ModelingandSimulation

TransientAnalysisCaseStudy
i
l i
S d
ofaLiquidsGatheringSystem
of a Liquids Gathering System
Mr.AugustoGarcia
Mr.ThomasMoore
Mr.
SouthwestResearchInstitute

Description&Outline
Numerous failures of a flexible composite pipeline
Liquids gathering system
Transient hydraulic model to evaluate a 4-inch flexible
composite
it pipeline
i li and
d an 8-inch
8 i h steel
t l pipeline
i li

Introduction
DataCollection
ComputationalModeling
Results
Analysis
y
Summary&Conclusions/Questions

GatheringSystemMap

CDP-01, -02, -03, and

Stabilizer plant

CDPs identical in
configuration with 2 triplex
pumps (PDP)

~12.5 Miles from CDP-01

to stabilizer plant
p

Stabilizer plant PCV holds

500 psig back pressure

Check valve half way up

hill

~500
500 ft from CDP-01
CDP 01 to top
of hill

ModelingProcess
Data
Collection
Functional & process
block diagrams
Computational model
d l
development
t
Computational model
validation
Obtain model results
Analysis

Verify data is consistent

Collect additional data and make
corrections as needed
Document assumptions
Verify data is consistent and appropriate
for modeling software
Ensure predictive measures are consistent
and appropriate for intended analysis
Check that the units are correct
Use known operating parameters from
data collection phase if possible
Ensure results are consistent with known
operating conditions

DataCollection

Documentation
P&IDsandisometricdiagrams
Datasheets
Operationalphilosophy
Reports
p
Anecdotaldata
Failuresappearedtoincreaseaftercheckvalve
installed

Flexible Pipe
FlexiblePipe
Structural
Components

FieldSurvey

Verifieddocumentationandcollectedadditional
information

InstrumentedallthreeCDPs

Did not go to stabilizer plant

Didnotgotostabilizerplant

TransientHydraulicModeling
UtilizedtheStonerPipelineSimulator(SPS)
SlightlycompressibleliquidsEOS
Slightly compressible liquids EOS

8-Inches Pipeline System

CDP SP16-18: P-7310 47%, M15-06: P-6310 23%, M14-16: P-4310 78%
Pressure

Elevation

700

7800

7700
600
7600
500

Pressure (psig)

7500
400

7400

7300

300

7200
200
7100
100
7000

6900
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

Pipeline Distance (ft)

50000

60000

70000

8InchPipelineSystemPressurewithPulsation
Max. Pressure

Min. Pressure

Pulsation

700

35

600

30

500

25

400

20

300

15

200

10

100

0
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

Pipeline Distance (ft)

50000

60000

0
70000

Pulsation (psig)

Pressu
ure (psig)

Pressure

SummaryResults

Theresultsdidnotrevealaproblemrelatedtowater
hammer in either the pre existing or existing pipelines
hammerineitherthepreexistingorexistingpipelines

Thepulsationswerealittlehighinthepreexisting
pipeline but were not considered excessive
pipeline,butwerenotconsideredexcessive

Transientsduringpumpstartandstopswere
significant but were well within the limits of the
significantbutwerewellwithinthelimitsofthe
pipeline

Aninvestigationoffailedcompositepipelinesections
An
investigation of failed composite pipeline sections
revealedthefailureoccurredfromtheinsideoutward

Therewasnocreep,andadjacentsectionswereburst
There
was no creep and adjacent sections were burst
testedtogreaterthan2timestheMAOP

WaterHammerAnalysis

Waterhammernotaproblem
Flowvelocitiesarelowandthereforethemomentum
changeislow
Nomechanismfoundforcausinganysignificantwater
hammer issues
hammerissues
410
2-Inch Pipeline Pressure
Averaged Pressure

390

370
Press
sure (psig)

2-in pipe RampRamp-up

from 20%20%-100%

350

330

310

290
0

8
Time (s)

10

12

14

16

TransientResponseAnalysis

Startup&shutdowntransientsnotaproblem
Severaltestcaseswererunwhichresultedin
significanttransientresponsesbutwerenot
g
p
enoughtoleadtoapipelinefailure
Therewasnosignificantresponserelatedtothe
There was no significant response related to the
additionofthecheckvalvehalfwayupthehill

Pulsation while small may play a significant part in

Pulsationwhilesmallmayplayasignificantpartin
theflexiblecompositepipelinefailure

PulsationAnalysis
Pulsationsarestronglycorrelatedfailuresites
Pressure

Max Pressure
Max.

Min Pressure
Min.

Failures

Pulsation

700

30

600

25

500

400

4-Inch Pipeline
Pulsation and
Failure
C
Correlation
l ti

300

200

15

10
0

100

0
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

Pipeline Distance (ft)

50000

60000

0
70000

Pulsation (ps
sig)

20

Pressure (psiig)

FailureAnalysis

Analysisoffailedsegmentsrevealedfailurefrominside
outward

Innerlinereruptedthroughouterlinerwithlittleevidenceof
Inner
waterbetweenlayers

Hydrotestingofadjacentsegmentsmetorexceeded
Hydro
specifications

Gl fib
Glassfibersnearthe
th
innerlinertendedto
havejaggedbreaks
whereasfibersnear
theoutsidetended
to be clean breaks
tobecleanbreaks

FailureAssessment

Thereappearstobenoobviousfailuremechanism

Failuresoccursomewhatrandomlyandassoonasa
failure is fixed another one appears
failureisfixedanotheroneappears

However,thefailuresappeartocorrelateverywellto
th
theareaswiththehighestpulsation
ith th hi h t l ti

Thepipevendorwarnsthatthepipeisnotdesigned
foruseincyclicapplicationabove20%ofrated
pressure(Cyclicisdefinedasapproximatelyonceper
day)

FailureAssessment,continued

Wetheorizethefollowing:
Damage
Damageisincurredtotheinnerfibersduetothesmall
is incurred to the inner fibers due to the small
pulsations,potentiallyfrombendingstressintheglass
This
Thisgeneratesaweaknessinthepipewhichcauses
generates a weakness in the pipe which causes
increasingstressinthatarea
Individualfiberscontinuetobreakfurtherstainingthe
fibers continue to break further staining the
Individual
remainingfibers
y
Thefailureoftheouterfibersoccursuddenlywhenthe
tensilestrengthofthefiberisexceededleavingaclean
break
Astheglasslayerisweakenedtheinnerlinerbulges
outwardbeforeeruptingthroughtheouterliner

FailureAssessment,continued

FromandO&Mstandpoint,thiswouldappeartobe
somewhatlikeoperatingametalpipeabovethe
endurancelimitwithpulsation

Evenasmallpulsationcaneventuallyleadtopipeline
failure

Onceanfailedareaisrepairedthestressesbuildup
elsewhere

Summary&Conclusions

Failureslikelyduetosmallcyclicstressesinthe
glassfibers

Lessonlearned,verifythatyourassumptionsare
correctandreviewalldatainthefieldwhen
providedtheopportunity

Noevidencetosupportwaterhammerasanissue
f
foreitherthe4inchor8inchpipeline
h h
h
h
l

Therevisedoperatingphilosophyisasubstantial
i
improvementoverthatofthepreexistingsystem
h
f h
i i

Pulsationsarenotasignificantthreattothe
i
integrityofthe8inchsteelpipeline,butmaybea
i
f h 8i h
l i li b
b
significantfactorinthefailureofthe4inchpipeline

ModelingandSimulation
g
TransientAnalysisCaseStudyof
aLiquidsGatheringSystem
Li id G th i S t