Pressure Drop Calculations in Geothermal Two-Phase Pipelines
- Key words
- Production; Pipelines; Piping Systems; Two Phase; Corrosion; Enthalpy; Flow Lines; Program Codes
- Location
- Wairakei, New Zealand; Taupo Volcanic Zone; Ahuachapan, El Salvador
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1988
- Session
- Pipelines; Two phase flow; Computer modeling; Fluid dynamics
- Language
- English
Abstract
The methods of Harrison, Beggs & Brill and Mukherjee & Brill are used to predict pressure drop in steam-water geothermal fluid flowing over the whole range of pipe inclination. Computer programmes were developed to analyse field data from two geothermal two-phase pipelines one at Wairakei and other at Ahuachapan fields. Results show that for mass flows less than 200 ton/hr. at inlet gas superficial velocities between 10 to 15 m/s and inclination angles about +/- 10°, the Harrison and Mukherjee & Brill methods give satisfactory predictions within 90% of accuracy. The correlations used for pressure drop in fittings were those proposed by Freeston, Chisholm and Collier. Assuming annular flow it was found that, for low quality steam-water geothermal flow, the effects of the heat loss on pressure drop down the pipeline was negligible.
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