Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_NGN_024 | |
| Title | Combined Accurate Detection with Minimal Excavation | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given Northern Gas Networks |
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| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 August 2013 | |
| End Date | 01 December 2013 | |
| Duration | 4 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £125,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Technical Consultancy | |
| Region | Yorkshire & Humberside | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Northern Gas Networks (100.000%) |
| Web Site | http://www.smarternetworks.org/project/NIA_NGN_024 |
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| Objectives | To confirm the combined approach is achievable in reducing the time spent on pinpointing leakage then exposing points of interest immediately to deal with the network failure. To establish a full cost benefit analysis of the combined techniques of Acoustic Measurement and Coring Repairs. To establish the safety procedures required for deploying these technique and what controls are required to ensure increased safety is maintainedTo assess the processes, people skills and training required to deploy this equipment, with recommendations for full deployment: Measure - Reduction in reinstatement requirement Measure the impact on NRSWA Measure the impact on Customer - especially around traffic disruption. Produce a detailed summary report for each job detailing findings, results and outcomes. To deploy coring repairs immediately following acoustic interest to identify exact nature of network failure Obtain full approval from North East & Yorkshire Authorities to allow coring of highways Increase NGN’s ability to repair failures over and above lead yarn joint failures Reduce the impact of location excavations and repairs holes on the highway integrity To confirm the commercial viability of the combined technique and the approach of focusing specialist skills on leakage location. For the project to be a success it is necessary to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of the teams, trade unions, team managers and highway authorities. They all have to embrace the change and, for the teams, not to reach for the jackhammer | |
| Abstract | Detecting leakage where no immediate obvious solution is available, typically city centre locations, congested highways or locations with particular specific engineering difficulty, repairs can be expensive to undertake requiring significant resources, disruption to customers and can take a long time to resolve. Currently repair team spend significant excavation leakage detection holes provided by normal detection methods. NGN wish to test and develop a new approach to leakage detection by combining new leakage detection technologies with road coring and vacuum excavation techniques. Vacuum Excavation and road coring have not gained GB wide HAUC approval and therefore NGN have no current remit to use this technology within its region footprint. Combining project Visual & Acoustic Leakage Detection NIA_NGN_042 with this project to test a completely new approach to leakage management. To engage with a specialist contractor to demonstrate and prove if the combination of techniques has a greater potential to reduce disruption to the public, significantly increase location methods and reduce damage to the highway. Engage a specialist engineering consultant to assist NGN to improve processes around location and above ground tooling to facilitate new repair techniques. Engage with all northern local authorities on the approval of the combined activities to reduce leakage location times and allow coring to be an acceptable reinstatement techniqueNote : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 09/08/18 | |
