This work explores the possibility of utilizing the interaction between a pressure pulse propagating in a pipe with the blockages therein, as a means of blockage detection and characterization. Whereas an earlier work focused on a single blockage, the present work attempts to extend the strategy to multiple blockages. A one-dimensional isothermal non-compositional single-phase Eulerian model was used to describe the propagation of a pressure pulse through a pipe with multiple blockages. Pressure variations at the inlet caused by reflections of the propagating transient are monitored and analyzed. This analysis is used to make deductions about the internal configuration of the pipe. The results demonstrate that the technique is feasible and that accurate characterization of multiple blockages is possible.

1.
Adewumi
,
M. A.
, 1997, “Natural Gas Transportation Issues,” J. Pet. Technol., p. 139.
2.
Adewumi
,
M. A.
, and
Eltohami
,
Ahmed W. H.
, 2000, “Pressure Transients Across Constrictions,” J. Energy Resour. Technol., p. 34.
3.
Ahmed, W. H., 1996, “Location of Partial Blockage in Natural Gas Pipelines Using Transient Modeling,” M.S. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.
4.
Thomas
,
L. K.
,
Hankinson
,
R. W.
, and
Philip
,
K. A.
,
1970
, “
Determination of Acoustic Velocities of Natural Gas
,”
J. Pet. Technol.
,
22
, pp.
889
895
.
5.
Dranchuk
,
P. M.
, and
Abou-Kassem
,
J. H.
, 1974, “Calculation of Z Factor for Natural Gas Using Equation of State,” J. Pet. Technol., p. 34.
6.
Chen
,
N. H.
,
1979
, “
An Explicit Equation for Friction Factor in Pipe
,”
Ind. Eng. Chem. Fundam.
,
18
, p.
3
3
.
7.
Lee
,
A. L.
,
Gonzales
, and
M. H.
,
Eakin
,
B. E.
, 1966, “The Viscosity of Natural Gas,” Soc. Pet. Eng. J. 1340.
8.
Harten
,
A.
, 1983, “High Resolution Schemes for Hyperbolic Conservation Laws,” J. Comput. Phys., p. 357.
9.
Jameson
,
A.
,
Schmidt
,
W.
, and
Turkel
,
E.
, 1981, “Numerical Solutions of the Euler Equations by Finite Volume Method Using Runge-Kutta Time-Stepping Schemes,” AIAA Pap., Paper No. 81–1259.
10.
Zhou
,
J.
, and
Adewumi
,
M. A.
, 1996, “Simulation of Transients in Natural Gas Pipelines,” SPEPF, p. 202 .
You do not currently have access to this content.