Experimental study on pressure pulses in long-distance gas pipeline during the pigging process

Abstract

Long-distance gas pipelines generally have complex, undulating sections. Trapped air pockets are often present at the high points or ends of pipelines. This article carries out an experimental research to figure out the transient changes. First of all, under the condition of using the pig with 231 g and the injection pressure of 0.3 MPa, the hydraulic pulse increases from 0.31 to 0.54 MPa as the liquid level rises from 1 to 8 m. And at the liquid level of 8 m, the injection pressure grows from 0.3 to 0.75 MPa and the hydraulic pulse from 0.54 to 0.95 MPa. When the interception air mass is located at the blind side of the pipeline’s end, the injection pressure is 0.75 MPa, and the hydraulic pulse decreases from 4.9 to 3.21 MPa with the increase in the void fraction. The maximum hydraulic pressure generates when the air pocket is located at the rear end of the drainage system (4.9 MPa) is far higher than that when the air pocket is located in front of the pig (1.0 MPa). Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the generation of trapped air pockets at the rear end of the pipeline system to ensure safety.