Modeling and simulation of steam pipeline network with multiple supply sources in iron& steel plants

The method to setup the steam pipeline network model and simulate the static flow rates condition is presented in the paper. The model applied for the steam network in iron& steel plants with multiple sources is quite different from those with single steam supply source. Besides the combination with hydraulic and thermal characteristics for single pipe, the method to list the balance equations and form the synthetic model of the network is proposed. Through the algorithm based on Newton-Raphson method, the static flow rates distribution in the network can be estimated in real time with the known measurements of pressure and temperature. The simulation result proves the validation of the model and the effectiveness of the algorithm. The method may be applied for the data reconciliation of pipeline network flow rates and assisting steam production scheduling in the plants.