Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_SGN0002 | |
| Title | Immersion Tube Preheating | |
| 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 SGN |
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| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 January 2013 | |
| End Date | 01 June 2016 | |
| Duration | 41 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £882,359 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Technical Consultancy | |
| Region | South East | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , SGN (100.000%) |
| Web Site | http://www.smarternetworks.org/project/NIA_SGN0002 |
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| Objectives | The key objectives of this project are outlined below: Fabricate a 100kW and a 326kW compact natural gas pre-heating unit that are compatible with the UK gas distribution system. Install and field trial the two prototypes on SGN sites. Demonstrate that the new pre-heaters have better thermal efficiencies than current pre-heating systems. Demonstrate that the new pre-heaters can successfully repurpose existing civil and process connections to reduce installation costs associated with pre-heater replacement. Demonstrate that the new pre-heaters have less CO2 emissions than other systems currently available. Quantify anticipated lifecycle cost savings through a combination of reduced failure, reduced installation cost, improved serviceability, improved design life and higher efficiency. Produce a report detailing the results of the trials. In order to quantify the benefits of this project, performance comparisons will be made against an existing pre-heating plants operated by SGN to examine efficiency, emissions and life-cycle ownership costs including capital cost, installation cost, fuel use and maintenance. The project will be deemed to be successful if the field trials enable assessment of the extent to which the new pre-heaters;Are compatible with the UK gas distribution system. Have better thermal efficiencies than the current pre-heaters onsite. Have a lower installed capital costs than modular boilers as a replacement option. Have lower operating costs than other systems currently available. Show a marked reduction in fuel usage. Show marked reduction in carbon emissions. Improve system reliability and design life as compared to modular boiler pre-heating plants. | |
| Abstract | When gas experiences a deliberate reduction in pressure it expands and as a result it drops in temperature. This is known as the Joules-Thoms On Effect. Therefore, in order to prevent ice forming inside a pipeline which, in turn, could ultimately lead to a loss of supply, the gas needs to be pre-heated at pressure reduction stations prior to the reduction in pressure. Conventional pre-heating methods in the United Kingdom (UK) require a choice between age and complexity, using dated water bath heaters (WBH) or complex modular boiler heating systems (MBH). Water bath heaters are inefficient, consume large amounts of fuel gas and consequently have high associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Furthermore, opportunities to keep maintaining water bath heaters are becoming limited, leading to an increasing risk of network failures. For the past twenty five years, boiler house replacement solutions have offered improved efficiency, but increased complexity has compromised reliability and asset life. A pre-heater design is needed which reflects the low lifecycle cost enjoyed by water bath heaters, while achieving modern standards of efficiency associated with condensing boiler pre-heat designs. This project intends to address these problems by constructing and trialling a new pre-heat system which intends to improve efficiency, reliability, design life and reduce associated carbon emissions. This is a technical project to field trial a innovative compact gas pre-heating systems Key stages of the project are as follows: Produce an appraised and G17 approved design for a 100kW and 326kW pre-heater. Fabricate the heater. Receive factory acceptance for the heaters. Deliver and install the heaters on one SGN site. Commissioning of the heater. Provide performance monitoring over the winter. Produce a benchmarking report comparing performance against one or more of SGN’s existing pre-heater sites.Note : 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 | 31/08/18 | |
