Abstract:
Objective Mixing hydrogen into natural gas will change the properties and flow state of the fluid, thus affecting the metering accuracy of the flowmeter. ANSYS Fluent was used to simulate the velocity distribution of hydrogen-mixed natural gas after bending pipe, and analyze that whether the existing installation conditions of orifice flowmeter and ultrasonic flowmeter are suitable for hydrogen-mixed natural gas pipeline.
Methods Simulating the velocity field of hydrogen-mixed natural gas after single 90° bending pipe and double 90° bending pipe, and comparing the velocity distribution of hydrogen-mixed natural gas with different hydrogen content on the pipeline center line and some sections after the bending pipe to analyze whether the installation position of the flowmeter specified in the current standard achieves symmetrical velocity distribution for hydrogen-mixed natural gas, and to determine whether the length of the front straight pipe section of the installation position of the elbow back flowmeter stipulated in the current standard needs to be extended.
Results (1) At the 44D and 50D sections after a single 90° bending pipe, the H2 molar fraction with 10%-30% H2 did not return to the symmetrical velocity distribution; (2) At the 44D section and 50D section after the double 90° bending pipe, the flow velocity with 10% H2 has returned to the symmetrical velocity distribution, while the flow velocity with 20%-30% H2 has not returned to the symmetrical velocity distribution; (3) At the 30D section after the double 90° bending pipe, the velocity with 10% H2 did not return to the symmetrical velocity distribution.
Conclusions (1) For hydrogen-mixed natural gas, the length of the straight front section of the single bending pipe rear flowmeter stipulated in the current standard should be appropriately extended; (2) For 20%-30% H2, the length of the straight pipe section in front of the flowmeter after the double bending pipe should be appropriately extended; (3) When the orifice aperture ratio decreases, the length of the straight pipe section in front of the orifice flowmeter with 10% H2 should be appropriately extended.