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 U2
P1 V1 : Expansion or Compression Energy P2 V2
m v12 m v22
: Kinetic Energy 2 gc
2 gc
m g Z2
m g Z1
: Potential Energy gc
gc

Energy balance at steady state:

mv12 mgZ1 mv22 mgZ2

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
 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 dP
dh dU d , dh TdS

dP v dv g dZ
TdS 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

dL friction
dP v dv g sin d(losses)

dL g c dL gc dL

For Up Flow : 0
For Down Flow : 0
 General Flow Equation
w
Fanning friction factor ( f ): f
v2

2gc
Wall shear stress: P P+dP

d2 dP 4 w 2 v 2 f
P ( P dP) w ( d ) dL
4 dL f d gc d
Darcy or Moody friction factor (fm):

dP fm v2
fm 4 f
dL f 2 gc d
 General Flow Equation
Pressure gradient in pipe:

dP v dv g sin f m v
2

dL g c dL gc 2 gc d

dP dP dP dP

dL total dL acceleration dL elevation dL friction

Usually negligible Zero for horizontal pipe

 Single Phase Gas Flow
Reynolds Number

Reynolds Number in Gas Pipeline:

d (ft) v(ft/sec) (lbm /ft 3 )

N Re 1488
(cp)

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

4 q g sc 0.0764 g
d g
d 2
g 20.14 q g sc (Mscfd) g
N Re 1488
(cp) d (in )
 Single Phase Gas Flow
Friction Factor
64
Laminar Flow (NRe < 2100): 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:

1 21.25
1.14 2 log10 0.9 , Commonly : 0.0006 in
fm d N Re
 Single Phase Gas Flow
General Equation
dP v dv g sin f m v 2 4 g sc q g sc
, v
dL g c dL gc 2 gc d d 2 g
2
P M
4q g sc g
PM g sc
RTsc
fm
PM g z RT PM g
g sin g d 2

dP z g RT z g RT

dL gc 2 gc d

dP PM g g sin 8Psc2 M g q g2sc z g T f m

dL g c z g RT 2 g cTsc2 d 5 P R
 Single Phase Gas Flow
General Equation
If T and zg are constant (T=Tav and zg=zav): C2

dP M g sin 8 P 2 2 2 2
sc g sc av av f m
q z T
P
g
P 2 2 5
2
dL g c z av RTav gTsc d sin

P1 P dP M g g L sin S
P2 P C
2 2

g c z avTav R

2

P12 C 2

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

P2 C
 Single Phase Gas Flow
General Equation
16Psc2 q g2sc z avTav f m L M g 0.0375 g Z (ft )
P e P
1
2 S
2
2

T d gc S R
2 2 5
e S

1 Where S
zavTav ( o R )
sc

2.527 10 5
z f T
g av m av ( o
R) q 2
g sc ( Mscfd) eS 1
P1 e P2
2 S 2
5
L(ft)
d (in) S
Le

0.5 0.5
P e P d 2 s 2 5 Tsc P e P d2 s 2 5
q g sc 198.94 1 2
5.6354 1 2

g z avTav f m Le Psc g z avTav f m Le

eS 1
For Horizontal Pipe : lim 1 Le L
S 0 S
 Single Phase Gas Flow
Average Pressure

16Psc2 q g2sc zavTav f m L M g

P12 e S P22
2Tsc2 d 5 g c S R
e S

1

P12 Px2 K L x Where 0 x 1 Px2 P22 K L(1 x)

P12 Px2 Px2 P22

x

1 x
Px P12 x( P12 P22 ) 0 .5

1 2 P22 2 P13 P23

Pav Px dx Pav P1 2
2
0 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:

100
vmax (ft/s)
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 Gas Distribution Pipeline

1. AGA equation 1. IGT equation
2. Weymouth equation 2. Spitzglass equation
3. Panhandle A equation 3. Mueller equation
4. Panhandle B 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.

d
F 4 log10 3 . 7 Fully Turbulent

Min
F 4 log10 N Re , Ft 4 log10 N Re 0.6 Smooth Pipe
1.4125 F F
t t
 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:

0.555
Tsc P e P
2 s 2
q g sc 35.861 1 2
d 2.667 , cp

Psc T Le
0.8 0.2
g av
 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
q g sc 278.956 d 2.5
Psc gTav Le (1 3.6 0.03 d )
d

B. High pressure (more than 1 psig):

0.5

Tsc P12 e S P22
q g sc 53.016 d 2.5
Psc gTav z av Le (1 3.6 0.03 d )
d
 Single Phase Gas Flow
Mueller and Fritzsche Equation
The Mueller equation is:

0.575
Tsc P e2
P
s 2
q g sc 35.4509 1 2
d 2.725 , cp
Le
Psc T
0.7391 0.2609
g av

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

extensive use in compressed air and gas piping:

0.538
Tsc P e P
2 s 2
q g sc 41.28 1 2 d 2.69
P 0.8587
T L
sc g av e
 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