
200
Fortran Programs for Chemical Process Design
Problem 3-4
Compressible Fluid Pressure Drop
What is the overall pressure drop for natural gas flowing at 27,000
lb/hr through a 6-inch Schedule 40 tail pipe to a header during relieving
condition as shown in Figure 3-3? Relief valve set pressure, P~ = 400
psig, during relieving condition is
P~ - P1 + 10% accumulation + 14.7
= 454.7 psia
The data are:
9 pipe internal diameter, d inch = 6.065
9 tail pipe length, ft = 10
9 gas flow rate, lb/h = 27000
9 gas viscosity, g, cP = 0.012
9 gas compressibility factor, Z=0.9
9 gas temperature, ~ = 100
9 molecular weight of gas, M w = 19.5
9 ratio of specific heat capacities k= 1.27
9 gas inlet pressure, psia, 454.7
9 pipe roughness, e = 0.00015 ft
9 resistance coefficient due to fittings and valves, K, 2.013
9 pipe line resistance: 1 x 90~ elbows
1 x entrance loss
1 x exit loss
4.026 inch pipe reduction
Solution
The computer program PROG34 determines the overall pressure drop
for the 6-inch tail pipe having a relieving rate of 27,000 lb/hr. Table 3-11
illustrates both the input data and computer output. The Mach number
at inlet condition is 0.0169, and at the critical condition is 0.8874. The
critical pressure is 7.985 psia and the overall pressure drop is 0.213 psi.
The compressible fluid flow pattern through the pipe is SUBSONIC.
Problem 3-5
Calculate the pressure drop of a 5 mile length in a 6-inch (Schedule 40,
ID=6.065 inch) pipe, for a 5000 bpd rate of salt water (Yw - 1.07), having a
gas flowing at 6 mmscfd of 0.65 specific gravity at a temperature of 110~