Iterative Methods for Looped Network Pipeline Calculation

Since the value of the hydraulic resistance depends on flow rate, problem of flow distribution per pipes in a gas or water distributive looped pipelines has to be solved using iterative procedure. A number of iterative methods for determining of hydraulic solution of pipeline networks, such as, Hardy Cross, Modified Hardy Cross, Node-Loop method, Modified Node method and M.M. Andrijašev method are shown in this paper. Convergence properties are compared and discussed using a simple network with three loops. In a municipal gas pipeline, natural gas can be treated as incompressible fluid. Even under this circumstance, calculation of water pipelines cannot be literary copied and applied for calculation of gas pipelines. Some diferences in calculations of networks for distribution of these two fluids, i.e. water apropos natural gas are also noted. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011