Abstract

At the present level of development of long, branched gas transmission networks (GTN), solving the problems of improving safety, efficiency and environmental soundness of operation of industrial pipeline systems calls for the application of methods of numerical simulation. The development of automated devices for technical inspection and process control, and availability of high-performance computer hardware have created a solid technical basis to introduce numerical simulation methods into the industrial practice of GTN analysis and operation. One of the promising approaches for numerical analysis of GTN operating is the development and application of high-accuracy computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulators of modes of gas mixture transmission through long, branched pipeline systems (CFD-simulator) (Seleznev, 2007). Actually, a CFD-simulator is a special-purpose software simulating, in “online” and “real time” modes with a high similarity and in sufficient detail, the physical processes of gas mixture transmission through a particular GTN. The development of a CFD-simulator focuses much attention to correctness of simulation of gas flows in the pipelines and to the impact produced by operation of relevant GTN gas pumping equipment (including gas compressor unit (GCU), valves, gas pressure reducers, etc.) and the environment upon the physical processes under study. From the standpoint of mathematical physics, a CFD-simulator performs numerical simulation of steady and transient, non-isothermal processes of a gas mixture flow in long, branched, multi-line, multi-section gas pipeline network. Such simulation is aimed at obtaining high-accuracy estimates of the actual distribution (over time and space) of fluid dynamics parameters for the full range of modes of gas mixture transmission through the specific GTN in normal and emergency conditions of its operation, as well as of the actual (temporal) distribution of main parameters of GTN equipment operation, which can be Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Implementing distributed utility can strengthen the local distribution system and help avoid or delay the expense of upgrading transformers and feeders. The gas turbine-generator set is an attractive option based on its low front-end capital cost, reliable performance at unmanned stations, and environmental performance characteristics. This report assesses gas turbine utilization issues from a perspective of fuel supply pressure requirements and discusses both cost and operational factors. A primary operational consideration for siting gas turbines on the electric distribution system is whether the local gas distribution company can supply gas at the required pressure. Currently available gas turbine engines require gas supply pressures of at least 150 pounds per square inch gauge, more typically, 250 to 350 psig. Few LDCs maintain line pressure in excess of 125 psig. One option for meeting the gas pressure requirements is to upgrade or extend an existing pipeline and connect that pipeline to a high-pressure supply source, such as an interstate transmission line. However, constructing new pipeline is expensive, and the small volume of gas required by the turbine for the application offers little incentive for the LDC to provide this service. Another way to meet gas pressure requirements is to boost the compression of the fuel gas at the gas turbine site. Fuel gas booster compressors are readily available as stand-alone units and can satisfactorily increase the supply pressure to meet the turbine engine requirement. However, the life-cycle costs of this equipment are not inconsequential, and maintenance and reliability issues for boosters in this application are questionable and require further study. These factors may make the gas turbine option a less attractive solution in DU applications than first indicated by just the $/kW capital cost. On the other hand, for some applications other DU technologies, such as photovoltaics, may be the more attractive option. Document type: Report

Abstract

This document provides results and conclusions for Task 15.0--Detailed Analysis of Air Balance & Conceptual Design of Improved Air Manifolds in the ''Technologies to Enhance the Operation of Existing Natural Gas Compression Infrastructure'' project. SwRI{reg_sign} is conducting this project for DOE in conjunction with Pipeline Research Council International, Gas Machinery Research Council, El Paso Pipeline, Cooper Compression, and Southern Star, under DOE contract number DE-FC26-02NT41646. The objective of Task 15.0 was to investigate the perceived imbalance in airflow between power cylinders in two-stroke integral compressor engines and develop solutions via manifold redesign. The overall project objective is to develop and substantiate methods for operating integral engine/compressors in gas pipeline service, which reduce fuel consumption, increase capacity, and enhance mechanical integrity. Document type: Report

Abstract

This document provides a mid-term update for the ''Advanced Compressor Engine Controls to Enhance Operation, Reliability, and Integrity'' project. SwRI is conducting this project for DOE in conjunction with Cooper Energy Services, under DOE contract number DE-FC26-03NT41859. The objective of this one-year project is to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate advanced engine control technologies and hardware, specifically, closed-loop NO{sub x} emissions control on a two-stroke integral reciprocating engine/compressor used for pipeline gas transmission service. This work uses a Cooper-Bessemer GMVH-6 laboratory engine owned by Cooper Energy Services (CES) and installed in a test facility at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The gas transmission industry operates over 4,000 integral engine compressors, the majority being two-stroke, with a median age of 45 years and a median size of 2000 horsepower. These engines have historically exhibited poor performance and high emissions, due in part to poor engine control. The end results are misfires and partial burns that lead to increased fuel usage and exhaust emissions. Many of the slow-speed integral engines in the gas compression industry utilize control systems that are outdated, slow, and suffer from poor resolution. Research into more advanced control systems for integral compressor engines has increased tremendously in recent years. Themore » recent advancements in control logic are being reviewed and analyzed in this program to understand the effectiveness of each. In addition, the application of a real-time NO{sub x} sensor feedback for closed-loop control is being investigated. To date, the strategies involving fuel/air equivalence ratio for a NO{sub x} prediction algorithm have been reviewed and analyzed. A hierarchy of control strategies will be outlined at the conclusion of this program. This hierarchy will range from the simplest and least expensive closed-loop control to an advanced system utilizing individual cylinder control. The ultimate control strategy is thought to be one that integrates both compressor and engine control, with the engine control based on individual power cylinders. The hierarchy of engine control may be desirable for the variety of engines in various locations that are subject to varying regulated levels of NO{sub x} emissions. The engines in non-attainment areas will require the maximum level of complexity in engine controls.« le Document type: Report

Abstract

The objective of this project is to design, construct and field demonstrate a 3-MMscfd membrane system to recover natural gas liquids (NGL) and remove water from raw natural gas. An extended field test to demonstrate system performance under real-world conditions is required to convince industry users of the efficiency and reliability of the process. The system will be designed and fabricated by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) and then installed and operated at British Petroleum (BP)-Amoco's Pascagoula, MS plant. The Gas Research Institute will partially support the field demonstration and BP-Amoco will help install the unit and provide onsite operators and utilities. The gas processed by the membrane system will meet pipeline specifications for dewpoint and Btu value and can be delivered without further treatment to the pipeline. Based on data from prior membrane module tests, the process is likely to be significantly less expensive than glycol dehydration followed by propane refrigeration, the principal competitive technology. At the end of this demonstration project the process will be ready for commercialization. The route to commercialization will be developed during this project and may involve collaboration with other companies already servicing the natural gas processing industry. Document type: Report

Abstract

The objectives are: (1) develop advanced materials and coatings for hydrogen pipeline compressors; (2) achieve greater reliability, greater efficiency, and lower capital in vestment and maintenance costs in hydrogen pipeline compressors; and (3) research existing and novel hydrogen compression technologies that can improve reliability, eliminate contamination, and reduce cost. Compressors are critical components used in the production and delivery of hydrogen. Current reciprocating compressors used for pipeline delivery of hydrogen are costly, are subject to excessive wear, have poor reliability, and often require the use of lubricants that can contaminate the hydrogen (used in fuel cells). Duplicate compressors may be required to assure availability. The primary objective of this project is to identify, and develop as required, advanced materials and coatings that can achieve the friction, wear, and reliability requirements for dynamically loaded components (seal and bearings) in high-temperature, high-pressure hydrogen environments prototypical of pipeline and forecourt compressor systems. The DOE Strategic Directions for Hydrogen Delivery Workshop identified critical needs in the development of advanced hydrogen compressors - notably, the need to minimize moving parts and to address wear through new designs (centrifugal, linear, guided rotor, and electrochemical) and improved compressor materials. The DOE is supporting several compressor design studiesmore » on hydrogen pipeline compression specifically addressing oil-free designs that demonstrate compression in the 0-500 psig to 800-1200 psig range with significant improvements in efficiency, contamination, and reliability/durability. One of the designs by Mohawk Innovative Technologies Inc. (MiTi{reg_sign}) involves using oil-free foil bearings and seals in a centrifual compressor, and MiTi{reg_sign} identified the development of bearings, seals, and oil-free tribological coatings as crucial to the successful development of an advanced compressor. MiTi{reg_sign} and ANL have developed potential coatings for these rigorous applications; however, the performance of these coatings (as well as the nickel-alloy substrates) in high-temperature, high-speed hydrogen environments is unknown at this point.« le Document type: Report

Abstract

The United States relies on natural gas for one-quarter of its energy needs. In 2001 alone, the nation consumed 21.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. A large portion of natural gas pipeline capacity within the United States is directed from major production areas in Texas and Louisiana, Wyoming, and other states to markets in the western, eastern, and midwestern regions of the country. In the past 10 years, increasing levels of gas from Canada have also been brought into these markets (EIA 2007). The United States has several major natural gas production basins and an extensive natural gas pipeline network, with almost 95% of U.S. natural gas imports coming from Canada. At present, the gas pipeline infrastructure is more developed between Canada and the United States than between Mexico and the United States. Gas flows from Canada to the United States through several major pipelines feeding U.S. markets in the Midwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and California. Some key examples are the Alliance Pipeline, the Northern Border Pipeline, the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, the TransCanada Pipeline System, and Westcoast Energy pipelines. Major connections join Texas and northeastern Mexico, with additional connections to Arizona and between California and Baja California, Mexicomore » (INGAA 2007). Of the natural gas consumed in the United States, 85% is produced domestically. Figure 1.1-1 shows the complex North American natural gas network. The pipeline transmission system--the 'interstate highway' for natural gas--consists of 180,000 miles of high-strength steel pipe varying in diameter, normally between 30 and 36 inches in diameter. The primary function of the transmission pipeline company is to move huge amounts of natural gas thousands of miles from producing regions to local natural gas utility delivery points. These delivery points, called 'city gate stations', are usually owned by distribution companies, although some are owned by transmission companies. Compressor stations at required distances boost the pressure that is lost through friction as the gas moves through the steel pipes (EPA 2000). The natural gas system is generally described in terms of production, processing and purification, transmission and storage, and distribution (NaturalGas.org 2004b). Figure 1.1-2 shows a schematic of the system through transmission. This report focuses on the transmission pipeline, compressor stations, and city gates.« le Document type: Report

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation's natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines. Regulations adopted by PHMSA for gas pipelines are provided in 49 CFR 192, and spacing requirements for valves in gas transmission pipelines are presented in 49 CFR 192.179. The present report describes the findings of a scoping study conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to assist PHMSA in assessing the safety impact of system valve spacing. Calculations of the pressures, temperatures, and flow velocities during a set of representative pipe depressurization transients were carried out using a one-dimensional numerical model with either ideal gas or real gas properties for the fluid. With both ideal gas and real gas properties, the high-consequence area radius for any resulting fire as defined by Stevens in GRI-00/0189 was evaluated as one measure of the pipeline safety. In the real gas case, a model for convective heat transfer from the pipe wall is included to assess the potential for shut-off valve failures due to excessively low temperatures resulting from depressurization cooling of the pipe. A discussion is also provided of some additionalmore » factors by which system valve spacing could affect overall pipeline safety. The following conclusions can be drawn from this work: (1) Using an adaptation of the Stephens hazard radius criteria, valve spacing has a negligible influence on natural gas pipeline safety for the pipeline diameter, pressure range, and valve spacings considered in this study. (2) Over the first 30 s of the transient, pipeline pressure has a far greater effect on the hazard radius calculated with the Stephens criteria than any variations in the transient flow decay profile and the average discharge rate. (3) Other factors besides the Stephens criteria, such as the longer burn time for an accidental fire, greater period of danger to emergency personnel, increased unavoidable loss of gas, and possible depressurization cooling of the shut-off valves may also be important when deciding whether a change in the required valve spacing would be beneficial from a safety standpoint. (4) The average normalized discharge rate of {lambda}{sub avg} = 0.33 assumed by Stephens in developing his safety criteria is an excellent conservative value for natural gas discharge at the pressures, valve spacings, and pipe diameter used in this study. This conclusion remains valid even when real rather than ideal gas properties are considered in the analysis. (5) Significant pipe wall cooling effects (T{sub w} " -50 F or 228 K) can extend for a mile or more upstream from the rupture point within 30 s of a break. These conditions are colder than the temperature range specifications for many valve lubricants. The length of the low-temperature zone due to this cooling effect is also essentially independent of the system shut-off valve spacing or the distance between the break and a compressor station. (6) Having more redundant shut-off valves available would reduce the probability that pipe cooling effects could interfere with isolating the broken area following a pipeline rupture accident.« le Document type: Report

Abstract

This report documents work performed in the first quarter of the project entitled: ''Technologies to Enhance Operation of the Existing Natural Gas Compression Infrastructure''. The project objective is to develop and substantiate methods for operating integral engine/compressors in gas pipeline service, which reduce fuel consumption, increase capacity, and enhance mechanical integrity. The report describes the following work: preparation and submission of the Research Management Plan; preparation and submission of the Technology Status Assessment; attendance at the Project Kick-Off meeting at DOE-NETL; formation of the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) for the project; preparation of the Test Plan; acquisition and assembly of the data acquisition system (DAS). Document type: Report

Abstract

This quarterly report documents work performed under Tasks 15, 16, and 18 through 23 of the project entitled: ''Technologies to Enhance the Operation of Existing Natural Gas Compression Infrastructure''. The project objective is to develop and substantiate methods for operating integral engine/compressors in gas pipeline service, which reduce fuel consumption, increase capacity, and enhance mechanical integrity. The report first documents a survey site test performed on a TCVC10 engine/compressor installed at Dominion's Groveport Compressor Station. This test completes planned screening efforts designed to guide selection of one or more units for design analysis and testing with emphasis on identification and reduction of compressor losses. The report further presents the validation of the simulation model for the Air Balance tasks and outline of conceptual manifold designs. Document type: Report