Calculate compressible flow pipeline or vessel blow down time through a constant diameter vent for adiabatic and isothermal flow using either the integration method, or the simplified method.
The integration method uses numerical integration to calculate the elapsed time between the initial pressure, and the final blow down pressure. At high pressure the vent exit flow is critical (Mc = 1 for adiabatic flow and 1/√γ for isothermal flow). At lower pressures the vent exit flow is sub critical (M < Mc). The vent entry is subsonic at all conditions. Increase the number of steps to improve the accuracy. Use the minimum number of steps required (the method is reasonably accurate with 16 steps). Using a large number of steps may slow down the calculation, especially on older computers. The accuracy of the integration method decreases at pressure less than 1.1 x ambient pressure (ie 110 kPa or 16.2 psi for atmospheric pressure discharge). The blow down time tends to infinity as the final pressure approaches ambient pressure.
The simplified method calculates the blow down time from the initial pipeline gas moles, and the initial vent mole flow rate. The flow is assumed to be always critical, and the pipeline pressure is assumed to decrease exponentially. The simplified method is reasonably accurate for final pressure ≥ 2 x ambient pressure. At low pressures flow is sub critical and the simplified method underestimates the elapsed time relative to the integration method (both methods are less accurate at very low pressure). The simplified method is not recommended for final pressure less than 1.2 x ambient pressure. The blow down time tends to infinity as the final pressure approaches absolute zero.
Minor losses should include the vent entry valves and bends etc. The vent exit should not be included as the fluid dynamic pressure is included in the calculation. Minor losses can be accounted for by using the minor loss factor K, or the discharge coefficient Cd. The discharge coefficient is used to factor the mole flow rate. The gas in the pipeline is assumed to be stationary (stagnation conditions), ie the pipeline diameter >> the vent diameter. Phase changes are ignored. The Darcy friction factor is calculated from pipe roughness assuming fully turbulent flow.
Note : The final blow down pressure should be above ambient pressure (final blow down pressure ≤ ambient pressure causes a divide by zero error).
Reference : Fluid Mechanics, Frank M White, McGraw Hill
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