Research Reveals Dispersion Characteristics of Gas Leaks in Pipe Galleries

A new study by researchers at Northeast Electric Power University has made significant contributions to understanding the dispersion of gas leaks in comprehensive pipe galleries. The research focuses on the impact of leakage aperture and pipeline operating pressure on the distribution of gas leaks. The findings are critical for ensuring the safety and efficiency of pipeline operations.

Key Takeaways:

• The study established a refined model for gas leak dispersion based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, enabling the investigation of different leakage parameters.
• The research revealed that the leakage rate increases according to a power-law relationship with the size of the leakage aperture when the pipeline operating pressure is constant.
• Conversely, when the leakage aperture size is constant, the leakage rate exhibits a linear relationship with the pipeline operating pressure.
• The alarm time decreases with an increase in both the leakage aperture and pipeline operating pressure.
• The methane diffusion distance increases with an increase in these two factors.
• The methane backflow length increases according to a power-law relationship with the dimensionless leakage aperture and pipeline operating pressure.
• The research has significant implications for pipeline safety, maintenance, and operation, particularly in the assessment of potential leak sites and pipeline integrity.
• The study's findings highlight the importance of precisely determining pipeline operating pressure and leakage aperture in the comprehensive pipe gallery to ensure safety and efficiency.

Statistics:

• The research found that the exponents of the power-law relationship between methane backflow length and the dimensionless leakage aperture and pipeline operating pressure are 0.83 and 0.63, respectively.
• The study analyzed various leakage aperture sizes and pipeline operating pressures to determine the dispersion characteristics of gas leaks.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Researchers from Northeast Electric Power University Report Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Technology (Numerical Simulation Study of Gas Leakage and Diffusion In Underground Comprehensive Pipe Gallery). Journal of Physics Research. October 21, 2025; p 4178
• Processes. Numerical Simulation Study of Gas Leakage and Diffusion In Underground Comprehensive Pipe Gallery. Processes, 2025;13(9):2886.