Impact of Thermal Models on the Performance of Natural Gas Pipelines

Abstract

This study investigates the energy savings in the nonisothermal flow of natural gas during its pipeline transportation compared to the isothermal flow. Isothermal and nonisothermal models are adopted while considering the case of the Arab Natural Gas Pipeline. Temperature changes in the natural gas along the pipeline due to heat transfer between the natural gas, the pipeline, and the soil are depicted for different operating conditions. Further, the effects of soil temperature and the inlet feed gas temperature for the different gas flow rates considered are discussed and analyzed. The impact of a nonisothermal steady-state thermal model on the performance characteristics of natural gas in the pipeline is presented showing a resulting reduction in the work required for gas compression at the booster compressor station.