Profiles 2014, Volume 1

Transcription

Profiles
The Elster-Instromet customer magazine 1/2014
FC1 – modular in hardware and software
LNG terminal built to replace coal
as fuel for Beijing
ISS plus – enhancing security and
lifetime for your supervisory system
2 e ditorial
Elster-Instromet Profiles 1/2014
Striving for positive change
responsibly
When I started as Electronics Product
Manager at Instromet GmbH over 20 years
ago, the only thing we were interested in
was the number of cubic metres of gas that
were transported. Nowadays, the quantity of
energy has long been the crucial factor and
for trading with gas, the “energy data” must
be available and accessible at all times.
Complex systems not only supply the
required billing data but also provide information on the condition of the devices. Using
a diagnostic tool, it is possible to determine
the “health” of the meter. The entire measuring unit can be checked for accurateness
by comparing the range of measuring data.
Meters and pressure and temperature sensors
connected in series can be compared to each
other. The ultrasonic gas meter measures
the speed of sound in the gas, while the
measurement result of the gas chromatograph
makes it possible to do the calculation. This
allows flow and gas quality measurements
to be monitored over a certain range, improve
the planning of maintenance work and avoid
downtimes to a large extent. The recorded
information can be used for trend analyses
and internal regulations relating to calibration intervals can be extended. It is also
conceivable to cooperate with the statutory
national calibration authorities to extend the
statutory recalibration periods for certain
measuring instruments which would reduce
operating costs even further.
tries and is therefore increasingly being used
as an instrument of power. Again and again,
embargoes are imposed against countries
such as Iran, but unpaid gas bills in transit
countries (such as Ukraine in 2009) also
pose a supply problem to downstream
customers if a blockade is imposed or the
pressure is reduced. Currently, the conflict
in Crimea has given rise to new discussions
about the dependence of the EU on gas
supplied from Russia. The “South Stream Gas
Pipeline” project, which is currently at the
planning stage, is thus being questioned at
the current time. The failed “Nabucco” gas
pipeline project, which was supposed to
transport gas from Azerbaijan to Europe, is
once again becoming the focus of attention.
The construction of new liquefied gas (LNG)
terminals is under discussion but this involves
massive investment costs and also requires
access to high-pressure gas distribution
networks, which would also cause costs.
State subsidies and a guaranteed minimum
purchase volume would definitely be prerequisites for such projects to actually come
about.
But before gas can be sold, it must be extracted
and then transported from its source to the
end consumer. Over the years, the sources
have changed.
Security of supplies must be guaranteed –
but this objective can only be achieved by
independence from gas purchases. The
high-pressure gas supply pipelines must
allow gas to be transported in both directions. Security of supplies can be assured
to a large extent using gas storage facilities
owned by national gas companies. End
customers need to know that they will not
be left in the cold and industry needs to be
able to plan investments in plants, gas
networks and new products.
Many countries have managed to exploit
their own natural gas resources which are
now exhausted or no longer adequate to
cover domestic demand. Previously unused
gas reserves such as shale gas can be
developed and turn what used to be a gas
customer into a gas supplier. In addition to
these changes which are solely due to technical progress, political events also have a
bearing on gas supply. Energy trading is an
important source of currency for many coun-
Safe, reliable and low-cost procurement of
energy is one of the most important foundations of a society, both for industrial growth
and for enhancing everyone’s quality of life.
Energy supplies remain one of the most
important topics of our time. A new general
framework is emerging, such as the liberalization of the gas market, the reduction of
CO2 emissions, targets for reducing energy
consumption, reducing the use of nuclear
power and incentives for renewable energy
types. Biogas generation, for example, is be
coming more important, particularly in Europe,
and also new ideas such as “Power to Gas”
are being implemented as pilot projects.
End customers too have become sensitized
and strive to manage energy with greater
awareness. This is made possible by interest
in technologies such as smart residential
gas meters and lean, intelligent systems.
Successful companies have modern structures, operate internationally and work
together with strategic partners in order to
create cost-conscious access to new markets
and provide customers with an optimum
range of products and services.
Today’s focus is on safety, reliability, availability
and minimizing costs. We must confront these
demands and shape the change positively
within the framework of the given political
and economic capabilities.
Today, Elster offers a very large range of
product solutions through to complex installations with data transfer systems on a global
gas market which imposes an extremely
wide variety of technical or customer-specific
requirements.
One thing will never change despite technical
progress and new opportunities – it is we
humans who are able to counter change in
a positive and constructive manner. Let’s
face up to this challenge together.
Yours,
Andreas Dirks
Director Integrated Metering Solutions/
Elster Gas
P r o d ucts 3
Flow computer enCore FC1
Modular in hardware and software
The flow computer enCore FC1 has been developed to replace the flow
computer series gas-net and Model 2000. It has already been unveiled in
various markets and it is now time to roll out the enCore FC1 to a wide
range of users and customers.
In the next few editions of Elster Profiles,
we will provide more details on the most
diverse topics (firmware, hardware, enSuite
configuration software, applications, etc.).
This edition starts with a general overview
of the concepts and ideas of the enCore FC1.
The smart basic principle of the enCore FC1
is its modularity:
Modular name structure
The structure of the enCore FC1 name is
such that “enCore” designates the device
series:
e = elster
n = new
Core = device core
FC1 = international
flow computer
enCore FC1: successor to M2000
and gas-net F1
The corresponding PC configuration tool
uses the same principle as this name
structure and is called enSuite.
e = elster
n = new
Suite = software suite
Modular hardware
The enCore FC1 hardware is designed in
such a way that all the input and output
boards and the communications boards
can be selected and used to suit specific
needs. The input boards, for example, can
be varied depending on the number of
streams and the type of connections. This
means that, on the one hand, boards
with integrated Ex-barriers are available
alongside boards that work with external
isolators. In addition to a multi-functional
output board with 8 outputs, there is also
a multi-serial board and shortly, there will
also be a version with an additional network interface.
There is a CPU board in every device,
providing two serial ports and a TCP/IP
network port as standard.
4 Produ cts
nections to the AFBs are configured –
completely at random. The free combination, for example of ultrasonic meters,
turbine meters or orifice measurement
systems, is therefore also possible.
Modular configuration software
The enSuite PC tool allows various devices
and functions to be configured from a single
Fig. 2: I/O boards
Even the housing is modular since it is
available in two versions. On the one
hand, in 1/3 design width (Fig. 2) with the
facilities for using 4 I/O boards and on the
other, in 1/2 design width with 7 I/O slots.
This means that the space requirement
can be optimized for every application.
Modular firmware
The firmware also has a modular structure to match the modular hardware.
The various functions are divided into socalled application function blocks (AFB)
which are all anchored in the basic system
(Fig. 3). The various tasks (flow conversion,
Modbus communication, archiving, …)
are thus separated from each other
and can also be updated, loaded and
approved for fiscal use separately. This
makes it possible to ensure that only the
required functions are available in the
device so as to avoid unnecessary overhead.
This also means that it is no longer important which peripheral is connected to
which port or to which input. Depending
on the required wiring, the internal con-
Base plate
Monitoring
Communications
Data logger
Gas quality
Stream x
Stream 1
Fig. 3: Modular firmware
Fig. 4: enSuite configuration tool
user interface. Not only does enSuite contain the enCore FC1 configuration, but it
also provides facilities to read its archives,
display operating panels, update the firmware and other benefits.
These functions are not just limited to the
enCore FC1; other device types such as
the EK280, DL230 and Q.Sonicplus are
supported, too.
The next edition will provide you with more
details on the hardware and firmware.
You will also receive information on the
technical highlights.
.
Michael Pellmann [email protected]
P r o ducts 5
PETRONAS’ first FLNG facility:
ELSTER plays an important part
as a key supplier
The liquefaction of natural gas offshore utilizing the floating LNG concept has opened up opportunities to develop stranded natural gas
fields that would otherwise not be feasible from an economic point of
view. Floating above offshore natural gas fields, the technology allows
the production, liquefaction, storage and transfer of LNG at sea to LNG
carriers before it is shipped to onshore receiving terminals for regasification and distribution to consumers.
PETRONAS, a wholly government-owned
national oil and gas company incorporated in Malaysia, is engaged in a wide
spectrum of activities in the petroleum
industry ranging from upstream exploration to the distribution consumer market.
In order to monetize upstream stranded
gas assets off the coast of East Malaysia
and to reduce the substantial costs normally arising in providing fixed infrastructures such as subsea pipelines to onshore
facilities, TechnipGeoproduction, Technip
France together with Daewoo Shipbuilding
& Marine Engineering of Korea have been
awarded an Engineering, Procurement,
Construction, Installation and Commissioning (EPCIC) contract by PETRONAS to
supply its first FLNG
facility. This LNG
facility, which is
designed to produce 1.2 million tons
per annum (MTPA),
will be one of the
world’s first FLNG
plants operating at
the Kanowit gas
field, 180 km off the
coast of Bintulu,
Malaysia.
ment accuracy were designed strictly in
accordance with PETRONAS Technical
Specifications and all relevant international
standards. A 3 x 50% 12” 600# RF gas
metering skid comprising Malaysian National
Measurement and Standards Laboratory
(SIRIM-NML) approved Q.Sonic-4C gas
ultrasonic flow meters will be used to
accurately measure the gross volumetric
flow of natural gas prior to the liquefaction
process without compromising on quality.
The Petroleum Management Unit (PMU) of
PETRONAS, which acts as resource owner
and manager of Malaysia’s domestic oil
and gas assets, dictates a total measurement uncertainty for custody transfer gas
metering systems of within ±1.0%, and this
As the leader in gas
measurement systems and due to its
team of competent
Q.Sonic-4C on PFLNG custody gas metering skid
engineers, Elster
was awarded the contract to provide an
is achievable without any problem. Conall-in turnkey gas and liquid Integrated
densate produced will be measured by a
Metering Solution (IMS) for this prestigious
3 x 50% 8” 150# RF condensate metering
project. Two skids for measuring both gas
skid using a Faure-Herman TZN series
and condensate with custody measurehelical-type liquid turbine flow meter.
The skid was designed to meet PMU
custody transfer requirements with an
uncertainty of within ±0.25% of the standard volume. All instruments used for
measurement that are supplied along with
the skids are traceable to SIRIM-NML as
part of PETRONAS’ requirements.
While PETRONAS’ first FLNG plant intends
to start operation in 2015, the second
FLNG facility, which has a higher capacity,
is underway. We will strive to provide the
best-in-class measurement equipment for
this upcoming project.
Chan Kuan Yue
[email protected]
6 P
rodu cts
Enhancing security and lifetime for your supervisory system:
Time to act!
Is your supervisory system still up to date? The typical lifecycle of a
supervisory system can be 15 years or more, which means that you
might need to consider migration to a more modern operating
system at some point during its life.
Microsoft ended support for Windows XP
on 8 April 2014. From this day on, there
will be no more security updates or technical support for the Windows XP operating system. Since most modern supervisory
systems run on a Microsoft Windows platform and are typically connected to the
“production” network, this could cause
unwanted vulnerabilities. It is therefore
time to upgrade to a modern operating
system for your supervisory system. For
over 15 years, Elster-Instromet has been
offering supervisory solutions combined
Metering system overview
Flow rates measured by the gas meter (trending)
P r o ducts 7
Proving report
with metering skids to provide accurate
measurements and reliable control of gas
and liquid metering installations. ISS plus is
the software package for the Elster-Instromet
measurement and control system for gas
and liquid metering installations. It is an
all-in solution based on our extensive
experience in the automation of bulk gas
control and monitoring with the latest
technologies.
With ISS plus, Elster-Instromet provides a
total solution for all your metering applications: stations from a single stream up
to 100 streams, control systems for highpressure calibration facilities and remote
metering applications. The supervisory
system can consist of a single supervisory
computer or can be redundant, with a
server-client architecture as an option.
It integrates the measurement devices,
automatically monitors performance values,
supervises and controls the metering process as well as performing data acquisition for billing purposes.
The ISS plus software package forms the
basis of a supervisory system. It can be
easily customized to meet individual project
needs. This configuration can be carried
out at Elster-Instromet Integrated Metering
Solutions. If you already have a supervisory
system based on ISS, you may be interested
to learn that existing applications do not
have to be rewritten when moving to the
Performance of the ultrasonic meter
new ISS plus platform: the application can
be ported.
Please contact your local sales office for
more information or details on the benefits
and possibilities of upgrading your system
to a supervisory system based on ISS plus.
Eric Bras
[email protected]
8 P
rodu cts
Is less more?
It is with the TwinSonic plus
In 1996, Instromet introduced the TwinSonic on the market. This
TwinSonic concept included complete redundancy, taking advantage
of multi-path configuration, with separate electronics.
It was the first time that two independent
ultrasonic measurements had been combined in a single meter body, sharing the
same spool piece, thus offering economic
advantages.
Last year, Elster-Instromet expanded the
Q.Sonic (series 6) family to include the
TwinSonic plus. Again, the TwinSonic plus
offers this two-in-one redundancy for
custody transfer applications, with an
additional totally independent measurement in the same meter body for verification of the primary measurement.
The primary flow measurement for custody
transfer is performed by the Elster-Instromet
patented multi-path Q.Sonic plus. The continuous verification of this primary meas
urement is achieved using additional
100% redundant electronics and dualpath configuration built into the primary
meter body.
This meter combines two measurements
in one meter body: the Q.Sonic plus 6-path
(two single and four double reflection
paths) for fiscal measurement and the
CheckSonic 2-path (two single reflection
paths) for verification of the primary
measurement. Each measurement has
its own independent signal processing
unit (SPU) with colour graphic touch screen
display.
The TwinSonic plus is available from nominal size 10” and is a valuable additional
family member of the Q.Sonic® Series 6
in addition to the Q.Sonic plus and the
CheckSonic vx.
Eric Bras
TwinSonic 5+1 (1996)
TwinSonicplus path arrangement
[email protected]
P r o ducts 9
Residential, commercial and industrial diaphragm gas meters:
New technology – innovative index
solutions
Thanks to the variety in index technology of the themis series, Elster
provides a wide range of meter data logging solutions.
Absolute ENCODER technology and the new series of electronic indexes
themis alpha
Meter with electronic index
(WAN data communication)
themis plus
Meter with
integrated volume
conversion device
themis log
UMI GSM
Meter with
integrated data
logger
themis alpha
Meter with electronic index
(LAN data communication)
EK280
UMI ZigBee
External volume conversion device
Absolute ENCODER technology
The modular concept allows for a large
variety of connection options for different
types of communications technology.
Current standards, such as GSM/GPRS,
M-Bus and ZigBee, have been taken into
account here. Simple commissioning due
to delivery of individually ready-configured
indexes reduces installation work to an
absolute minimum. The implementation of
current safety standards ensures as high
a level of data security as possible.
The functional characteristics and the
higher-level system have an effect on how
well and how efficiently battery-operated
devices can be read. Elster meters are
suitable for operation in different system
environments: for meters that communicate via WAN, an efficient and easy-tointegrate system for data acquisition,
data processing and if necessary,
transfer to advanced processing
systems, is possible.
For further information, please contact:
[email protected]
UMI M-Bus
10 P
rodu cts
Fast conversion of the oldest biogas injection plant
Turn OLD into NEW!
Renewing old measuring equipment – aimed at making the systems
state-of-the-art – is one of Elster’s day-to-day tasks. There are projects
whose implementation takes a somewhat unusual course and is thus
a special challenge. We shall now give a brief report on one such
project in Maihingen (Germany).
In Autumn 2013, schwaben netz gmbh
issued a call for tender in respect of a
refurbishment of the Maihingen biogas
injection plant to various companies,
including Elster. The task in hand was
to bring the technology of this system in
line with the state-of-the-art. This biogas
injection plant in Maihingen is schwaben
netz gmbh’s oldest system of this kind.
The system dating from 2008 was equipped
with a standard process gas chromatograph (PGC) for natural gas with external
analyzers to determine the hydrogen and
oxygen content in the biogas. This technology is now being criticized by the
responsible Board of Weights and Meas
ures because the PGC does not have
a PTB (German National Metrological
Institute) type approval. Recalibration was
performed last year subject to the condition that the existing gas quality analysis
system would be replaced as soon as
possible by an approved system.
Keeping system downtime as short as
possible is, of course, a key requirement
of the planned conversion project. This is
because every standstill means that the
operators of the biogas plant cannot rely
on the usual availability of 96%.
One of the biggest challenges was interworking of the (OMNI) control systems
of the biogas upgrading plant and the
biogas injection plant.
The boundary conditions and the required
measures were discussed during the joint
on-site inspection. This on-site inspection
resulted in two variants for implementing
this conversion project.
schwaben netz gmbh’s first biogas injection plant in Maihingen
One option was to remove the control
system and the measuring equipment of
the plant so that state-of-the-art equipment could be installed. Including installation and commissioning, this would mean
a system downtime of approx. three
weeks.
The other option was to set up and commission a new plant next to the existing
biogas injection plant. The new biogas
injection plant would then be connected
to the pipework and take over operation
of the old system fully. The old Maihingen
biogas injection plant could then be dismantled after this work had been completed. This option would mean a system
downtime of only two to three days.
Elster held a discussion with the Project
Manager of schwaben netz gmbh after
the bids had been evaluated. For him, the
suggested bid variants involving a great
deal of conversion work were out of the
question.
A second on-site inspection of the Maihingen
biogas injection plant was proposed at
short notice in order to talk through how to
achieve an optimum mode of conversion.
According to schwaben netz’s Project
Manager, Mr. Klaus Barra, the old Maihingen biogas injection plant was actually
still operating reliably and did not cause
many problems. So there was no need to
renew the control system which had been
P r o d ucts 11
Old gas quality analysis system
in its container
optimized over many years. Consequently,
he tasked Elster with planning an effective, quick solution.
The idea was to exchange the old PGC,
the heart of the plant, with a system which
could be calibrated. Elster’s EnCal 3000
Bio process gas chromatograph seemed
to be the optimum product for this solution.
The replacement was to involve as short
a system downtime as possible.
Mechanical exchange of the PGC did not
appear to be the problem. The greater
challenge was in fact to integrate the data
communications system of the modern
EnCal 3000 Bio in the old control system
of the biogas injection plant. The new
EnCal 3000 Bio was to be calibrated
before switchover to the new system in
order to further shorten the downtime.
The client and Elster ran through the conversion scenario on the Maihingen biogas
injection plant and reached the conclusion
that all conversion work could be completed within one working week. The
downtime could even be reduced to two
days under specific conditions and with
appropriate coordination.
“Elster can do it” – and so the approach to
solving the problem was in good hands.
A corresponding bid with conversion concept was elaborated on a realistic basis.
In late 2013, Elster received an official
order from schwaben netz gmbh to carry
out the conversion work. After the planning and preparation work had been
completed, conversion of the gas quality
analysis system was started in mid-March
of this year.
New gas quality analysis system with Elster’s EnCal 3000 Bio
Installation of the measuring equipment
was completed as scheduled so that the
new EnCal 3000 Bio could start operation
and was initially calibrated “offline”. But
then something else had us on the edge
of our seats: how long will the downtime
now be?
After injection of bio natural gas by the
Maihingen biogas injection plant had
been interrupted for the conversion work,
we worked briskly to replace the old PCG
with the EnCal 3000 Bio and install all
components of the measuring system at
the corresponding locations.
Initial problems of making the data
communications system of the new
EnCal 3000 Bio compatible with the old
station automation system could quickly
be solved together with the manufacturer
of the Maihingen biogas injection plant.
The Elster Service Team was able to report
that the converted biogas injection plant
was ready for production after a system
downtime of only one and a half days. A
great success based on careful planning
by Elster’s Project Team in Dortmund, Germany, and the commitment of the Service
Team. This strength of Elster was reflected
in the cost savings to the benefit of the
energy utility company/operator.
If you have similar challenges, make use
of these savings potentials too!
Michael Halm
[email protected]
12 P
rodu cts
Shale gas exploration:
Hauck technology at the fore
The North American natural gas industry has experienced a
profound transformation with the successful development of
several natural gas shale plays in the United States.
At the forefront of this transformation is
the advancement of technology for horizontal and hydraulic fracturing which has
created commercially viable reserves and
the allocation of resource capital among
natural gas suppliers. These components
help reiterate that natural gas will continue
to play a vital role in the future of clean
energy and also offer important economic,
security and environmental benefits to the
global market for years to come.
Currently, the technology that is at the
forefront of shale gas exploration is
hydraulic fracturing. First employed in the
1940s, the United States and Canada
have used hydraulic fracking throughout
their regions to produce more than 600
trillion cubic feet of natural gas and over
1 million wells. Using water pressure as
a main component, fracking creates fractures in below-surface rocks that allow
oil and gas trapped within to be released
and flow directly to a well located above
ground. Since shale gas is the largest,
and a growing, source of natural gas in
North America, fracturing has replaced
past ineffective conventional processes
and now provides an innovative asset for
energy production and exploration in the
United States.
In response to OEM customer requirements for heating water to optimal temperature ranges in natural gas extraction
fracking units, Elster has developed a portable Beta Burner Package System that
utilizes efficient and reliable combustion
technology to superheat water used in a
hydraulic well injection system. This highly
portable and rugged system consists of
2 BBO 2112X burners and has a typical
energy range of 25 million to 40 million
BTU per hour. At the heart of the combustion system is Hauck’s BBG combination
fuel burner, which allows oil, propane or
natural gas to burn efficiently while minimizing gaseous emissions. The system
is also equipped with a hydraulically
driven Hauck turbo blower which is used
to adequately process 1 psi of air during
the combustion process.
In order to control safety and performance, an onboard flame burner and
temperature control is integrated in the
system manifold. The controls are prewired and pre-piped so users of the
system can have the assurance of safety
and performance without any drawbacks
on quality.
The combustion systems supplied to the
fracking OEMs are a good example of
Hauck’s core competence in system solution design and also highlight the range
of Hauck’s applications and expertise.
The Hauck Manufacturing Company is a
subsidiary of Elster Gas North America
and supplies knowledge, equipment and
controls for industrial combustion. Since
1888, Hauck has manufactured the most
reliable industrial burners for global combustion. Hauck’s control over a complete
line of burners, its knowledgeable staff of
engineers and innovative line of controls
means it can provide tightly integrated
solutions to match any industrial combustion needs.
Jonathan Wells
[email protected]
Applic ati ons 13
Established in the Middle East:
ELSTER NV/SA activities in the IMS business
In 1970, Instromet started introducing their products in the Middle East. The
Middle East office was opened as a one man show in 2000. Mr. Frank Wendel
took over responsibility as Area Manager of the Middle East office in 2005.
The Abu Dhabi-based office has grown over the years to a fully developed
sales & marketing and after-sales service centre, serving our esteemed
customers in the MEA market.
Today, Elster-Instromet Middle East has
migrated to one of the major solution
providers for highly sophisticated gas
metering and regulating stations.
With its workforce boasting over 100 years
of consolidated experience, Elster-Instromet
Middle East now offers front end support
to customers for the selection and design
of metering and regulating solutions and
manufactures all the necessary system
components for these.
Commissioning and start-up as well as
after-sales services are provided by our
local service centre in Abu Dhabi. We
now have a long list of satisfied customers
such as SAUDI ARAMCO, DOLPHIN, GASCO,
IMS solutions for ME customers
gas and liquid metering solutions and 3rd
party supplied equipment services. The
LTSA (Long-term Service Agreement) is one
of the key initiatives taken by our Service
department and our endeavours have
been very successful.
Elster Middle East Team at the ADIPEC Exhibition, Abu Dhabi
QATAR PETROLEUM, KUWAIT OIL COMPANY,
SABIC, RASGAS, QATAR GAS, OGC, to name
but a few.
Elster was able to acquire a market share
in fiscal gas measurement within the states
of the GCC. The largest skid supplied to
date has a capacity of 720 MMSCFD and
the ultrasonic flow meters delivered are of
sizes up to 36 inches.
The order intake generated year after
year has grown considerably and today
accounts for a significant share in the
solution/station business.
The key to Elster NV/SA’s success in the
Middle East is its employees’ excellent
technical and service knowledge. Both the
Sales and Service Teams have knowledge
and experience at their disposal related to
Having tasted success in the IMS business
segment in the GCC, markets in countries
like Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq and other countries in Middle East and Africa are being
targeted to be fully developed within the
next 2-3 years.
This will be achieved by our current team
which is composed of Anupam Goyal,
Sundeep Bhan, Roba Amer, Pratik Modak,
Vishnu Unnikrishnan and Badhri Rajan.
We express our sincere thanks to our MEA
customers for placing in their trust in us
and ensuring lasting success.
Ashok Nayak
[email protected]
14 Applic ations
A major review of Britain’s gas infrastructure:
RIIO – £24 billion spent over eight years
In December 2012, Ofgem launched RIIO, an initiative for major investment
to upgrade Great Britain’s gas and electricity networks. This followed
Ofgem’s 2009 Project Discovery which reported that Britain faced an
unprecedented need to invest in order to replace ageing infrastructure,
meet environmental targets and deliver secure supplies.
Ofgem is the Office of Gas and Electricity
Markets which supports the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, the regulator of
the gas and electricity industries in Great
Britain.
Around £24 billion has been allocated to
upgrade, renew and extend Britain’s gas
and high-voltage electricity networks. This
will ensure that Britain’s networks remain
among the most reliable in the world.
RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovation +
Outputs) is designed to incentivize the gas
distribution networks (GDNs) to meet the
challenges they will face during the next
decade: to invest over £30 billion of capital expenditure that will be needed to
meet environmental targets and maintain
secure energy supplies, while delivering
sustainable value for money.
In Great Britain, gas leaves the transmission system and enters the distribution
networks at high pressure. It is then transported through a number of reducing
pressure tiers until it is finally delivered to
consumers. There are five regional distribution networks, each run by a different
company.
Gas distribution
areas in Great Britain
As part of the RIIO project, the gas transmission and distribution companies will
be looking to repair or replace many of
their pressure reducing stations. This
could involve simple equipment replacement, replacement of a stream, or of the
entire station.
Long established as a major equipment
supplier to the market, Elster is well placed
to provide products and assemblies to
cover all requirements.
A focus of the RIIO project is to reduce
environmental impact, so the Elster
Orpheus underground pressure reducing
station is ideal as it cuts down on visual
and noise contamination.
Orpheus underground station under construction
Elster is supplying or expecting to supply
the MP to LP market, the IP to MP market
in the distribution sector and also the HP
market in the transmission sector.
Products supplied are:
1) Orpheus modules
2) Compact twin AGI modules
3) Bespoke HP pressure control and
metering modules
Applic ati ons 15
Completed installation has
little environmental impact
4) Stream replacement packages, fitting
existing sites between inlet and outlet
valves – regulators, slam shut valves
and spools in pre-piped mini assemblies
5)Turbine and USM metering equipment
as stand-alone items for the transmission market
6)Pressure regulators and slam shut
valves as stand-alone items
The programmes will run for 8 years
broken down into two separate 4-year
programmes.
It is estimated that in SGN’s Southern
network approximately £140 million will
be spent upgrading the transmission
network.
In Wales and the West Network, expenditure will be lower, but it is still expected
that there will be a £50 million investment
during the first 4 years, although what
exactly this will be used for is not yet clear.
RIIO has changed the way the gas networks evaluate and replace their assets.
In many instances, we are seeing product
purchase and stream replacement being
favoured over complete station exchange.
National Grid is currently undergoing
an assessment of all MP-LP distribution
assets that will likely result in upgrades
of various forms – from products only to
stream replacement on around 1000 regulator installations. Significant infrastructure upgrades (MP and LP gas networks)
are currently being undertaken on the
London network which will result in Elster
supplying large-scale Orpheus stations
to roughly 45 sites in the next 2 to 4 years.
The new high-speed rail link is now causing major diversion works resulting in yet
more Orpheus stations for Elster.
Northern Gas Networks has been planning major projects involving many highpressure off-take stations after a lack of
investment for years (sweating the assets).
This will result in tenders published
throughout the next 2 to3 years for which
Elster will be looking to supply regulators,
ultrasonic and turbine metering as well as
gas quality analysis equipment (EnCal
3000). Investment figures are similar to
SGN at £140m. The supply of regulators
for the MP-LP distribution sector is historically low with annual volumes of around
20 Orpheus BGI stations. Elster UK is in the
process of responding to the first tender
from NGN for a Framework agreement.
Scotland Gas Networks has low volumes
of work compared to the rest of the country.
Stream replacement work on high-pressure
installations has already commenced for
which Elster has supplied AFVs and slam
shut valves. Work is continuing to be
planned with more upgrades in the pipeline on 8 or 9 sites. The second half of the
RIIO period (years 4 to8) will again see
Scotland commence more upgrades with
equipment being chosen via published
tenders. Low volumes of MP-LP regulator
installations are replaced which will result
in Elster supplying 10 to 15 Orpheus stations
a year.
Over the next eight years, the RIIO project
will have a big impact on strategic thinking
throughout the UK gas industry. As always,
Elster will be there to provide the necessary
products, service and support to ensure
that this initiative can be implemented.
Paul Webster
[email protected]
Imprint
Publisher
Elster GmbH
55252 Mainz-Kastel, Germany
www.elster-instromet.com
Editorial staff
Gudrun Biedermann, Elster Germany
Paul Webster, Elster Instromet UK
K. C. Tan, Elster-Instromet Singapore
Asia:
Elster-Instromet Sdn. Bhd.
K. C. Tan
29 Tai Seng Avenue
#06-05A Natural Cool Lifestyle Hub
Singapore 534119
T +65 62477728
E [email protected]
Please write to
Europe/Africa/America/Australia:
Elster GmbH
Gudrun Biedermann
Steinern Strasse 19–21
T +49 6134 6 05-2 18
E [email protected]
England:
Elster Metering Ltd.
Steve Case
Tollgate Business Park
Beaconside, Stafford
Staffordshire ST16 3HS, England
T +44 1785 275306
E [email protected]
Authors
Eric Bras, Elster Belgium
Addy Baksteen, Elster-Instromet NL
Andreas Dirks, Elster Germany
Michael Halm, Elster Germany
Sebastian Hintz, Elster Germany
Carsten Lorenz, Elster Germany
Ashok Nayak, Elster UAE
Michael Pellmann, Elster Germany
Ryan Tian, Elster China
Chan Kuan Yue, Elster Malaysia
Paul Webster, Elster UK
Jonathan Wells, Elster USA
Customer magazine online:
Page 1/20: © iStockphoto.com/marrakeshh
Page 6-7: © iStockphoto.com/ebstock
Dr Feix Translation Agency
Articles signed by the author
reflect their personal opinion.
Publishing dates:
Three editions for the year 2014
16 Applic
ations
How 4 meters are helping Beijing to get clean air
LNG terminal built to replace coal
as fuel for Beijing
With a population of more than 30 million and about 6 million vehicles,
air pollution in Beijing is a major challenge. Besides the pollution caused
by the many vehicles, one of the biggest sources of pollution is the use
of coal for power and heat generation.
Air pollution is indicated using the
Air Quality Index which is basically the
PM 2.5 level in µg/m3. PM 2.5 stands for
the amount of particles in the air measuring less than 2.5 µm. The Chinese government has made the reduction of so-called
“fine dust” a high priority and Beijing
wants to go the whole nine yards and be
the first Chinese city that does not depend
on coal for heat and power generation.
Since combustion of natural gas does
not generate “fine dust”, it is currently the
most attractive option to replace coal.
Another benefit of natural gas is that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced
as well since combustion of natural gas
produces about 45% less carbon dioxide.
The Air Quality Index in Beijing on the day of writing this article
(source: http://aqicn.org/city/beijing/)
With an Air Quality Index that is very regularly between ‘unhealthy’ and ‘hazardous’,
the city of Beijing has been qualified as
‘barely suitable for living’ which is one of
the biggest concerns of its inhabitants. On
the very day this article was written, the
World Health Organization reported* that
7 million people died in the past year as a
result of air pollution related causes world
wide. The vast majority of them were living
in the South East Asia and Western Pacific
area. This means that 1 out of 8 deaths in
the world is related to air pollution causing diseases like heart failure, strokes,
COPD and cancer. No wonder the Beijing
Municipal Government is doing their utmost
to bring the Air Quality Index down to an
acceptable level!
However, since the natural gas resources
of China are much smaller than the abundant coal resources, this is a decision with
great impact as regards the natural gas
infrastructure required to support this transition. Hundreds of coal-fired boilers have
been modified to burn natural gas but the
current capacities of natural gas supply
to the Beijing area are insufficient to fuel
them. This was one of the reasons for
building an LNG terminal in Tangshan (a
port about 180 km from Beijing).
Acceptance test of LNG metering station
* www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/
2014/air-pollution/en/
Applic ati ons 17
The Tangshan LNG project
Petrochina’s Tangshan LNG receiving
terminal is expected to have an annual
receiving capacity of 10 million tons of
LNG. Elster’s contribution was the delivery
of the metering skid for Phase I of the
project. It consists of 4 lines each designed
to cover a capacity of 33% of the total
required capacity. The Q.Sonic-5C meters
that were selected were of sizes DN 400
and ANSI 600. The skid is designed to
transfer a maximum of 24 million cubic
metres of gas to Beijing per day and this
will be extended to 42 million cubic
metres per day in Phase II.
Tangshan LNG metering system
Due to the past deliveries for the WEPP II
projects for Petrochina, Elster already has
a large installed meter base. With over
300 ultrasonic meters in more than 140
metering systems, Elster has gathered a
wealth of experience in all disciplines that
are deemed essential for efficient project
execution – project planning, cost planning, risk analysis, contract management,
procurement, administration, safety and
environment, quality control and commissioning. This experience was the basis for
Petrochina placing its trust both in Elster
products in general and in our metering
systems and project execution capabilities
in particular.
Elster is proud to play a small role in Beijing’s Blue Sky Campaign just by doing
what it does best – accurate metering of
natural gas! It was a big challenge to make
sure the project met the tight schedule,
yet thanks to the joint efforts of the teams
from Elster Beijing and Malaysia, the job
was completed on time.
With the enormous demand for natural
gas to replace coal, the future for both
LNG and natural gas in China is bright.
We sincerely hope that one day, this can
also be said of the skies over Beijing.
Addy Baksteen
Ryan Tian Metering system after installation on site
[email protected]
[email protected]
18 S ervice
TurbinScope® diagnostic tool
More than just a stethoscope
Prevention is better than cure! Just as a doctor uses his stethos
cope for diagnostics, Elster can assess the condition of a turbine
gas meter with its diagnostic tool TurbinScope. This enables Elster
to give accurate information about the condition of vital “gas
meter organs”.
In the past, the NMi (Nederlands Meetinstituut), acting as an independent metrological
measuring institute, has already certified
that this diagnostic technology can detect
the actual flow rate. Thus, TurbinScope is
the smart stethoscope among analysis
tools.
Elster has now gathered wide-ranging
experience in the use of TurbinScope. In
fact, the diagnostic tool is suitable for
many different applications. For example,
you can check the measuring properties
of your biogas system at regular intervals,
look at your meter park randomly or at
regular intervals, or use the analysis tool
to assess bearing damage. This means,
for example, that possible deformation,
bearing damage, pulsation or the like can
be detected. In addition, it provides transparency and rapid assistance for the prevention of potential problems.
The basic requirements for valuable, informative meter or station diagnostics is to
record the widest possible bandwidth of
the possible meter capacity during the
time in which TurbinScope is operating.
Ideally, the system will be subjected to a
flow rate of Qmin to Qmax so that a complete frequency image of the meter can
be obtained during the measurement.
In addition, the system should allow a
“spin-down” by the meter from approx.
50% Qmax until the turbine wheel reaches
a complete standstill. This supplies valuable information about the condition of
the bearings in the turbine meter and a
forecast of the measurement error at Qmin.
The grey line in Figure 1 shows the spindown of the turbine wheel while the
orange line is the calculated gas flow rate.
Since the two curves are known, the difference and therefore also the deviation of
the turbine meter can be calculated. This
calculation can be made at any point in
the flow path, e.g. if the flow rate fluctuates widely. The diagnostic tool can be
networked quickly with our product specialists thanks to its internet connection.
This makes it possible to control and configure it remotely at any time and meter
data can also be recorded while the
meter is running. In any case, the rapid
evaluation of the meter data is assured.
We will be delighted to connect the diagnostic tool for you. In principle, however,
S e rvice 19
Fig. 1: Spin-down analysis using TurbinScope
300
280
260
240
Turbine wheel spin-down
Calculated gas flow rate
220
Flow rate [m3/h]
200
180
160
140
120
80
60
40
20
0
-20
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
Time [s]
we can also provide the tool for a limited
period on hire. This will enable you to
decide for yourself when and where you
wish to carry out a meter diagnostic.
Finally, the use of the diagnostic tool provides an informative analysis of the turbine gas meter when it is used as part of
a precautionary check. Whatever it is used
for, the TurbinScope offers much more
than a stethoscope.
Benefits at a glance
• Straightforward analysis of the
measuring instrument
• No meter removal required
• Analysis of measurement performance
• Determining the actual flow rate
• Estimation of the measurement
performance at Qmin
The turbine gas meter can be analyzed in ongoing operation using the diagnostic tool.
• Detection of ball bearing damage
• Remote control (remote analysis)
• Training possible for connection
by customer
List of features
Meter analysis
• Detection of possible deformation of the turbine wheel blades
We would also be happy to produce
solutions with you to ensure that you
can use the diagnostic tool efficiently.
Contact our project managers and product
experts if you would like any advice.
Check your “gas meter organs” regularly
and make everything transparent.
Sebastian Hintz
[email protected] • Detection of possible imbalance on the turbine wheel
• Detection of mechanical bearing damage
• Estimation of measurement error at Qmin
System analysis
• All error analyses for meter analysis A
• Detection of system-related installation effects such as pulsation
of the gas column
• Determining the actual flow rate (accredited by NMi)
75
Vital Connections
Elster GmbH
Steinern Strasse 19–21

Profiles 2014, Volume 1

Transcription

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