Flow Induced Vibration Assessment of a Gas Piping System

Internal fluid flow within a piping system is known to create structural vibrations when forced to pass through directional changes, T-junctions, and piping systems with a varying pipe diameter. This paper presents a numerical application example where the flow induced vibrations (FIV) of a gas transmission system containing a flow control valve (FCV) are analysed using ANSYS CFD and FEA tools, considering a one-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI). To establish the variation of the flow behaviour due to the FCV presence, three specific base cases are considered, corresponding to the maximum, average and minimum pressure drops across the FCV, determining the effects of the corresponding fluid velocities on the vibrations created. The assessment is conducted in line with the provisions included in the Energy Institute guidelines to determine the likelihood of failure of the pipework as a result of the FIV.