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SPE 4692

Advanced Equations for Natural Gas

Flow Prediction
4692
Francis, M.A.,
Texas Eastern Transmission Corp.
Copyright 1973, American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and
Petroleum
Engineers Inc.
This paper was prepared for the 48th Annual Fall Technical Conference
and Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, held in
Las Vegas, Nev. Sept. 30 - Oct. 3, 1973. Permission to copy
is restricted to an abstract of not more than 30 words. Illustrations
may
not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment
of
where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after
publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF
PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon requested to the
Editor
of the appropriate journal, provided agreement to give proper credit
is
made.
Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any
discussion
should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such
discussions may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper,
may
be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.
ABSTRACT
Isothermal pressure-distance equations are
given for linear and quadratic volume-distance
distributions, both with and without the
standard constant slope elevation correction.
Basic applications to pipeline real gas flow,
leveloff, and blowdowns are included. The
relationship of transmission factors to Reynolds
Number dependent efficiencies, velocity profiles,
and orifice meter equations is discussed. Enthalpy
effects on temperature prediction are considered.
INTRODUCTION
The description of isothermal gas flow has
been restricted by usual integration methods in
that pressure-distance polynomials are available

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only for the constant volume case. By expressing
volume as a linear function of distance, with the
partial derivative of volume with respect to
distance held constant, an infinite number of
simplified volume-distance distributions may be
defined. Integration of the momentum balance
equation, with this indicated substitution, leads
to a family of pressure-distance polynomials in
which the square of the pressure is expressed as
a cubic equation of pipeline length.
The above method may be extended to a quadratic
volume distribution, where a volume at the pipe
section mid-point is estimated, and the resulting
pressure-distance polynomials are expressed through
the fifth degree of pipeline length. If the momentum
balance equation in the above cases contains an
elevation term, it has the form of the Bernoulli
differential equation and may be so integrated.
MOMENTUM BALANCE EQUATION
The momentum balance equation is given by
Flanigan and has the form
=0....(1)
where the second and third factors are the
inertia terms and the fourth and fifth deal
respectively with elevation and friction effects.
The Fanning friction term is the quotient of the
shear coefficient and the hydraulic radius

.............(2)
where
.............(3)
and
R

=
h

d
--4

.............(4)

Eq. (3) is in the form recommended by Shapiro

and defines the friction factor as the ratio of
the shear coefficient to the dynamic head. Eq.
(4) gives the hydraulic radium for a circular
pipe flowing full, see Daugherty.
Eq. (1) is in units of the foot-pound-second

SPE 4692

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system and may be converted to gas flow units as
given by Eq. (24). The primary steps in this
process will be listed here and are similar to
those given by Johnson, Smith, and Uhl.

SPE 4692