Optimal Design Methodology for On-shore Hydraulic Pipelines Transporting Spherical Capsules

The third generation of pipelines comprises of the transportation of capsules that are hollow, water-borne containers, usually spherical or cylindrical in shape, filled with goods. These capsules are transported within pipelines along with the fluid, which is commonly water. Much of the research that has been carried out on HCPs deals with general designing of such pipelines for particular applications. The available literature dealing with the optimal designing of HCPs is based on assumptions and simplifications, such as neglecting minor losses within HCPs. Based on Least-Cost Principle, an optimisation methodology has been developed in the present study for single stage on-shore HCPs, transporting spherical capsules, that takes into account the minor losses encountered by water. The optimal design methodology is based on an iterative process in which the solid throughput required from the system is the input whereas the optimal diameter of the pipeline for that particular solid throughput is the output. Hence a design chart can be developed for optimal sizing of HCPs. The optimisation model presented in the present study is both robust and user-friendly.