Experimental Study of Wave Processes in Main Gas Pipelines under Normal Operating Conditions

Abstract

The article presents the results of processing non-emergency pressure measurements that are transmitted via the SCADA hardware and software system to the control center of the main gas pipeline. SCADA is widely used for real-time control of the modes of gas transmission systems. However, the data provided by SCADA contain some information that is not fully analyzed. The performed processing of pressure measurements is a passive experiment aimed at a deeper understanding of the flow processes that occur during the flow of gas in industrial pipelines of high power. As a result of the experiment, four types of wave phenomena were found: single waves of (a) compression and (b) decompression that were both damped as they moved along the pipe, (c) oscillations with an amplitude and frequency practically unchanged in a fixed section within a period of about 2 h, and (d) wave phenomena with a sharply changing amplitude and frequency within a period of several minutes. The characteristics of wave processes, such as the speed of movement and the decreasing or attenuating amplitude of oscillations, were evaluated. For evaluation, models were built that take into account the specifics of information transfer procedures, namely, SCADA’s representation of continuous functions in a discrete form. The results obtained can be used as an additional tool for searching for leaks, such as in fistulas and unauthorized tie-ins, allowing us to more accurately separate the useful signal from the noise. The question is raised about the adequacy of the one-dimensional model for describing the flow processes in the zones of large gradients of regime parameters. The reasons for possible inadequacy and ways to overcome it are indicated.