Air Release During Column Separation

Air release caused by column separation in a pipeline was investigated in a test facility where column separation could be generated for any desired length of time. The temperature, pressure, amount of dissolved air, and the other variables affecting the process were carefully controlled. Tests were made for cases where there was no initial free air in the system and for cases where there was some initial free air. The parameters influencing air release were identified and empirical equations developed for predicting the amount of air released during each cycle of column separation.