing these functions are:
1. system safety, integrity, and security of supply;
2. minimizing operation costs; and finally
3. maximizing system throughput and storage.
The performance
of gas control systems is influenced by
restricted pressure regimes caused by mechanical
stress
ratings. Up until the 1990s this problem was further
exaggerated by redundancies
which have to be built into
the system because of the poor accuracy achievable using
existing pneumatic hardware. In addition, recent increases
in demand and seasonal variations have compounded stability and interaction problems.
Modern control technology coupled with major parallel
advances in microprocessor
technology provided the cata-

Address reprint requests to Prof. C. S. Cox, Department

of Engineering and Advanced
Technology,
University
of Sunderland,
Chester
Road, Sunderland
SRl 35D England.
Received
1996

5 June

1995; revised

16 February

1996; accepted

Appl. Math. Modelling

1996, Vol. 20, October
0 1996 by Elsevier Science Inc.
655 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010

23 April

lyst for the development

of schemes to overcome the
current operational problems and thereby greatly improve
the efficiency of control.* Here one particular section of
the transmission
system is considered whose role is to
supply gas to the regional authorities
at required pressures, the above-ground installation (AGI). The AGIs are
situated at various locations along the length of the national transmission system pipeline and are configured to
extract gas at high pressure for delivery to the regional
transmission systems at the required pressure and flowrate.
Figure 1 illustrates a typical site configuration
where the
main regulating
stream involves three regulators
connected in series. The gas enters the stream through a
first-stage regulator, which is normally fully open and is
activated upon sensing an excess pressure at the station
outlet. This is normally referred to as a slamshut, which
when activated will provide complete isolation between
the input and the output of the station, resulting in the
protection
of the downstream
pipeline from exceeding
design pressure limits. Immediately following the slamshut
is the first-stage pressure regulating valve, known as the
monitor. This operates as a fully modulating regulator in
closed-loop pressure control, which is employed to reduce
the inlet pressure to some intermediate value between the
station inlet and outlet limits. The outlet from the monitor
supplies a second regulator referred to as the active,
which implements a closed-loop control strategy to regulate either the outlet pressure or volumetric flow rate.
These three regulators
form a single stream and the
complete
structure
is called an Active Monitor
and
Slamshut Strategy. This type of station suffers from the
disadvantage
that, with certain designs, instability
can
arise at specific flows and pressure.3 This occurs as a
result of interaction between the regulators and connecting pipework and manifests itself as a rapidly fluctuating

0307-904X/96/$15.00
PI1 s0307-904x(96)00071-6

Modelling

of a two-stage

PIale

Figure 1.

General

high-pressure

layout

gas reduction

station:

742

Illustration

Appt.

Math.

et al.

of solving them, can then be considered as a simulation of

the system allowing systematic investigation
of control
modes or, indeed, the effects of varying any parameter
within the jurisdiction of the designer.
The second (Section 3) is associated with physical models where actual hardware is constructed
according to
appropriate
scaling laws such that its behaviour is predictably related to that of the full-scale system. Wind
tunnel testing of aircraft and towing tanks for ship design
are examples of this particular type of modelling.

YzgEY

of an AGI station.

interstage pressure, giving rise to rapid wear of the firststage regulator (Figure 2).
However, the development
of novel control schemes
and the analysis of system stability are fraught with many
difficulties if attempted directly upon a real plant. Among
the problems that may be encountered
are excessive cost
due to plant inactivity while the identification
tests necessary to tune the control schemes and/or study the plants
behaviour are carried out. This is especially true when
attempting to derive transfer function relationships
from
dynamically slow processes such as the gas transmission
system. Further difficulties arise in keeping the system
variables constant while attempting to assess the effect of
a specific test on the overall system behaviour. In particular, the gas systems considered here will float upon the
prevailing pressures, whose values differ continuously with
demand. Finally the operation
of all tests are limited
within a specific range determined
by the plants safety
system, which when triggered will significantly change the
system characteristics
and invalidate the exercise (for example, the high- and low-pressure overrides in an AGI).
Because of these disadvantages,
it is often desirable to
develop alternative schemes initially using a model of the
process.
The word modelling, in an engineering
context, has
two principal meanings. The first (see Section 2) is mathematical modelling, in which the system to be studied is
represented
by a set of equations developed by applying
the appropriate physical (and chemical) laws to each component. Solution of this set of equations to various sorts of
stimuli will then represent the behaviour of the system.
These equations, together with the computational
means

Figure 2.

I. Fletcher

of hunting

Modelling,

instability

in an AGI station.

1996, Vol.

Results

20, October

2. AGI mathematical

model development

The basic structure of AGIs shown in Figure 1 does not

illustrate the many different permutations
of individual
components
that occur within the 200 AGIs that exist in
practice.
To this end the system was broken down into individual
blocks which were then modelled and included within a
fixed framework for analysis. The potential benefits of
such a study are
I. Individual

analysis of the elements that comprise the

total system would allow considerable
simplification
of any subsequent stability/controller
design study.
gathered from identification
tests upon
II. Information
sections of the real system could be incorporated for
evaluation or updating of the model.
III. The effects upon the system of new and enhanced
equipment can be investigated prior to its application.

2.1 Regulators
The regulating control valves are arguably the most important item of hardware within the AGI station. As a
various sizes and types of regulator are
consequence,
employed within the National Transmission
System/Pressure Reduction stations, depending upon the policies and
politics at the time of construction
of the particular authority, as well as the predicted loading requirements
of
the future.
Because the fluid is a gas, inertial effects in the flowing
medium can be neglected and the valves characterised by
static and dynamic testing.

from

a field test upon an axial flow

regulator.

Modelling

of a two-stage

2.2 Steady-state jlow characteristics

Various formulae have been proposed4mh for predicting
the steady-state
flow rate of gases through the many
different types and sizes of commercially available regulator. Most are developed from Bernoullis or the continuity
equation and differ primarily in the pressure term that is
incorporated to describe gas density effects, although some
are empirical relationships derived from air testing results.
Most of these formulae are intended
for use over a
restricted range of pressure drop conditions, and a more
general expression to cover the flow of a compressible
medium under isentropic conditions must take account of
the transition in a flow regime which occurs at a critical
ratio of inlet and outlet pressures where the fluid passing
through a controlling
aperture reaches sonic velocities.
Theoretical treatments of this phenomenon
lead to complex expressions which are computationally
cumbersome.x
By introducing sufficient redundancy into the formulation,
Buresh and Schuder have proposed a method that is
applicable
to virtually all types and sizes of regulator
existing today. Utilisation of the universal gas sizing equation within the proposed valve model would permit the
use of a fixed structure subroutine, whose predicted output flow would be dependent
upon the surrounding
system pressure, P, and Pz (psi absolute); temperature T(R);
and the various constants necessary to describe the particular regulator. The basic equation is given by

Q=

.C,C;P,.sin[8]sft/hr

high-pressure

gas reduction

station: I. Fletcher

et al.

For liquids, C, is the standard liquid sizing coefficient,

which can be determined directly from water tests. However, to determine this coefficient for gases, we must look
at the results of air tests when incompressible
and compressible flows are equal. That is when

PI - p2

< 0.02

P,
Since under these conditions
be reduced to

sin(x) =x, equation

(1) can

whereas the coefficient C, is dependent upon the critical

flow or choked flow (Q,> through the regulator at a
particular stem position, that is when sin(x) + 1. Hence

Therefore the size of the valve is expressed in terms of the

maximum values of C, and Cg (for 100% opening) and
the valve type via the shape of the C, and C, characteristics against stem position, x (see Figure 3). This behaviour
is then introduced
into the mathematical
model using
polynomial fits.

where
2.3 Actuator behaliour
(1)

within the limits 0 and f

Although many different types of actuator are used within

the gas industry, the most prevalent device is the pneumatic actuator. Ideally, the actuator stem travel is proportional to the pressure in the actuator chamber. However,

where P, and Pz are the upstream and downstream valve

pressures, respectively, and C, and C, are coefficients
which are dependent upon the valves stem position, the
first indicating the basic flow capacity of the valve for the
critical drop, whereas the latter measures the extent of the
pressure recovery of the valve. The inclusion of constants
C, and G allows for the various types of gases that can be
passed (see Table 1).

Pwu*g

01
USdM
Fbw

Table

1.

Gas

constants

for the universal

gas sizing equation

Correction
Specific
Gas

density

(G)

specific

factor for

heat variation
(C,)

Air

1 .oo

1 .oo

Hydrogen

0.07

1 .oo

Methane

0.55

0.98

Natural gas
(Bacton)

0.60

0.98

Nitrogen

0.97

1 .oo

Oxygen

1.10

1 .oo

10

10

30

40

50

a0

70

00

1M

00

PsmMwm Vah Slam Tmvl

Figure

3.

Fisher

V25

Appl.

Math.

Normalised

C,

and

C,

characteristics

for

10

regulator.

Modelling,

1996,

Vol. 20, October

743

Modelling

of a two-stage

high-pressure

gas reduction

in practice, its behaviour will also be affected by friction

effects, especially at the gland (pressure seal) and by fluid
forces acting on the internal components.0
To reduce
these adverse effects, feedback is commonly used in the
form of a valve positioning network.
The speed of response of the valve/converter
arrangement is limited by the rate at which the actuator chamber
can be charged and discharged. To make these rates
similar booster relays are often used to permit greater
flows into the chamber by working from larger pressures,
as shown in Figure 4. This allowing the use of first/second-order transfer functions to describe the almost linear
behaviour of the actuation system.
2.4 Pipeline modelling
The dynamics of the system downstream of the second
regulator plays a major role in determining
the overall
stability of the network. It is therefore necessary to ensure
that the model used to represent this part of the process
in the simulation will reproduce the salient features adequately-
without incurring an inordinately high cost in
computing time.
Pipelines constitute distributed parameter systems, and
a rigorous analysis involves partial differential equations
which must be solved under two-point boundary conditions.4m This is, in computer terms, a notoriously timeconsuming
procedure.
We shall, therefore,
explore the
commonly applied approach of converting the partial differential equations
into a set of simultaneous
ordinary
equations by finite differencing.20 In effect, this means
discretizing the pipeline into a number of sections, n.4Xy,21
It is known that putting n = 1, that is, treating the pipeline
as a single fixed volume, oversimplifies the situation to a
misleading extent. l4 The first task is, therefore, to find the
minimum value for n which will yield acceptable results.

station:

I. Fletcher

et al.

One major advantage of this approach is that the resulting

mode1 is well suited to the application of standard linear
control design techniques.
The nonlinear dynamics of each pipeline element is to
be modelled using a resistance/capacitance
equivalent
network, since in the presence of pipeline wall frictional
effects and pressure drops inertial effects may be considered negligible.

2.5 Pipeline restrictions

The pressure/flow
relationship of compressible gas propagating down a pipeline is known to exhibit a high degree
of nonlinearity.
Even in the steady state, numerous relationships have been proposed which evaluate the pressure
drop corresponding
to a given flow magnitude and direction.2 Any such eq uation which is to be employed to
estimate the discretized pipelines pressure profile should
incorporate the following:
1. wall frictional forces, which are one of the major contributions towards the pressure drop (P, - P,> within a
pipeline;
2. the pressure head that occurs due to the geography of
the pipeline.
One such equation that satisfies the above criteria, and
whose accuracy has been proved in practice over medium
and high pressure ranges, is the genera1 panhandle equation:

.f

.DS

(5)
I'

where K is a constant,
E, =

0.031055.G.(h,-h,).PAVG?
Z AVG

(6)
. *AG

P,,

T, are the base pressure and temperature,

respectively; PAvo, zAvo, *AVo are the average pressure, compressibility factor, and temperature
of the gas; and L, D
are the pipeline dimensions of length and diameter, respectively.
The correction
for elevation changes (E,) is based
upon average gas density, and the pipeline wall friction
factor (f) is determined
from a Moody chart using the
following equation, which evaluates the system Reynolds
number for natural gas with a specific density (G) of 0.6
(see Table I):

Re = 8880.2

%
[

The friction factor can also be evaluated

turbulent flow conditions via
Figure
fed

mance

744

4.

Dynamic

by a Fairchild
is contrasted

Appl.

response
5200

with

with

Math.

of a Fisher
booster

a linear

and

first-order

Modelling,

1996,

pneumatic
positioner.

actuator
Perfor-

model.

Vol. 20, October

(7)
when under fully

1
- = [4.1og(3.7 * Relative roughness)?

(8)

Modelling

of a two-stage

high-pressure

The above equations provide the basis for evaluating the

pipelines steady-state
pressure profile at some specific
flow level, under the following assumptions:

gas reduction

station:

c48STellumm

4cm

I. Fletcher

et al.

lae.iaum

3%.

Tmv

300.

I. The properties of the gas do not vary significantly

over a cross section of the pipe.
II. The area of a cross section of pipe is constant.
III. The temperature
remains constants
(Figure 5, top)
T = 520R).
IV. The pipe has a relative roughness of 12,500 (f =
0.002872).
V. The pipe is horizontal.

zmIrn-

imSo0
0

MY

so-

WW

40

60

5a

60

of a typical

pres-

Qa* LknHyDa4atim

Under the above assumptions equation (5) reduces to the

following equation, which is used to evaluate pipeline
initial conditions for a given flow value:

so

30
20
40
vo)mmc Flw Ral#(mwuc)

1D

Jo20.
10.

L.Q2

Pf-P,2=

(9)

735.5812D5

0
0

Figure

All quantities

are in SI units.

10

5.

20
v-s

Temperature

sure reduction

30
40
FlowRd. (mxwc)

and density

variations

station.

where
2.6 Pipeline capacities

To complete the pipeline model, a method of evaluating

the pressures at the nodes is required. This was developed
from standard thermodynamic
theory using the Ideal Gas
Law, PV= mRT. Differentiation
of this equation with
respect to time results in
dP
_
=K.k
dt
where k is the
assumptions:

(10)

mass

flow rate,

under

the

I. Negligible temperature
changes
II. Constant enthalpy (no external heat added)
III. Constant
specific volume, hence constant
density, its reciprocal

following

P,.RT
K* = pbK = V

P,
= 7 = constant

P, being the base pressure and V the pipeline section

volume. Note that P, can also be determined as a function of the particular gas flowing.
2.7 Number of stages required?
To satisfy the transient accuracy of the discretized pipeline
model an infinite number of stages II are necessary.
However, computationally
this is impossible because of
Pip&m
sinxllumforn=1,2,4&1cI

specific

Support for the above assumptions is provided in Figure 5,

which illustrates the variations in temperature
and density
that occurred during the testing of a 4 axial flow valve.O
The tests were carried out for flow variations of up to 55
m3/sec (7 Msft3/hr), at valve differential pressures ranging from 350 KN/m2 (50 psi) to 2400 KN/m2 (350 psi). It
is evident from these results that only small changes in
system temperature
and density have occurred, providing
justification of the above assumptions.
Under the constant specific density pi, assumption,

Combining

this with the Ideal Gas Law results in13

Figure

dP
dt

6.

necessary
=K*.Q

(11)

valve

throughput

scheme

Appl.

Evaluation
to reflect

to a 20%

Math.

of the
pipeline

of

the

optimum
dynamics.

number
Time

Winkfield/Ripley

of stages

record

shows

telemetry

(n)
the

control

load flow disturbance.

Modelling,

1996,

Vol. 20, October

745

Modeling

of a two-stage

-1

high-pressure

-1

REM

Figure

7.

Frequency

gas reduction station: I. Fletcher et al.

REAL

response

of the AGI

mathematical

model.

the excessive amounts

of computer
programming
required, indicating the need to determine
the minimum
number of stages which would satisfy the accuracy/computational efficiency balance.
This was investigated
by using a simulation
of the
Winkfield-Ripley
remote
boundary
pressure
control
scheme by comparing
the system responses, when the
system is experiencing
a +20% load flow change, for
various values of n. Figure 6 illustrates
the responses
derived from the above test. From these responses it was
found that for four or more stages the differences between the simulations
were sufficiently small as to be
considered negligible. Further conformation
of this result
for the optimum number of stages was found in a similar
study" upon a pipeline model employing continuity equations for the pressure/flow
relationships.
By keeping II to a minimum, without significantly degrading the pipelines performance,
the order of the system transfer function developed would also be kept to a
minimum, ensuring that any study performed upon the
AGI simulation would be as uncomplicated
as possible.

Figure

8.

Schematic

of the AGI test rig.

The trial simulation utilised twin Fisher V25 throttling

ball valves, 12M interconnecting
pipework of length 14
diameters, and 3 miles of IS0 downstream pipeline. The
pressure reduction was from a 6900 RN/m2 (100 psiG)
supply pressure to 3480 RN/m (500 psiG), with 50% of
the total drop occurring across each regulator, and a
nominal station throughput of 39.3 m3/sec (SMsft/hr).
To develop the transfer functions in terms of the Laplace
operator s that describe the behaviour of the simulation
at the above operating points the nonlinear
simulation
was linearised using a small-scale linearisation
approach.
Figure 7 illustrates
the frequency response of these linearised transfer functions in the form of a Nyquist array.
Here element i,j refers to the frequency response between the jth input and the ith output with its associated
transfer function denoted by Gij(s) (see Table 2).
These linearised models have been used extensively in the
development
of single input-single
output (SISO) and
multi-input-multi-output
(MIMO) control strategies to
provide robust control and improved performance.24-2

2.8 AGI modelling

The AGI network shown in Figure 1 is capable of modelling any of the stations that exist in practice. However,
to simplify the simulation
and minimise the size of the
resulting transfer function the safety systems were omitted
and only the normal station operation was considered.

Table

2.

AGI multivariable

Monitors
signal

Actives
signal

746

Appl.

Math.

notation
output

Input
1

control

input
(U,)
input
(U,)

Modelling,

Interstage

volume

pressure
Station

pressure

1996,

(P,)

inlet
(P,,)

Vol. 20, October

3. Practical

evaluation

using an experimental

test rig

It is well known that the analysis of a nonlinear system is

fundamentally
difficult for all but the simplest of cases.
Features which identify the behaviour of these systems
include limit cycles, chaos, catastrophes,
switching, and
sliding. Any information
that can be gathered about the
operation of such a system prior to any analysis is of great
advantage.
One approach, often favoured by engineers, for obtaining such supplementary
information
about the system is
by construction
of an experimental
test rig, the test rig
providing the hardware which can then be used to determine numerical values of the constants and other parameters needed for the system identification.
In addition, the

Modelling
Table

3.

of a two-stage

high-pressure

gas reduction

station: I. Fletcher

et al.

AGI test rig hardware

Variable

Inputs

Device

Description
Valve

Ul

JLIN AT0

1 (upstream)

Platon

Fairchild
Valve

u2

JLIN AT0

2 (downstream)

Platon

Fairchild
AT0

Load regulator

u,

Platon

Station

p,

Interstate

PJY,)

Station

P,(YZ)

System

Pd

(via

I/P)

(via Fairchild
l/P)

inlet pressure

Sensym

LX1 820GE

(O/l 00 psiG)

volume

Sensym

LX1 820GB

(O/l 00 psiG)

Sensym

LX1 820GB

(O/100

Sensym

LX1 820GB

(O/l 00 psiG)

outlet

pressure
pressure

downstream
Station

dPg

M-valve

M-valve

(via

I/P)

T5200

T5200
outputs

M-valve

T5200

load pressure

Druck

throughput

PTXllO

(O/75

psiG)

mBar via Dall

tube)

Pact,
Pact2

Valve

1 Actuator

pressure

Sensym

LX1 820GB

(O/l 5 psiG)

Valve

2 actuator

pressure

Sensym

LX1 820GB

(O/l 5 psiG)

XI

Valve

1 stem displacement

x2

Valve

2 stem displacement

HLP/19O/FLl/l80/4K

(O/100

Penny and Giles

HLP/l 9OFLl/l80/4K

test rig provides a means of verifying the various modelling exercises and allows the results of any analysis to be
evaluated using real data collected from a controllable
safe environment
at minimum cost/time.
3.1 AGI test rig
The test rig (F&-e 8) uses the basic AGI structure as
illustrated in Figure I and operates from a supply pressure
of 690 KN/m* (100 psiG) and at flow rates up to 100
litres/min
in 6 mm (l/4 ) diameter pipework. A solenoid
valve is employed as the slamshut, and a pair of Platon
M-valves provide monitor and active regulation
into a

mm)

Penny and Giles

(O/l 00 mm)

large volume cylinder which helps provide the relatively

slow dynamics of the downstream system. Table 3 defines
the measurements
and transducers/equipment
used on
the rig, all of which are converted electronically to O/10 V
outputs to match standard data acquisition
cards. The
various measurements
taken allow us to investigate regulator performance as well as the various control configurations that AGI stations in which can be operated.
3.2 Test rig results
Initial testing commenced
using the previously defined
pressure control strategy with regulator set points of 75%
and 50% of the station inlet pressure. Figure 9 shows the
results of open loop step responses collected after the
system had been established at the desired steady-state
levels with the load regulator 50% open. (Note that this
test would take significantly longer on the real system and
the data collected would often be corrupted by changes in
consumer demand.)
The AGI test rig was modelled in the form of the discrete
time MIMO transfer function matrix and follows the
previous elemental notation:

P
P IN

G,Jz)

G,Jz)

G&)

G&)

U,
u,
II
I

Each element of the matrix G(z) was determined

using
recursive least-squares
identification
using the structure
(sampling time = 2 sets)

-0.21
0
Figure

9.

Normalised

rig. Results
(detailed

show

below).

40

60

open-loop

both the

plant

50

step responses
response

and

100

I
im

of the AGI test

its linear

G,j(Z) =

model

b,z-

+ b,zm2

1 -a,z-I

-a,z-*

resulting in the parameter in Table 4.

Using MATLAB the above data were used to determine the rigs Nyquist array (Figure IO). Comparison of

Appl.

Math.

Modelling,

1996,

Vol. 20, October

747

Modelling

of a two-stage
Table

0.5

4.5

gas reduction

Parameter

b,

value

b,

Transfer

Function

Element

G,2(~)

G,,(z)

G,,(z)

-0.1343

0.1409

I__
__....__:
........

1
:

4.5

.,

0.009

0.0099

0.0075

0.9530

0.9122

0.4966

0.4957

a2

0.01 14

0.0047

0.4374

0.4277

&molt12

i
j
0 _.__.___
+ . . . . . . . i. . . . . . . . .L. . . . . . . .

__.__ i . . .._...

0.0013

0.1276

al

j
/
j
:
/
j
i
1
0.5 _...._..: ______~._._..,.....

..____. j__.

et al.

G,,(z)

-0.1328

. . . . . . . . . . . . .._.... i . . . . . . . .

j.

I. Fletcher

Multivariable

nEl
. . . . . . ..I

station:

Test rig model parameters

/
f
cr/
i _......_.

_.__..__

.,

4.

-11

.___....

IMA(3

high-pressure

j
i
1
w
. . . . . . . . t __._.....f ..__..... ;___...._
j

j
:

A further indication of the modelling philosophys accuracy is provided from the study of remote boundary
pressure control systems. 27.28 Here, models developed using the same mathematical
relationships
employed in the
construction
of the AGI simulation
have been used to
design novel control schemes; the resulting controller
parameters are directly applicable to the actual systems.

Acknowledgments
The authors wish to express their gratitude to British Gas,
SERC, and the University of Sunderland for their support
of this work. Particular thanks are extended to the staff of
the Engineering
Research Station at Killingworth for all
the help and guidance they provided.

REM

REM

Figure

10.

Frequency

response

of the AGI test rig

Nomenclature

ctl

correction

factor for specific heat variation

pipeline diameter
friction factor
specific density
constant
pipeline length
mass flow rate
pressure
average pressure of the gas
base pressure
volumetric flow
Reynolds number
temperature
average temperature
of the gas
base temperature
pipeline section volume
average compressibility factor at the gas

CL,c, valve stem position coefficients

this behaviour with that of the linearised mathematical
mode (Figure 7) for the same set point profile indicates
the similarities between the behaviour of the two model
forms. Indeed the only significant discrepancy is that of
the response between movement in the downstream control valve and its effect upon the interstage volume pressure, element G,,. In the mathematical
model G,,(s) has
pure derivative action, signified by zero steady-state offset
in the appropriate open-loop step responses, whereas the
test rig response displays phase advance-like behaviour.

K
L
A4
P
PAVG
Pb

Re
T
TAVG
Tb

4. Conclusion
This paper has explained the development
of a detailed
mathematical
model of a typical AGI station which contains sufficient structural flexibility to enable it to simulate any of the 200+ stations that exist in practice.
Validation of the mathematical
model was performed
using data provided by the Gas Engineering
Research
Station at Killingworth, experimental
tests on individual
pieces of hardware, and a specially designed experimental
test rig. Results obtained from simulations of the model
are presented,
and a comparison
of these results and
those obtained from the AGI test rig shows that the
simulations are accurate for the set of test signals considered.

748

Appl.

Math.

Modelling,

1996,

Vol. 20, October

V
Z AVG

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Appl. Math.

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1996,

Vol. 20, October

749