Pressure fluids

Normal pressure regimes follow a hydrostatic fluid gradient from surface, and are approximately linear. Abnormal pressure regimes include overpressured and underpressured fluid pressures, and represent a discontinuity in the normal pressure gradient. Drilling through abnormal pressure regimes requires special care. 

In some cases when drilling fluids invade a very low permeability zone, pressure equalisation in the formation can take a considerable time. The pressure recorded by the tool will then be close to the pressure of the mud and much higher than the true formation pressure. This is known as supercharging. Supercharging pressures indicate tight formation, but are not useful in establishing the true fluid pressure gradient. 

The pressure drop around the wellbore of a vertical producing well is described in the simplest case by the following profile of fluid pressure against radial distance from the well. 

This example of high and low pressure also shows the ambiguities of these tenns in science. All these pressures are essentially constant in tenns of tire range of pressures encountered in nature. From negative pressures in solids under tension (e.g., on the wall of flask confining a fluid), pressure in nature increases... 

An example of a modem, tangentially fired, supercritical, lignite-fuel furnace is shown in Figure 5. This unit, at maximum continuous ratings, supplies 2450 metric tons pet hour superheat steam at 26.6 MPa (3850 psi) and 544°C, and 2160 t/h reheat steam at 5.32 MPa (772 psi) and 541°C. These ate the values at the superheater and reheater oudet, respectively. Supercritical fluid-pressure installations ate, however, only rarely needed. Most power plants operate at subcritical pressures in the range of 12.4—19.3 MPa (1800—2800 psi). 

The relationship between the bore fluid pressure drop, AP and its flow rate is defined by Poiseuike s law ... 

The operation of system valves (also starting and shutdown of pumps) has a significant effect on the transient fluid pressures in the piping system because of the acceleration and deceleration of the fluid as it changes its velocity. As a simple example, the maximum head rise caused by the instantaneous closing of a valve is given by... 

It is difficult to determine exactly the areas of localized pressure reductions inside the pump, although much research has been focused on this field. It is easy, however, to measure the total fluid pressure (static plus dynamic) at some convenient point, such as pump inlet flange, and adjust it in reference to the pump centerline location. By testing, it is possible to determine the point when the pump loses performance appreciably, such as 3% head drop, and to define the NPSH at that point, which is referred to as a required NPSH (NPSHR). The available NPSH (NPSHA) indicates how much suction head... 

Mechanical Gleaning. A cleaner is a hydrocyclone device utilizing fluid pressure to create rotational fluid motion (20). Pulp is introduced tangentially near the top of the cleaner. Contaminants denser than water such as chemically treated toner inks and sand migrate toward the outer wall of the cleaner and exit in a separate (reject) stream. For most forward cleaners, optimal ink removal efficiency is obtained at a pulp consistency of 0.2—0.3%. Most forward cleaners deinking efficiency declines at pulp feed consistencies greater than 0.4%. However, a cleaner said to be efficient at 1.2% pulp consistency has been reported (39). 

A crystalline or semicrystalline state in polymers can be induced by thermal changes from a melt or from a glass, by strain, by organic vapors, or by Hquid solvents (40). Polymer crystallization can also be induced by compressed (or supercritical) gases, such as CO2 (41). The plasticization of a polymer by CO2 can increase the polymer segmental motions so that crystallization is kinetically possible. Because the amount of gas (or fluid) sorbed into the polymer is a dkect function of the pressure, the rate and extent of crystallization may be controUed by controlling the supercritical fluid pressure. As a result of this abiHty to induce crystallization, a history effect may be introduced into polymers. This can be an important consideration for polymer processing and gas permeation membranes. 

A variation of airless atomization is called air-assisted airless. A small amount of compressed air at 35—170 kPa (5—25 psi) is introduced adjacent to the airless nozzle and impinges upon the thin sheet of fluid as it exits from the nozzle. This air aggravates the turbulence in the fluid and results in improved atomization at lower fluid pressures. Often, material that caimot be properly atomized using straight airless atomization can be using the... 

The stress has an isotropic contribution due to fluid pressure and dilatation, and a deviatoric contribution due to viscous deformation effects. The deviatoric contribution for a Newtonian fluid is the three-dimensional generalization of Eq. (6-2) ... 

For nonnewtonian fluids, pressure readings with taps may also be low because of fluid-elasticity effects. This error can be largely eliminated by using flush-mounted diaphragms. 

Pressure-seal joints (Fig. 10-142) are used for pressures of 4.4 MPa (600 Ibf/in") and higher. They use less metal than flanged joints but require much more machining of surfaces. There are several designs, in all of which increasing fluid pressure increases the... 

Fluid-pressure distribution tends to close the valve. For this reason, the smaller manually operated valves have a latching device on the handle, and the larger manually operated valves use worm gearing on the stem. This hydraulic unb ance is proportional to the pressure drop and, with line velocities exceeding 7.6 m/s (25 ft/s), is the principal component in the torque required to operate the valves. Compared with other valves for low-pressure drops, these valves can be operated by smaller hydrauhc cylinders. In this service butterfly valves with insert bodies for bolting between existing flanges with bolts that... 

Swing Check Valves These valves (Fig. 10-156) are used to prevent reversal of flow Normal design is for use only in horizontal lines, where the force of gravity on the disk is at a maximum at the start of closing and at a minimum at the end of closing. Unhke most other valves, check valves are more likely to leak at low pressure than at high pressure, since fluid pressure alone forces the disk to conform to the seat. For this reason elastomers are often mounted on the disk. Swing checkvalves are available with low-cost insert bodies. 

Bending or torsional flexibihty may be provided by bends, loops, or offsets by corrugated pipe or expansion joints of the bellows type or by other devices permitting rotational movement. These devices must be anchored or otherwise suitably connected to resist end forces from fluid pressure, frictional resistance to pipe movement, and other causes. 

For single-fluid pressure nozzles, a rule of thumb is employed ... 

For proper use of the equations, the chamber shape must conform to the spray pattern. With cocurrent gas-spray flow, the angle of spread of single-fluid pressure nozzles and two-fluid pneumatic nozzles is such that wall impingement wiU occur at a distance approximately four chamber diameters below the nozzle therefore, chambers employing these atomizers should have vertical height-to-diameter ratios of at least 4 and, more usually, 5. The discharge cone below the vertical portion should have a slope of at least 60°, to minimize settling accumulations, and is used entirely to accelerate gas and solids for entty into the exit duct. 

Emergency Relief Device A device that is designed to open during emergency or abnormal conditions to prevent rise of internal fluid pressure in excess of a specified value. The device also may be designed to prevent excessive internal vacuum. The device may be a pressure relief valve, a nonreclosing pressure relief device, or a vacuum relief valve. 

Very High Pressures Use balanced o-ring cartridge seals up to about 500 psi. Above 500 psi use the tandem double seal with the barrier fluid pressurized at / the seal chamber pressure. Remember as pressure goes up the o-rings will extrude and metal parts will distort. Use a torsion balanced seal. 

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