. .

SPE 30996 The Impact of FrictionFactor on the Pressure Loss Predic%on in Gas Pipelines
H. Ilkin Bilgeau and George J. Kopema Jr., Weat Virginia Mvemiiy

wpmpmlncpmpmwlbr~

atumsPE~ROgiOnd

cOduWnwa EldliHm

Introduction fortheflow ofnsturslgasin gstherhg systems and tranmus . onpipelines. The pressure drop between twopointsallowsthec@neer tooptimizethepipeline diameterss well as the coqmsor using basic flOW equations such as Weymouth or Panhandle equations.
Pmsaureistkdiving&rce

h MOIS-IW WV.U.S.A. 17-21 SWIOMIM W=

Abstract &p_ti@k~tiy ti-tibytie~tofa~ dmp ~tkipsted during diiferent phases of natud gas trsnspmtstion. The outlet pmsaum can recomputed byacommongss pipeline equation such as Weymouth or Panhandle formulas at the desired flow rate and pipe size. In addition to selecting the proper capacity and the related cost am * Qf~P@~*. ~ -determined based on the discharge pressure. The flow rate, in these eqtmtions, is defined in terms of a turbulent fiction f-.
~
=f&Q&i@

The basic flow equations consist of three mmponents called elevation, velocity, and fiction. The elevation cmponent is dtptif?=grsti ty~whm-tiov~ti kmgtbofahmhntal or inclined pipeline or gathering system, will become negligible due to its d eifect upon the result. In pipe flow, the velocity of gas is much higher thau that of the oil and it playa a signifmut role within both the velocity component aodtkii%tion componmt. When the size of a pipeline is selected * velocity mmponent is fixed at the desired field gas production rate. On the other hand the calculation of tiictional presaum drop component requires the knowledge of pipe cxmditionin terms of roughness. The pipe roughness plays a major role in the . . de@mu@mofpmsure bsaincethesmdme5s of the intern&d surface is changing over time. The general approach m the determination of tictionsl pmsaum losses is to use au empirical fiCtiOll ktor. ~krd fiCtiOII faCtOrS m? -ted by VSliOUS
investigators. a

& dw

roug!meis lb the pipe An dkieacy factor

is employed in the equations for adjusting deviations in the preamm*csl~ Exiskmeofa sublayer, duetothepipe surfhce condition and accumulations of m&msste, can gawrate cases that cannot be defined properly by the use a single tiction factor. ThepmpersizingufapipelinecanbeimpmvedbycMining the ranges of errors introduced with the use of diflereat fiction factom. Di%&mtccmlstions exist fm the calculation of the fiction factor, f as a fimction of Reynolds number and the relative roughness of thepipe. Thef~fdrfeither require sniterativepmcedumor may be solved explicitly. Also, each fiction factor coKslstion exists with its own valid limits mgsnling Reynolds number and relativeroug&s. Thus, someequstions sresimpletousebutnot accumtesndsamesm accurate butnoteasytoinqmate into the final equation. btis*, ti#atoftiefitim f-mti~* calculations for gas flow is presented. Various correlations fix iiktionfsctorssr eutilizdt odemonstmtet heir impscton the desigo ofnstmal gsspipelines. Also, a summary and a comparison ofmulta am presented for dii&ent flow rates, pipe sizes, and fm field data.

most commonly used iiiction factors were presented by Colebmok-White? The Colebrook-White equation has been applicable over a very wide range of Reynolds numbers and relative ro@mess values within an acceptable stmdard of _ III$WbrOOk-Whites formulation, the fiction factor is &tummedusmg sri iterative technique. That is the fiction fmtor appears on both sides of the equation and must be solved with a trial and amr approach.
The

Overtime, many authommated approximations to the ColebmokWhiteequatims.lQ These sppnmimations could be grouped into two types of equations - iterative and direct. The iterative equations aUowedfora trial anden-orappmach tode&minethe fiction f~tor and weE often not as precise as the ColebrookWhite fmulstion.

155

4 ~
H ILKIN -.---BILGESU . AND . .. ----... GEORGE J.

KOPERNAJr.

SPE 30996

However, many direct fbrnmlations have made great strides iu m~~~ ofm when COmpSfCd to the Colebrookwhite equatk scveraI equatioIM -h ss Chen ~ *&@J=7. deviatehrnthe C&brook-White equation in such a small manner thattkymaybeuaed inplaceafthe iterative-. Byuaing these direct cslculatim quick and easy computation of the ii-iction factor may be accomplished with a calculator or a apn4ah@ nmmmm sohtb hVOktS fiction fUkX y. ... . .Annther -. .. tvne -Jr- of&m&t -- --- ________ charts genemted by ~~ -= b~ * ReYn~~ number and pipe rou@n6a values.
Gaaflowcahdaticmsareba aedonequationsgiw=b yfWymouh

with six non-iterative COITClations and the percent deviations in fiktiontkctomhm Colebrook-white correlation were computed. Fanning fiction factor, which is one fourth of Darcys friction factor, was used in all cases throughout this study.

PanhandlqcatheAmuican Gas Association (AGA). Within these equations, tie Iiiction factor term fium the geaeral equation has byllktionfactorsdehed~ac ombinationof beUlappdn@d Ann U7- flmu -. - - .# 41....n..nnnt-. lx?. Susu pyu .-, u mta ., ndafive .. .. . . UUGu -G ULw pl roughness, or apec~c gravity. In these ~ where the anmeoua valuea of fiction f=tor term has been appm~ either pmaaure orgasf.lowrate will becahxdated. Inthesecasea, the applicable range ofReynolda number or relative mughnem to diameter ratios has been not either met or exceeded fm the employed approximation.

a gas gathming pipeline Published data and measurem ents * were used to calculate the flow rate with the basic gas flow equation. The basic equation was teamed with the friction fcomelationa utilizd earlier in this study. The data were also used to calculate gas flow rates using four difkrent versions of the --tm=byw-,=-ti-tiw Panhandle ~ and Panhandle B. Table 2 shows the fotm of flow -Wmrntbisq.mticflow-mwua tocakdateflowrates andpn=aumdrops withdiffemntemp irid fiction factor cormlationa.

Background The nations gas pipeline network is a vital sector of the energy induaby anditcamies gas in either direction depedngonthe need. This continuous flow system cau be represented with Derivaindividualpipes where thegasflowhasto beddermbd tion of the gas flow rate equation is given in dil%rent publications2An energy balance between two enda of pipe yields thegasflow equation withterms forwork doneby thepump, elevation and kinetic energy changes, and fictional bases. Except laminar flow, theactual syatemenergy loaaescannotbe prdcledthmretically, and must be dctmmined experbmtally. A lUliVLTSi4@ used correction based on ~tation is the fiction factor. The fiction f-is a comelating function of both the Reynolds number and the relative roughness. Reynolds numbers am ddned as the ratio of gas density, gas velocity, and pipe diamderto gas viscosity. The relative roughness is qressed as the absolute mughnem of the pipe to its diameter.

Resutts Thesixcorrelationa uaedinthis atudywerepmgnunmed fm= with a apre@ket. Due to its widely accepted use, the iterative CoWrook-White correlation was taken as the base case. All Iiicdon factor ViIhES W~ COll@Cd and the deviations iiwm base case Wue &mmned. Table 3 lists the percent deviations in ikiction fib calculations with Six difkrent correlations iiom CoMmok-White correlations. Various flow rates and pipe aims were canaiti however, only six Reynolds numbers at seven different relative ro@mesa valum are listed m Table 3. It is in the tliction factor valuea become hta@ingthStthediff~ more significant in the lower and higher Reynolds numbers. TbAtshn apipdine m the Vensngo County, Pennsylvania was usedtocompute gaaflow rates with five equationa asliatedin Table2. Meammd valueswem the gas cunpoaitim pipe diameter, inlet and outlet pmmurea, and the gas flow rate. Data for pipe ~ was not available and a value of 0.0006 was used as a beat edimate since the pipeline is relatively new. An edmate fm the pipelines efhciency was also needed. A value of 0.88 was chosen florn the generally accepted rmge of 0.88 and O.%. This selection is believed to reflect the closest approximation to the dkiency of the pipeline with several valves and drips. Once the each equation WSS SOhk!d for the flow variatdes W~ detennin~ ra@w Atthispoinh eachtlowequation waa~edandti outletpmamre, pz, was computed. This process allowed a double check of the data The results ufthis portion of the study reveal that the computed outlet pmaauma vary slightly when compamd with the calculated flowrateaaa ahownin Table 4. Theaveragepercent deviationsrn thecaMatedpresaLmvvcmobaeWedtobelessthan9percentfbr allcaxs However,theaveragepercuKdeviationainthecrdcuhited gas flow rates were highest fm the Panhandle-B equation and lowest tbr the basic flow equation as ahown in Table 4. Since flmbwpwwfwdmpbttiflowmewm tmnahed intocumulativepmductk. The cumulative production for tltleen days of field data and the cumulative gas values comp@edwithilvedi&rentflowequationsareshowninFigurel.AU

Approsch
Aompriam maukinghn studywas conducted to determine the discrepancies lhe use of diffenmt fiction

factor comelationa. Only tmbukmtflow regimes were considered and a minimum Reynolds number of4xl@ was used. Six explicit non-iterative rehtionships were examhed with Reynolds numbers and relative m@nemes ranging from 4xl@ to 8X10-7and b 1.0x10-7 to 5.0x102 , mapectively. The empirical correlations presented by Churchill, Ajitaaria,w, Cheaf, Serghidea7,and the modified Mkumdae6 wcmuaedintheibrm Medin Table l. Aniterative procedure was used to cakxdate the friction factor VShES ddned in ColebrookWhite correlation. The fiction factor values Wem also computed

156

SPE 3099S

THE IMPACT OF FRICTtON FACTOR ON THE PRESSURE LOSS PREDICTION IN GAS PIPEUNES

fmulasyieldhigbugasvolummtian~intiefieldk fti days, tie deviations in the gas volume predictions wem greater than 100 percent with Psnhandle B equation yielding the highest deviation.
AIIMWM

Nomenclature
y = Specific gravity, dimensions ~D = diameter, L, in.

C.JA da+. A &,Au, ,wme . Cond!udd yieidedmhveatdev%tkinlwl-u A to fi~~ & @ect of fjidk)llfactor correlati& used in the bsaic

gas flow equations considtmd ~

E = pipeline e%iciency,dimensionless
the basic flow equation

f= mtionfsctor, dimensionless T. in ~= Ant= y.y. n . . nmlmes ..&-.-. --,.

L = hgtb of the pipeline, L, miles. P,= idet pfeasumrn/L2,psi
pl = outletpressure,niL2, psi

equation Sixnon-iterative tiiction factor correlations were used in the basic equation and separate calculations were camied out to determine flow rate and pmsaure values. The calculated values wemcompamd withtbefi@ data andthe average percent deviations listed in Table 5 were observed Table 5 mggesta that all tion thctor carelations employed in the flow equation yield san.waverage percent deviation of 5.5 pement m pmasure values. Ike Werss%permkdevii h?!owraa ~ ** m= -!! correlations, but much higher in magnitude than tbe average percentage values observed iu pmsaure cahlations. NaL four comlatiom%ernplciyedm the rate equationa, were used to calculate the friction factors between Reynolds numbers of 34,500 and 48,000. Figure 2 shows the calculated fiction fkctor values and tbevslues determbed by the Colebrook-White comelation. Figure 2 suggests that the friction fsctor values employed in flow equationsyield low values compamdto COlebrook-White.The undemtimation of fiction factor values caused the calculated gas flow ratestobebighcrthsttbe ac4usltie4dc onditionaa sshownrnFigure meammmatofapmasur edmpin l.wbmtheconditionspemlit --- LAA &w -,X. :. atlexisbgpipeb SyKtt w .bA +. w piu%lw m *b selection of the appropriate fiction factor equation.

p== Standadpressure,m/L2,psi q== Flow rate at atandd conditions,L3L SCF/D

Re = Reynoldsnumber,
L=~,R T==atandad ~$ ~=. ~a- ~.~~ dimensionless

f@u

R
dimeneinnl-~ .-..-..

-.,

Subaeripts Sc= atandd conditions ?n=meauormixtm

References
1. Jain, A& AccurateFrictionEquation for FrictionFsctcm (May 1986) 674. d thlid-fkw 2. Chumhill, S.W.: ~riction-factor Equation -S Mgime$ chemical Enginaring(November 7, 1977) 91. 3. Chcn, NK An ExplicitEqus60n fw FrictionFaotorin Pipc3 M. Eng. Chcm. Fundam (1979) 18,N0. 3, 2%. 4. Round, G1.: An Explicit Approximationfor the Fric60n FactorNumb Relation fbr Rough and Smooth Pipmfl The Canadii Journal of Chcmieal Engineain& Vol. 58 (Febnuuy 1980) 122. %@iOIIS, Prqrarn Aid GSS-~W tidations, @ 5. _NIL & Gas J., (Aug. 9, 1982) 138. 6. Nkuradse, J.: Stmnwngsgcsetzi in Rohmn,Ver. Duetch. Ing., Fomohungshek (1933)361. 7. ~ TX.: %atimak Friction Factor Accumtciy Chcmiad Enginecr(Mareh 5, 1984) 63. 8. Moody, K.L.: An Apprdmatc Fonmda fix pipe Friction Factor, Tmns.ASME, (1947) 69,1005. 9. ~ C.F.:TurbulentFtow in Pips with particular rcfkmnce b the TransitionRegion belween Smooth and Rough PipeLaws; J. ofthchwt. of Chil En@necm,(1938-1939) 11,133. 10. Haalan&SE.: Siiplc and-Formubs fw the FrictionFactor ~W: Joumd of ~UidS Eq@mcr@, (March in Turbulent~ 1983) 105,89. N.D.: %xpIicitApproximationsto the 11. Zigrand,D.J. and $kStCl, 8ohdionofCoMmoks FrictionFactorEquation,AIChEJourmd, (May 1982) 28,N0. 3,514. 12. KazD.L and@R L; Mtund Gas Engineaing - Productionsnd Publishing (h@illy, New York, N.Y., Storage? -W-m
:990.

Conclusions From this study, the followings were concluded. 1. Among the fiction factor congelations ~ the Moodys

cUmMionyiddathela rgeatdevidmswitbmorethsnI2%athigh

Reynolds numbers. Cben and Serghides correlstiom yield the knvest percent deviations in all ranges considered in this Shldy. 2. WheJleachoftheaixfiictimfactorcolTelationswemusedintbe basic equatiorL they COmp~ tkvorably with the results @VUl by tbe basic equation using the C&brook-white fiction factor. VSkS Wbigberby 5.5 percent fdr the ~, the ~Cllbd PRSSUI@ ~by anaverage of 43 percent for the gssflow rates. 3. Tbe gas flow rates calculated with Weymout4 Panhsndle & Psnbandle B, AG~ and basic flow fmnulas yieided bigber values whencompamdwithllelddsta Fortbefielddataused inthisstudy, the-basicfiowequmionyieidedtheiowestdeviationin&lefiowi-ate ~~m thk AA9ti~ ~~ S=OIII ~um~ .~c~ * q!.y~. ~.e Suwwvw, -. ---. stedbecauae tbefliction fhctorvalues gaa rates were Overeahm were yielded lower than actual field conditions.

S1Metric ConversionFactors ~ ~ ~-~g* lznl -. 2.54* psi x6.894 757

in. x

.~

E+OO=cm E+OO= kpa

157

H. ILKIN BILGESU AND GEORGE J. KOPERNA Jr.

SPE 30WB

TABLE 1- FRICTION FACTOR CORRELATIONS hmatigator n -1 .L-__l.

oIeoruuKwn:.w IJllc

Friction Factor Corralatbn

/ ~Jj . ~ ~613\

coaatantll

= 411

3.7065

Re@ J .

Churchill f={:)+ (c,:c,p] C1 (24574(+)+(%))) G = (~)

Ajitaaria

f= O3{(#73m#n+nll I
I
f = .wl

Moody

.-,.-E i 10 *. I( F -5)
~.~~~

k\lB ~ ~ ~

Chm ..

~ ( y~ = -41 I# 1 ,3.7065

- --#ogc3

= l)y~v.lw
3

7.~A9)*l ,

,I

2.8257

Ixl

Serghides

f = 4.781[

C~ - C, + 4.781

(C4 4.781~

1
2

C4= -{%+%) i ~~ 2.5!C4) c5=-210 1 3.7 + Re J

Nihradse

=24571(3;+%4

158

SPE 30996

THE IMPACT OF FRICTION FACTOR ON THE PRESSURE LOSS PREDICTION IN GAS PIPELINES

TABLE 2- GAS PIPELINE ~W Equations Fluw Rate

EQUATIONS Friction Factor Correlation

Basic NOW q= = 38.774(:) T s IJJ (P; - pz~s o-s [ ]E

$YLTwFn

Weymouth
T

q= = 433.49(5)

10 (p: [

- p2~s333105E

SC

WA

f= doss

0.008

Panhandle A q= = 435.87(f)

l.~[

(p:

_ p:#S&l

0.5394

SC

y08%LT~m

]E

f=

0.0192

(f;*

Panhandle B

T
_- = 737(f) q-

l.~ (P: _
[

p2~4.%1

o.51

SC

mi~~=m Y

]E

I
I

f=

0.00359

@J-

AGA % = 38.774(;) T l.O(p; - p2~s s

[

SC

1% JWmZrn

f=

1
[410g( y)f

159

H. ILKIN BILGESUAND GEORGE J. KOPERNA Jr.

SPE 30996

T-U
km Re f -

3- PERCENT
CokbmoH?Wte

DEVIATIONS

FROM COLEBROOK-WHLTE
Mody

COIUUU.ATION
-N~

i 47

4f#13

0.QiW

1.56 0.25 0.75 0.38 0.46 1.37 1.56 0.25 0.75 0.34 0.50 1.10 1.56 0.25 0.71 0.17 0.66 0.43 1.58 0.32 0.37 0.47 0.38 0.09 1.86 0.84 0.74 0.43 0.09 Q.01 2.98 2.11 0.65 Q.13 0.02 0.01 0.56 1.70 0.31 0.06 0.02 U.oi

k1-04 1C+Q5 MQ6 lcto7 1cI08 146 4#03 1AM MQ5 1C+Q6 le+Q7 M-OS 4CI-03 M-04 letQ5 MQ6 lrrlQ7 1c+08 4e+Q3 M-04 M-05 le+06 kl-07 le+08 4e-Q3 1C+04 ktQ5 leto6 1C+07 lct08 4d-Q3 le+04 1C+Q5 M-M k+07 1c+Q8 4rto3 1C+Q4 1C+05 le+06 lctQ7 letQ8

0.0077 0.0045 0.0029 0.QQ20 0.0015 O.OIQQ 0.0077 0.0045 0.0029 0.0021 0.0016 0.0100 0.0077 0.0045 0.QQ30 0.0022 0.002Q 0.0100 0.0078 0.0046 0.0034 0.0030 0.0030 0.0102 0.QQ81 0.QQ55 0.QQ50 0.0049 0.0049 0.0123 0.0108 0.0096 0.0095 0.0095 0.0095 0.0192 0.0184 0.0179 0.0179 0.0179 0.0179

Q.82 0.70 3.31 5.28 0.28 12.82 0.82 0.70 3.31 5.19 0.03 11.60 0.81 Q.69 3.23 4.52 1.13 5.71 Q.75 0.68 2.53 1.56 Q.89 1.37 0.27 0.38 0.18 0.65 0.84 0.86 4.39 4.18 4.22 4.23 4.23 4.23 18.45 18.56 18.69 18.71 18.71
iiki i

Q.45 Q.34 3.66 S.62 0.62 12.57 0.45 Q.34 3.65 5.49 0.09 12.02 0.45 0.33 3.53 4.49 2.03 7.12 0.42 0.39 2.37 0.09 3.12 3.72 Q.20 0.65 1.85 3.70 4.05 4.08 2.99 1.89 Q.76 0.59 0.57 0.57 15.87 15.57 15.39 15.38 1538
15.3!3

Q.47 0.20 0.02 Q.Q5 0.08 0.09 0.47 0.20 0.02 0.03 0.03 0.10 0.47 0.20 Q.01 0.06 0.17 0.09 0.45 0.16 0.12 0.25 0.09 0.01 0.31 0.02 0.27 0.08 0.01 0.00 0.00 Q.15 0.05 O.Q1 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00
()~

0.16 0.20 0.35 0.46 0.48 0.38 Q.16 0.20 0.36 0.43 0.37 0.09 0.16 0.20 0.35 0.31 0.08 0.02 0.16 0.19 0.24 0.Q5 0.02 0.03 Q.14 0.14 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.07 0.01 0.05 0.06 Q.Q6 Q.Q6 0.03 0.06 0.08 Q.08 0.08
0.0!?

1.58 0.25 0.75 0.38 0.46 1.37 1.58 0.25 0.75 0.34 Q.50 1.10 1.58 0.25 0.71 0.17 0.66 0.43 1.60 0,32 0.37 0.47 0.38 0.09 1.88 0.84 0.74 0.43 Q.09 0.01 3.10 2.11 0.65 0.13 0.02 0.01 3.13 1.70 0.31 0.06 0.02 O.Q1

IC-05

le-w

le-Q3

142

5e-Q2

160

SPE 30996

THE IMPACT OF FRICTION FACTOR ON THE PRESSURE LOSS PREDICTION IN GAS PIPELINES

TABLE 4- AVERAGE PERCENT DEVIATIONS IN THE CALCULATED FLOW RATE AND PRESSURE

VALUES
m

Eqm8tion

Avg. % FlowRaie

Avg. % Pnssare Ihror

Basic mow

41.9

8.5

Woymnuth
Pdnodk-A Padmdk_B
AOA

62.4 106.6 1226 106.6

.1I

I
I
I I

8.9 7.5 7.8 7.8

TABLE 5- AVERAGE PERCENT DEVIATIONS IN THE CALCULATED FLOW RATE AND PRESSURE VALUES us :QUATION
Avg. %Flaw R8te I&or 42.0 AVS.% PresRR
Error

5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5

42.8 43.3 43.5 42.5 42.1

161

H, !LKJNBILGESUAND GEORGE J. KOPERNA Jr.

SPE 20996

o
02 4 6 8 Time, days 10 72 74 76

0.006

....................... ................... .. . ....... ............ ................ ......... .... . .................... . ............ .......... ......

.................................& .... .... .... .... .... .....&..h

A&?A=&$s+S=-3-A= =A... .. .........

0.002

E+

-+9H3=0+3-&a--Q9-a

Fii. 2+*

f$dm V8hSS

COIItpUtd

With tiVO different fOillNhS

US8d ill ~

ti

~U#kMIS.

162