Development of a Method for Calculating Flows in Multicircuit Pipeline Networks

This study is devoted to the development of a method for calculating the process of a nonstationary flow of compressible fluid in a pipeline network based on a system of quasi-one-dimensional (averaged over the cross section of a pipe) equations of mass and energy and momentum conservation equations. A finite-difference scheme and the corresponding calculation algorithm implemented in a program computer code are constructed. The difference scheme has the property of conservatism with the fulfillment of grid analogs of the main conservation laws and satisfies the stability and monotonicity criteria of the solution. The proposed solution method consists of reducing the calculation of the flow in a multicircuit network of pipes with a large number of junctions and branches to a set of three-point sweeps performed independently on each pipe. The advantage of the method is the possibility of natural parallelization of the computational process. In relation to this, the method is promising for use in multiprocessor systems. Examples of numerical calculations by the developed method are given.