wanabe gasman
Chemical
- Aug 22, 2016
- 10
Fluid Velocity In Pipe
I am trying to determine if we need an additional pipe installed. Is our six inch pipe adequate to handle increased flow? At a cryo gas plant the NGL products are run to metering through a six inch pipe with inside diameter of 5.76 inches. This pipe only runs about 1000ft and then swedges to 8". Upgrades are proposed that would increase the flow through this line to 46,000 barrels per day.
Pressure: 1150psig
Temperature: 95F
I can give composition if someone requests; density: 30.8lb/ft^3. I ran simulation in HYSYS. I found that the velocity would be around 16ft/s.
The pressure drop over the 1000ft of pipe was around 25psi.
The pipe is rated to 1440psi.
Based on this, I told my boss we are fine-we don't need to replace. He said he thought 16ft/s was too high.
He asked me to look into the erosion problems we may encounter since there is a couple 90 and 45 elbows on the way to metering.
I tried to use HYSYS under the flow assurance tab-erosion; but I don't understand the chart. It lists a bulk density, then a bulk velocity, and lists zero for all erosion velocity, no matter how high I change the flow. I ended up using erosion velocity= 100/density^.5 this gave me an erosion velocity of 18ft/s.
So, does this mean that my operating velocity of 16 ft/s is "too close" to the 18ft/s. 89% of erosional velocity.
Considering the cryogenic NGL products are very "clean", I would think that erosion would be minimal.
Also, on a side note. I do not know how to model a pipe TEE. I have two pipes converging in a TEE that goes to metering. One flowing 28,000 bbl/day, converging with a line flowing 18,000 bbl/day. This is what give me the 46,000. HYSYS did not seem very helpful for modeling this TEE and the turbulence/fluid dynamics associated with it.
Let me know if I left any pertinent information out. I am a recent graduate.
Any experience or help would be appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to post,
I am trying to determine if we need an additional pipe installed. Is our six inch pipe adequate to handle increased flow? At a cryo gas plant the NGL products are run to metering through a six inch pipe with inside diameter of 5.76 inches. This pipe only runs about 1000ft and then swedges to 8". Upgrades are proposed that would increase the flow through this line to 46,000 barrels per day.
Pressure: 1150psig
Temperature: 95F
I can give composition if someone requests; density: 30.8lb/ft^3. I ran simulation in HYSYS. I found that the velocity would be around 16ft/s.
The pressure drop over the 1000ft of pipe was around 25psi.
The pipe is rated to 1440psi.
Based on this, I told my boss we are fine-we don't need to replace. He said he thought 16ft/s was too high.
He asked me to look into the erosion problems we may encounter since there is a couple 90 and 45 elbows on the way to metering.
I tried to use HYSYS under the flow assurance tab-erosion; but I don't understand the chart. It lists a bulk density, then a bulk velocity, and lists zero for all erosion velocity, no matter how high I change the flow. I ended up using erosion velocity= 100/density^.5 this gave me an erosion velocity of 18ft/s.
So, does this mean that my operating velocity of 16 ft/s is "too close" to the 18ft/s. 89% of erosional velocity.
Considering the cryogenic NGL products are very "clean", I would think that erosion would be minimal.
Also, on a side note. I do not know how to model a pipe TEE. I have two pipes converging in a TEE that goes to metering. One flowing 28,000 bbl/day, converging with a line flowing 18,000 bbl/day. This is what give me the 46,000. HYSYS did not seem very helpful for modeling this TEE and the turbulence/fluid dynamics associated with it.
Let me know if I left any pertinent information out. I am a recent graduate.
Any experience or help would be appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to post,
