Siloxane Impact Study

Completed

Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas)
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Other bio-energy)

Applied Research and Development

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
Cadent Gas

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 October 2014

01 May 2017

31 months

£353,495

Energy

London

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, Cadent Gas

Project Contact, Northern Gas Networks
Project Contact, SGN
Project Contact, Det Norske Veritas BV (DNV), Norway

This project aims to provide a hierarchy of impacts of silicon compounds on the performance of domestic appliances, from nuisance affects to potential impairment of safe operation over the lifetime of the domestic appliance (~15-20 years). The project outcomes will also enable us to set an acceptable limit of siloxanes in the biomethane injected into our gas distribution networks. Acceptance of experimental programme by ENA members and appliance manufacturersAcceptance of results of experiments on selected appliances by project groupAcceptance of analysis of results by the project group members

All gas in the UK gas network must comply with the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (GS(M)R), Schedule 3 with regard to gas quality. GS(M)R Schedule 3 states that natural gas transported in a network "shall not contain solid or liquid material which may interfere with the integrity or operation of pipes or any gas appliance (within the meaning of regulation 2(1) of the 1994 Regulations) which a consumer could reasonably be expected to operate". One such material that may be present in raw biogas and thus upgraded biomethane but is not present in natural gas is silicon compounds (siloxanes and silanes) that will form silicon dioxide or trioxide during combustion. The Energy Networks Association has recommended that a UK siloxane limit be set and has instigated this study to quantify the impact of different siloxane levels on a range of appliances. An experimental programme will be designed to carry out tests on selected appliances. The experiments will be carried out by saturating a natural gas flow with Siloxanes using a gas bubbler construction. The effect of the Siloxanes will be measured, the results analysed and report finalized.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

14/12/18