Study of the technological operating regimes of condensate pipelines utilizing hydraulic diodes

The article examines the main causes of reduced reliability of shut-off and control equipment in condensate pipelines, which are associated with uneven flow of petroleum products transported under various operating conditions of the process equipment. The study focuses on a condensate pipeline used for transporting unstable gas condensate from the primary separation plant to the processing unit, both located at gas condensate field facilities. The subject of the study is an in-line diode element, which is proposed for integration into the condensate pipeline to reduce both pressure drop and shock loads on the shut-off and control equipment. The feasibility of using an in-line diode element is analyzed using numerical modeling of petroleum product flow by a modern software package. The obtained results are of practical value to engineering and technical specialists at gas transportation companies, pipeline system designers, and equipment developers for the oil and gas industry.

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