Can PIPE-FLO Professional handle compressible gases as well as liquids?
PIPE-FLO Professional uses the Darcy-Weisbach method for calculating the pressure drop in a pipeline. This method assumes the density of the fluid is constant as it passes through the pipeline. The literature states that the Darcy-Weisbach method provides satisfactory results under the following conditions: • If the calculated pressure drop is less than 10% of the inlet pressure, then reasonable accuracy will be obtained if the density used for the fluid is based upon either the upstream or the downstream conditions. • If the calculated pressure drop is greater than 10%, but less than 40% of inlet pressure, reasonable accuracy can be achieved using the density based on the average of the upstream and downstream conditions. • For pressure drops larger than 40%, use a method that incorporates the compressibility of the gas such as our PIPE-FLO Compressible program. Using the above guidelines PIPE-FLO Professional can provide accurate results for gas distribution systems found in plants a
