Study of crater formation threshold during gas leakage on high pressure pipes

Completed

Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
Cadent Gas

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 January 2014

01 February 2016

25 months

£92,400

Energy

London

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, Cadent Gas

Project Contact, National Grid Gas Transmission

To develop and validate a methodology and a model in order to determine the limit between crater formation and dispersion of gas in soil for high pressure pipes. The experimental work will be able to identify the conditions (pressure and leak sizes) under which gas soil migration rather than crater behaviour would occur. This would result in the development of a model that could be used to predict future behaviour.

In order to meet to meet its obligations under current safety legislation including the Pipelines Safety Regulations, National Grid have developed risk models so that it can predict the likelihood and consequences of pipeline failure. These models currently assume that high pressure pipeline leaks always result in a release to atmosphere directly around the location of the failure. However it is known that very small leaks could potentially lead to gas migration through the soil into nearby properties. If this occurs it could significantly affect the predicted level of risk to individuals living near the pipeline. Therefore National Grid are proposing to co-operate in a joint industry project to undertake some large scale experiments to determine when gas migration rather than crater behaviour will occur. The project will perform full scale tests on an experimental site in order to collect data and develop a model that can be used to determine the circumstances under which the gas released from a small leak in a high pressure pipeline will migrate through the soil rather than coming to the surface and forming a crater. The project comprises of four key elements: Literature studyExperimental StudyGround movement 3D videoModel developmentNote : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

14/12/18