THE RELEVANCE OF THERMAL HYDRAULIC PIPELINE SIMULATION AS A REGULATORY SUPPORT TOOL

The capacity definition of a pipeline, along with its allocation, is very relevant to assure market transparency, nondiscriminatory access, security of supply, and also to give consistent signs for expansion needs. Nevertheless, the capacity definition is a controversial issue, and may widely vary depending on the technical and commercial assumptions made. To calculate a pipeline's nominal capacity, there are a variety of simulation tools, which include steady state, transient and on-line computer programs. It is desirable that the simulation tool is robust enough to predict the pipeline's capacity under different conditions. There are many variables that impact the flow through a pipeline, like gas characteristics, pipe and environmental variables. Designing a thermal model is a time-consuming task that requests understanding the level of detail need, in order to achieve success in its application.

This article discusses the capacity definition, its role and calculation guidelines, describes ANP's experience with capacity calculation and further challenges according to the new regulation, and debates the role of thermal hydraulic simulation as a regulatory tool.