Model inference using the Akaike information criterion for turbulent flow of non-Newtonian crude oils in pipelines

The friction factor is a crucial parameter in calculating frictional pressure losses. However, it is a decisive challenge to estimate, especially for turbulent flow of non-Newtonian fluids in pipes. The objective of this paper is to examine the validity of friction factor correla- tions adopting a new informative-based approach, the Akaike information criterion （AIC） along with the coeffi- cient of determination （R2）. Over a wide range of measured data, the results show that each model is accurate when it is examined against a specific dataset while the E1-Emam et al. （Oil Gas J 101：74-83, 2003） model proves its supe- riority. In addition to its simple and explicit form, it covers a wide range of flow behavior indices and generalized Reynolds numbers. It is also shown that the traditional belief that a high R2 means a better model may be mis- leading. AIC overcomes the shortcomings of R2 as a trade between the complexity of the model and its accuracy not only to find a best approximating model but also to develop statistical inference based on the data. The authors present AIC to initiate an innovative strategy to help alleviate several challenges faced by the professionals in the oil and gas industry. Finally, a detailed discussion and models＇ ranking according to AIC and R2 is presented showing the numerous advantages of AIC.Keywords Friction factor - Pipeline Information theory Non-Newtonian Turbulent

Mechanical Model of Domestic Gas Explosion Load

With the increase of domestic gas consumption in cities and towns in China,gas explo-sion accidents happened rather frequently,and many structures were damaged greatly.Rational physical design could protect structures from being destroyed,but the character of explosion load must be learned firstly by establishing a correct mechanical model to simulate vented gas explo-sions.The explosion process has been studied for many years towards the safety of chemical in-dustry equipments.The key problem of these studies was the equations usually involved some ad-justable parameters that must be evaluated by experimental data,and the procedure of calculation was extremely complicated,so the reliability of these studies was seriously limited.Based on these studies,a simple mathematical model was established in this paper by using energy conservation,mass conservation,gas state equation,adiabatic compression equation and gas venting equation.Explosion load must be estimated by considering the room layout; the rate of pressure rise was then corrected by using a turbulence factor,so the pressure-time curve could be obtained.By using this method,complicated calculation was avoided,while experimental and calculated results fitted fairly well.Some pressure-time curves in a typical rectangular room were calculated to inves-tigate the influences of different ignition locations,gas thickness,concentration,room size and venting area on the explosion pressure.The results indicated that: it was the most dangerous con-dition when being ignited in the geometry centre of the room; the greater the burning velocity,the worse the venting effect; the larger the venting pressure,the higher the peak pressure; the larger the venting area,the lower the peak pressure.

Thermal performance of tubular heat exchanger with multiple twisted-tape inserts

The paper presents an experimental investigation on enhanced heat transfer and pressure loss characteristics by using single, double, triple, and quadruple twisted-tape inserts in a round tube having a uniform heat-fluxed wall. The investigation has been conducted in the heat exchanger tube inserted with various twisted-tape numbers for co- and counter-twist arrangements for the turbulent air flow, Reynolds number （Re） from 5300 to 24000. The typical single twisted-tape inserts at two twist ratios, y/w = 4 and 5, are used as the base case, while the other multiple twisted-tape inserts are aty/w = 4 only. The experimental results of heat transfer and pressure drop in terms of Nusselt number （Nu） and friction factor 00, respectively, reveal that Nu increases with the increment of Re and of twisted-tape number. The values of Nu for the inserted tube are in a range of 1.15-2.12 times that for the plain tube while f is 1.9-4.1 times. The thermal enhancement factor of the inserted tube under similar pumping power is evaluated and found to be above unity except for the single and the double co-twisted tapes. The quadruple counter-twisted tape insert provides the maximum thermal performance.