Natural Gas Engineering

(CHE-484)
Lecture 27 – 28:

Gas Transmission
Flow calculations & sizing

1
Transportation – Introduction
• Commercial natural gas is continuously transported
through pipelines
• The transmission of natural gas to the consumer may
be divided into three distinct pipeline units
‒ the gathering system
‒ the main trunk line
‒ the distribution lines

• Compressors - essential as gas transmission pipelines

extended great distances from the gas field
• When natural gas does not have sufficient potential
energy to flow, a compressor station is needed
Transportation – Introduction
• Five types of compressor stations are utilized in the
natural gas production industry
1. Field gas-gathering stations to gather gas from
wells
2. Main line stations to boost pressure in
transmission lines
3. Repressuring stations to provide gas pressures for
processing
4. Storage field stations to compress trunk line gas
for injection into storage wells
5. Distribution plant stations to pump gas from
holder supply to medium- or high-pressure
distribution lines
Pipeline Design
• Factors need to be considered in the design of long-
distance gas pipelines
‒ nature and volume of the gas to be transmitted
‒ the length of the line
‒ the type of terrain to be crossed
‒ maximum elevation of the route
Pipeline Design (Cont’d)
• The designing of gathering system is involves:
‒ location of the wells
‒ the ability of right of way
‒ the amount of gas to be handled
‒ the distance to be transported
‒ the pressure difference between the field and the
main transmission line
• The gas wells are generally located in groups around
a geological structure
• The gathering system is made up of branches that
lead into trunk lines
Pipeline Design (Cont’d)
• The trunk line is small at the most distant well and,
as more wells along the line are attached to it, the
line must be larger to accommodate the greater
volume of gas
• A network of smaller diameter transmission mains
that may carry gas to consumption centers
• Complex systems of still smaller-diameter
distribution piping run to individual homes, shops,
and factories
Pipeline Design (Cont’d)
• Complex engineering studies are needed to decide
on
1. Diameter
2. yield strength
3. pumping horsepower
required to give the optimum results for any
particular pipeline transmission system.
• Several designs are usually made so that the
economical one can be selected
• The maximum capacity of a pipeline is limited by its
initial parameters of construction
Pipeline Design
1. Sizing Pipelines
a) Friction Factor
b) Reynolds Number
c) Relative Roughness
d) Equations for Friction Factor
i. Laminar Single-Phase Flow
ii. Turbulent Single-Phase Flow
e) Theoretical Pipeline Equations
i. Weymouth Equation for Horizontal Flow
ii. Weymouth Equation for Nonhorizontal Flow
f) Practical Pipeline Equations
a) Pipeline Efficiency
b) Transmission Factor
c) Empirical Pipeline Equation
Sizing Pipelines
• The capacity of gas transmission of a pipeline is
controlled mainly by its size.
• In addition to the size of a pipeline, the pressure and
capacity of gas transmission of a pipeline are primarily
limited by the resistance to flow from the pipe wall.

Friction Factor
• The pressure and capacity of gas transmission of a
pipeline are limited by the resistance to flow from the
pipe wall.
𝑑𝑝 𝑓𝜌𝑢2
• =
𝑑𝐿 𝑓 2𝑔𝑐 𝐷

u = flow velocity, ft/sec D = pipe diameter, ft

gc = gravitational conversion f = Moody friction factor
factor = 32.17 lbm ft/lbf sec2
Reynolds Number
• the ratio of fluid momentum force to viscous shear force
𝐷𝑢𝜌
𝑁𝑅𝑒 =
𝜇
D = pipe ID, ft ρ = fluid density, lbm/ft3
u = fluid velocity, ft/sec μ = fluid viscosity, lbm/ft-sec

• distinguish between laminar and turbulent fluid flow

Relative Roughness
• The frictional losses of fluid energy and pressure depend
on the roughness of the inside wall of a pipe.
• Absolute roughness 𝜀
• Effect of roughness is due to the dimensions relative to
the inside diameter of the pipe
• Relative roughness 𝑒𝐷 = 𝜀 𝐷
Equations for Friction Factor
• laminar or streamline flow and turbulent flow
• Moody friction factor chart
• the equation for the friction factor in terms of the
Reynolds number and relative roughness varies

Laminar Single-Phase Flow

64𝜇 64
𝑓= =
𝜌𝑢𝑑 𝑁𝑅𝑒

Turbulent Single-Phase Flow

• An explicit correlation for friction factor
1 21.25
= 1.14 − 2𝑙𝑜𝑔 𝑒𝐷 +
𝑓 𝑁𝑅𝑒 0.9
• Relative roughness 10–6 - 10–2
• Reynolds number 5×103 and 108
Theoretical Pipeline Equations
• Weymouth Equation for Horizontal Flow
3.23𝑇𝑏 1 𝑝1 2 − 𝑝2 2 𝐷5
𝑞ℎ =
𝑝𝑏 𝑓 𝛾𝑔 𝑇𝑧𝐿

1
= transmission factor
𝑓
The Moody friction factor may be a function of flow rate and
pipe roughness.
0.48𝑞ℎ 𝛾𝑔
𝑁𝑅𝑒 ≈
𝜇𝐷
use of above equations trial and- error procedure to
calculate qh
Where 𝛾𝑔 = gas gravity (air = 1)
q = gas flow rate, MMscfd (at 14.7 psia, 60 °F)
𝑇= average temperature, °R
𝑧 = gas deviation factor at 𝑇 and 𝑝
𝑝= ( p1 + p2)/2
L = pipe length, ft
D = pipe internal diameter, in.
f = Moody friction factor
Weymouth equation commonly used in the natural gas industry.

18.062𝑇𝑏 𝑝1 2 − 𝑝2 2 𝐷16/3
𝑞ℎ =
𝑝𝑏 𝛾𝑔 𝑇𝑧𝐿
Example Problem 11.1
For the following data given for a horizontal pipeline,
predict gas flow rate in cubic ft/hr through the
pipeline.
D = 12.09 in
L = 200 mi
e = 0.0006 in
T = 80 °F
γg = 0.70
Tb = 520 °R
pb = 14.7 psia
p1 = 600 psia
p2 = 200 psia
Average z-factor: 𝑧 = 0.9188
Gas viscosity: 0.0099 cp