The Visakh LPG Import Facility (VLIF) accommodates a 12.3 KM – 14” cross country pipeline for the transfer of LPG originating from SALPG Cavern storage to Visakh New LPG terminal (VNLT) and GAIL. LPG is further pumped and supplied to nearby locations such as Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Hyderabad with a set of LPG booster pumps to overcome any elevation head and maintain adequate pressure and flow rate till the destination point of the pipeline.
The Facility also accommodates pipelines for product transfer operations such as a 12” pipeline for LPG, 6” pipeline for Auto LPG and another 6” pipeline for Propylene from HPCL Visakh Refinery (VR) to VNLT.
IFluids Engineering has been entrusted by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited to carry out Steady and Transient state Surge Analysis study for the VILF Cross country Pipeline.
For liquid and gas pipelines, Surge analysis is the study of pressure transients caused by a change in the piping. This change may be something as simple as a valve closing or opening, or something more complicated such as a pump, or multiple pumps, starting up or shutting down, either in a planned or unplanned manner.
The Surge analysis study has been performed using PIPENET software ver. 1.9, for the estimation of surge pressure based on various factors such as tripping of operating booster pumps, closure of sectionalizing or safety valves along the pipeline and pumps and tripping of mainline pumps at the receiving end. Based on the estimation, surge mitigation measures have been provided by our in-house Technical experts for scenarios where the estimated surge pressure exceeds the allowable surge pressure.