Prediction model of critical liquid‐carrying gas velocity for high gas‐to‐liquid ratio gathering pipelines

Abstract

As the pressure and temperature of natural gas pipelines decreases during operation, water and condensate accumulates form in the low areas of the pipelines, affecting the operational efficiency of the pipelines and even corroding them. The critical gas velocity is a key factor in predicting liquid loading onset in the pipeline, so that appropriate measures can be taken in advance and hazards can be reduced. This paper proposes a model for predicting pipeline liquid loading onset based on the liquid film and wall shear stress of zero, and applicable to different pipe diameters and different inclination angles. This model provides a more simplified and comprehensive prediction of pipeline fluid loading than other models with complex calculations. The critical gas velocity in this model is a function of the liquid holding rate rather than the liquid film thickness, and the critical gas velocity prediction in a phase-inclined pipe is carried out by an improved Belfroid angle correction term. The experimental data, field data and seven models in the published literature were compared and validated, and the errors were judged. The results showed that the new model outperformed the other models in terms of absolute mean error at full inclination angle, and was able to predict the pipeline liquid loading accurately.