Calculation of Pressure Drop for a

hilly terrain pipeline using Beggs &

Brill correlation
By

Oba Fred Ajubolaka

G2011/MENG/PNG/FT/846

&
Abiodun Benjamin Odunayo
G2010/MENG/PNG/FT/804

MULTIPHASE FLOW IN PIPES

DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM & GAS ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT
AUGUST, 2012

Project Data:
q

7140STB/ D

qg 25.7mmcf / D

g 0.70 0.83 40 API

0

P 425psia
Ave.,T 90 F 550 R

d 12in.

Divide Pipeline into two sections

Section 1: Rises 300ft., in one mile(5280 ft.)
Section 2: Drops 300ft., in 3000ft.,

Solution
1.0

Section 1
Estimate Average Pressure,P
let, P 30 psi P P P 425 30 / 2 410psia
2

2.0

Determine fluid properties from relevant

correlation at 410psia and 90F
Determine Rs from:

P 100.0125 API

Rs g

18
100.00091t

1.2048

Where, t=90F , API = 40, P =410 psia

Rs 0.70( 138.1468) 96.70scf / STB.

Determine Bo from the correlation below:

Bo 0.9759 0.00012 R s

Where, Rs =96.70scf/STB, t= 90F

Bo =1.0457Bbl/STB

1.2

g
1.25t

Z-Factor determination
using standing & katz correlation
Ppc66715.0 37.5
g
g
Ppc503.75 psia

T pc168325 12.5
g
g

T pc394.28R
P

pr

pr

But,

P
Ppc

T
T pc

410
0.81
503.75

550
1 .4 0
3 9 4.2 8

z = (Ppr, Tpr) = 0.93

Determination of oil viscosity, o

(d) Using the following correlations:

od

1 0x 1

3.0324.02023
g

10

t1.163

1 0.7 1 5Rs 1 0 00.515 b

o

od

b 5.4 4Rs 1 5 00.338

3.5 7cp

Where, t = 90F, Rs =96.70scf/stb and g 0.70

Determine gas viscosity,g

(e) First we determine g
2.7

zT

2.7 0.70 410

1.52Ibm / ft 3
0.93 550

Using Lee et al Correlation

g 104 K

Y
g
X 62.4

Exp

M g 28.97

2 0.2 8Ib m / Ib m mo l

9.4 0.0 2M g T 1.5

K
2 0 9 1 9M g T 1 1 0.5 3

9 8 6
X 3 .5
0.0 1M g 5.5 0
T

Y 2.4 0.2 X 1.3 0

g 0.01155cp

Determine surface tension o and Bg

(f) From the plot of Baker and Swerdloff at 40API

od

28dynes/ cm

Correction factor of 70% , o will be:

o 2 8d yn es 7 0% 2 8 0.7 0 1 9d yn es/ cm

Bg is determined from z-factor, average pressure and

temperature:
0.0283zT 0.0283 0.93 550
Bg

0.0353ft3 / scf
p
410

3.0 Determine flowrates & Densities

(g)

Gas density,
g

(h)

gP

zT

2.7 0.70 410

1.52Ibm / ft3
0.93 550

Oil density,

o

(i)

2.7

350 o 0.076Rs g
5.615Bo

Oil flowrate,
q B 5.615

q o o
o
86400

(j)

50,36Ibm / ft3

0.4852ft 3 / s

Gas flowrate,

q q
B
g
R
o s g

q
10.218ft 3 / s
g
86400

4.0 Determine superficial velocities

Superficial velocity of liquid:

Vsl

qo
4qo
4 0.4852

0.618ft / s
Ap
12
d 2

Superficial velocity of gas:

Vsg

qg
Ap

4q g

d 2

4 1 0.2 1 8

12

1 3.0 0 9ft / s

Mixture velocity:

Vm Vsl Vsg 0.61813.009 13.627ft / s

5.0 Determine flow pattern

No slip liquid holdup,
Froude Number,

V
0.618
sl
0.0454
l

Vm

13.627

2
Vm
1 3.6 2 72
N

5.7 7
Fr
3 2.1 7 41
gd

Liquid Velocity Number,

N 1.938V o
lv
sl
o

0.25

50.36

1.9380.618
19
.
6

Modified Flow pattern equations:

0.25

L 316l 0.302 3160.04540.302 124.20

1

L 0.000925
2.468 1.91

l
L3 0.101.452 8.91
l
L4 0.56.738 5.59108
l
2

1.516 1.52

Flow Pattern
Since, l 0.0 1 L
, 2 N Fr L3
Flow pattern is Transition: transition pattern is between
segregated and intermittent flow pattern

6.0 Determine HL for Segregated &

Intermittent flow patterns
Segregated Pattern Calculation:
ab

0.9800.04540.4846
l
H 0

0.188
L
0
.
0868
N
5.57
Fr

300ft
1

5280ft

2
3000ft

Fig. 1.1 Schematic of the Pipeline as it rises and drops

300
3.25
5280

1 tan1

300
5.71
3000

2 tan1

Segregated HL Determination (contd)

H

L1

L0

1.0 c sin 1.81 0.3 3 3sin 1.81

f g h
C 1.0 l ln e N N

Fr
l
lv

e 0.0 1 1 f 3.7680 g 3.5390 h 1.6140

c 5.5 2 3
1.5 6 1
H

L 1 seg

L 0

0.1 8 8 1.5 6 1 0.2 9 3 5

Determine HL for Intermittent flow

patterns

ab

L
Nc
Fr

0.8 450.0 45 40.5351

0.1 56 7
5.7 70.0173

Hl

L 0

Hl

L 1 int ermitte nt

L 0

f g

h
C 1.0 L lne N
N

L
Lv
Fr

e 2.9 60 f 0.3050 g 0.4473 h 0.0978

c 0.1 21 6
1.0 12 4
H
H
0.1 56 7 1.1.0 12 4 0.1 59
L 1 int er

L 0

HL for Transitional flow pattern

Determine, A from:
N 3 N Fr
8.9 1 5.7 7
A

N3 N 2
8.9 1 1.9 1
A 0 .4 4 8 6
H

L 1 trans

L 1 trans

L 1 trans

AH

L 1 se g .

1 AH

L 1 Int.

0.4 4 8 60.2 9 3 5 1 .4 4 8 60.1 5 9

0 .2 1 9 3

7.0 Determine Actual & Non slip denties

s LH

1 H
L

s 5 0.3 60.2 1 9 3 1.5 21 0.2 1 9 3

s 1 2.2 3Ib m / ft 3 .

ns L L g 1 L

ns 5 0.3 60.0 4 5 4 1.5 21 0.0 4 5 4

ns 3.7 4Ib m / ft 3 .

8.0 Determine the friction factor, tp.

Determine Nre., n, and n:
N

Re

1488

n LL

ns V m d

n
g 1
L

1 0.0 4 5 4
n 3.5 70.0 4 5 4 0.0 1 1 5 5
n 0.1 7 3cp
N

3.7 41 3.6 2 71

Re

1488

4.3 8 1 05

0.173

e / d o .o o o o6( a ssu mp tio n

)
f

f N

R e ,e

/ d 0.0 2( mo o d y

ch a rt)

Determine the friction factor, tp.(Contd)

Determine y, s and tp:
y

L 1 Trans

0.0 4 5 4

0.2 1 9 32

0.9 4 4

ln y

0.0 5 2 3 3.1 8 2ln y 0.8 7 2 5ln y 2 0.0 1 8 5 3ln y 4

s 0.2 4 2
f
f
f
f

tp

e s e0.242 1.2 7 4

tp
tp

1.2 7 4fn 1.2 7 4 0.0 2

0.0 2 5 4 8

9.0 Determine Pressure Gradient

dP
dP
dP
dP

d L T d L f
d L el d L acc.
dP

0,
d L acc.
dP

d
L

ftp ns V m 2
2g d
c

g sin1

dP

1 2.2 33 2.1 7 4sin3.2 5

0.0 2 5 4 83.7 41 3.6 2 72

23 2.1 7 41
3 2.1 7 4
d L T
dP

0.0 0 6 7 2p si / ft .
d L T

10.0 Determine uphill Pressure Drop, P

For an horizontal distance of 0ne mile(5280ft.)
Pressure drop will be:
dP
psi
P L 0.00672 5280ft .
ft .
dL T
P 35.48psi

Section 2 of Pipeline
Fluid properties have been determined at average
Pressure of 410psia and Temperature of 90F. So we
continue to with these properties for downhill
calculations.
We shall proceed to determining the Liquid holdups
for
segregated and intermittent flow patterns and there
after
determine the transition holdup.
From that point we can determine the two phase
Friction factor and move on to compute the pressure
drop

Determine Liquid Holdup for Segregated flow

pattern
H

L 2 se g

L 0

300

2 ta n1

5.7 1
H

L 0

3000
0.1 8 8

f
g Nh
c 1 L ln e N

L
Lv
Fr

e 4.7 0 0f 0.3692 g 0.1 2 4 4 h 0.5056

c 1.7 7 0 6

1.0 c sin1.8 2 0.3 3 3sin3 1.8 2

0 .6 8 7 4
H
H

L 2 se g
L 2 se g

L 0

0.1 8 8 0.6 8 7 4

0.1 2 9 2

Determine Liquid holdup for Intermittent flow

pattern.
We have already determined Holdup for Intermittent
flow
pattern,
HL(0) = 0.1567 in the uphill segment of pipeline
c 1.7706
and
is the same for both segregated and
intermittent
flow patterns in downhill. Hence,
0.6874
H

L 2 int .

L 2 int .

0.1567 0.6874 0.1077

L 0

2
H L Trans 0.1173
2

H L Trans AH L seg 1 AH L int .

2
2
2
H L Trans 0.44860.1292 1 0.44860.1077

Determine actual density of fluid on downhill

H
s

1 H
L

50.360.1173 1.521 0.1173

s

7.25Ibm / ft 3
s

Determine 2-phase friction factor

4.38105 already det er min ed

Re
ln y

s
0.0523 3.182 ln y 0.8725ln y

e / d 0.00006 smooth pipe

s 0.4699

ftp
fn f N ,e / d 0.02
s 0.4699
N

Re

H L 2Tr .2

0.0454
0.11732

3.30

fn

e e

2 0.01853ln y 4

1.60

ftp 1.60 f n 1.60 0.02 0.032

Determine Pressure gradient

dP
dP
dP
dP

dL T
dL f dL el dL acc.

2
f Vm

dP
tp ns

2 gc d
dL T

g sin 5.71

gc

dP

0.0323.7413.6272 7.2532.174 sin5.71

232.1741
32.174
dL T
dP

0.345 0.721 0.376psf / ft 0.002611psi / ft

dL T

Determine Pressure Drop

For an horizontal distance, L=3,000ft.
dP
L
P
d L T
p si
P 0.0 0 2 6 1 1
3,0 0 0ft
ft
P 0.0 0 2 6 1 1
3 0 0 0p si
P 7.8 3p si

Total Pressure drop for both uphill & downhill

P P
T

uphill

downhill

P 35.48 7.83 43psi

T

P 43psi
T

The Beggs and Brill Correlation is iterative. The calculated pressure

drop is not equal to the estimated pressure drop, hence, the calculated
pressure becomes our new estimated pressure drop and process is
repeated to achieved the condition where, estimated pressure drop
equals calculated pressure drop.