Transient analysis of isothermal gas flow in pipeline network

Conventional methods for transient analysis of pipeline network are normally applied to find the numerical solution of the two partial differential equations (continuity and momentum), which are complex and cumbersome. Following the success of the steady state analysis of pipeline network, this study extends the usage of the electrical analogy method by combining resistance with the theoretically derived models of capacitance and inductance. This method leads to a set of first-order ordinary differential equations for transient analysis of isothermal gas flows in pipeline network. Solving the proposed first-order ordinary differential equation is definitely much simpler than solving the. set of partial differential equations. The computational advantages of the present method are demonstrated by comparing them with the conventional methods when applied to a range of pipe network simulation examples. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.