Speed Simulation of Pig Restarting from Stoppage in Gas Pipeline

Pigging is a common operation in the oil and gas industry. Because of the compressibility of the gas, starting up a pipeline inspection gauge (pig) from a stoppage can generate a very high speed of the pig, which is dangerous to the pipe and the pig itself. Understanding the maximum speed a pig achieves in the restarting process would contribute to pig design and safe pigging. This paper presents the modeling of a pig restarting from a stoppage in gas pipeline. In the model, the transient equations of gas flow are solved by method of characteristics (MOC). Runge‐Kutta method is used for solving the pig speed equation. The process of a pig restarting from a stoppage in a horizontal gas pipe is simulated. The results indicate that the maximum speed a pig achieves from a stoppage is primarily determined by the pressure of the pipe and the pressure change caused by the obstructions. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) is used to study the maximum speed of pig. An empirical formula is present to predict the maximum speed of a pig restarting from a stoppage in gas pipeline.