Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_SGN0021 | |
| Title | Osprey Pressure Validator | |
| 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 September 2013 | |
| End Date | 01 April 2014 | |
| Duration | 7 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £51,568 | |
| 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_SGN0021 |
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| Objectives | The objectives of this project are to: Allow SGN to transmit data automatically or on-demand to a pressure management website which will display, interpret and archive the results. Allow real time analysis to take place and for the data to be exported into network validation software automatically for planning and emergency response to poor pressure problems. Evaluate and report on the costs and benefits of the system trialled In order to determine whether this project has been successful or not it will be trialled and tested across our regional networks for a period of 4 months during the winter months alongside the current validation loggers used. The key success criteria will be: Trial of a new piece of technology which utilises Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) technologyRecord and display pressure data in real time using specialist softwareField trial data clarifying the effectiveness of the equipmentA reduction in the time taken to install a pressure validation measurement pointProduction of a technical report detailing the project outcomes | |
| Abstract | Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) network analysis models underpin almost every financial decision in relation to asset investment. The accuracy of these models is determined through a rolling cycle of pressure validation and model build and update in SynerGEE. Although pressure measurements are logged extensively across our networks (some manually, some remotely), the various products and processes that have been built up over many years are not particularly coherent or efficient. At present, all the pressure monitoring devices that we utilise within SGN are available from only one existing (monopoly) supplier. Therefore, it was identified that a new approach from a different supplier could be highly beneficial, particularly if that supplier could utilise advances in low power electronics and telecommunications and assist us towards interfacing directly with actual performance on the network. The current pressure validation process involves moving a group of pressure loggers around our networks every 3-5 years in order to validate network sections. This process takes one operative 20 to 30 minutes per site (excluding travelling) to install the logger. Whilst they are in place, loggers are manually downloaded in order to extract pressure data onto a laptop. The current loggers used have to be calibrated every year and require battery changes every four years at a cost of £120. 00 each. Under this current process, huge amounts of data are collected but only a tiny fraction of it is actually used, since pressure is monitored continuously but typically only the validation date/time identified from peak "send-out" is used in modelling. This date/time is not known until the end of the winter. In addition, there are lots of manual processes (hand-offs) and problems in the process, including: Large amount of time spent putting out and collecting data loggers - this has to be done in the winter, typically GDNs’ busiest time of year and therefore when labour resources are most constrained. Manual downloading of loggers while they are in the field - again, huge time demand on the technicians. Sometimes the same logger is used to cover more than one location so paper records need to be used to split the downloaded data. Checking that the data has been collected from the right location,Node naming issues. Loggers lose battery power and all the data is lost. Time correction (including BST/GMT errors). Pressure Loggers are also used to carry out emergency poor pressure investigations identified locally by operatives in specific locations on the low pressure network. Due to the restrictions identified above with the manual download of loggers, this can be a time consuming process, with each logger having to be returned to a central depot for data download. A new design which addresses the problems above would allow processes associated with pressure measurement to be carried out more quickly. Where data is used for poor pressure investigations, a method which made data available immediately for analysis would reduce the time taken to resolve the problem and as a result the impact on the customer. SGN will compare an innovative wireless remote monitoring unit, Osprey, against the current conventional approach. Field trials will be carried out in two locations (one in Scotland and one in South England) with 25 Osprey units fitted in each location over the winter period. The units will be trialled in each type of intended housing including bollards, posts, and meter boxes to ensure they can be used in a number of different applications. The time spent distributing and collecting loggers will be measured and effectiveness of the results displayed via the pressure management website will be evaluated. Not only will this solution have an impact on the pressure management systems, it will also affect the maintenance activities within SGN and the amount of shrinkage (amount of lost gas through leaks) experienced due to better pressure management of the network. Field trials will allow assessment of these benefits. If this field trial proves to be a success, utilisation of this technology could prove to be an efficient way for licensees to improve the accuracy of their network modeling systems and manage their pressures more effectively.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 | 17/09/18 | |
