Prepaid gas meters put into operation

Staff Correspondent The government yesterday formally inaugurated prepaid gas meters for the residential consumers of the capital's Lalmatia and Mohammadpur areas in a bid to reduce wastage of the utility as part of its key plan to ease gas crisis. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy adviser to the prime minister, opened a gas meter with a smart-card at a ceremony in Lalmatia. Under a pilot project, state-run Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd has installed 4,500 prepaid meters in the two areas since May last year at a cost of Tk 6.7 crore from its own resources. Titas is now in talks with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to install another 8,500 prepaid meters in the city. Md Abdul Aziz Khan, managing director of Titas, said the current price of gas for households using a double burner allows the users to burn 87 cubic metre of gas a month at the cost of Tk 450. "But we have found that 37 percent of the users under the pilot project are consuming 158 cubic metre of gas a month, while the rest are using less than 87 cubic metre," he added. The price of gas per cubic metre is Tk 5.16. The Institute of Information and Communication Technology (IICT) under Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has developed the meters that cost Tk 5,800 each. "We have received positive response from the customers. They do not have any significant complaints," said the Titas MD. "The prepaid system will help avoid wastage of the valuable energy and cut complications over realising due bills." Khan said Titas plans to install 3 lakh meters at a cost of Tk 350 crore in the next 2 to 3 years. "We are also holding talks with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the ADB for another 3 lakh prepaid meters." Titas has now over 15.60 lakh customers. Bangladesh has to opt for the prepaid meters amid reports of widespread wastage of natural gas at the household level. The country's gas reserve is drying up fast. Bangladesh now faces a shortfall of 500 million cubic feet of gas a day (mmcfd) against the demand of over 2,500 mmcfd, according to the state-run Petrobangla.

Engineer Mujba Alif, a resident of Lalmatia, who has set up the new gas meters, said the initiative would help users consume less gas, freeing up the utility for others in the country. Energy Secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin said the country's energy sector is going through a transformation. "There is a gap in demand and supply. We can save a huge amount of gas by improving our demand-side management." He said Bangladesh would be able to save one-third of its gas if measures aimed at stopping wastage are taken. IICT Director Prof Dr S M Lutful Kabir hoped that the metering system would help cut wastage and generate more revenues. State Minister for Power and Energy Muhammad Enamul Huq said if gas can be saved, it could be supplied to many others. Mentioning that 30 to 40 percent gas is lost during transmission and distribution, BUET Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr S M Nazrul Islam said, It is not acceptable when the reserve is decreasing. Jahangir Kabir Nanak, state minister for LGRD, suggested that the government implement prepaid metering in water supply too, so that possible future crisis can be avoided. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury urged the IICT to add a feature to the meter so that people can recharge from home. He said the government plans to roll out initiative to bring all of the Titas customers under the system. "I personally think that it will take three to four years." The adviser also defended Titas's decision to charge Tk 50 a meter every month as rent. Titas will require Tk 2,500 crore to provide meters to all of its customers, said Petrobangla Chairman Prof Md Hossain Monsur, who presided over the ceremony. He said the meters would allow the low-income group use less gas and thus save money. Monsur also said they would be ready to supply gas to Rajshahi from January 20 this year.

NEW DATA:

Upload

Log In Sign Up

Explore

Download
0

Comment

Link

Embed
Readcast

0inShare

Gas Pipeline Metering StationsFundamentals This article looks at pipeline natural gas metering station design but does not address the equations and empirical data used to calculate gas flow rates and volumes for custody transfer. Nor does it cover the different standards of particular flow measuring devices, such as AGA-3 for differential pressure measurement; AGA-7 for turbine meters and vortex meters; and AGA-8 which provides equations to compute compensation factors for measured rates. Pipeline gas metering stations are designed for simultaneous, continuous analysis of the quality and quantity of natural gas being transferred in a pipeline, as follows:

Upper calorific value, which is the latent energy content of a gas that is released during combustion. It is the major variable when defining the price. Concentration of sulphur compounds. Hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans are partially present as natural compounds and sometimes are mixed with the gas together with other sulphur compounds as odorants. Hydrocarbon dew point, which is a temperature at which higher hydrocarbons condense. Liquid phase is produced in the gas pipeline if the product temperature falls below the hydrocarbon dew point. The

accumulation of liquid in the pipelines can lead to a plug flow and may destroy the compressors in the pumping station Water dew point is the temperature at which water condenses out. Water, together with hydrocarbons, favors the generation of solids, in particular during the decompression of gas from high-pressure pipelines. The solids block gas fittings, and the water is corrosive. The fiscal effects of natural gas volume and mass flow measurement and calculations.

The system consists of a multi-path ultrasonic flowmeter, process gas chromatograph and computer workstation installed, pre-wired and pre-piped in a special air-conditioned shelter with all auxiliary equipment and utilities. Each gas metering station branches off of the pipeline and is used to reduce pressure and meter the gas to the various users. For the pressure reduction and metering stations, the main equipment includes filters, heaters, pressure reducers and regulators, and flow metering skids. In addition, each station is generally equipped with drains for collection and disposal, instrument gas system and storage tanks. Filter Separators Natural gas filter units are installed at each station to remove any entrained liquids and solids from the gas stream. The filters may comprise cyclonic elements to centrifuge particles and liquids to the sides of the enclosing pressure vessel. These particles and liquids will then drop down for collection in a sump, which can be drained periodically. A station inlet filter-separator should be installed upstream of the meter. The filter separator is normally a horizontal unit with a full-size, quick-opening closure and access platform for element change out. The vessel should be equipped with level gauges, high liquid level switches and a differential pressure transmitter across the filter elements. The filter-separator sumps should have automatic drain valves. A condensate tank is installed for atmospheric storage of any liquids removed by the filter separator. Most tanks installed for this purpose are double-walled and installed on a concrete pad. The tank should contain a level gauge and a high liquid level switch.

A control valve should be installed downstream of the meter run to control both the flow through the meter and the delivery pressure. This valve will primarily operate to limit the station throughput in order to prevent the incoming gas volume from exceeding the meter capacity or the nominated volume but will also be equipped with a pressure override. The control valve is generally controlled by a gas flow computer (GFC) based upon set points provided by the gas control center. The control valve will normally operate in the fully open position to minimize pressure losses through the station and should have a positioner, position indicator and position transmitter. The GFC would also monitor and control the facilities as well as perform custody transfer quality measurement. The GFC communicates all data to a central control console via the SCADA system. At custody transfers, a gas chromatograph is generally used to determine the gas composition for purposes of calculating the gas gross heating value. This data is provided to the GFC for use in calculating the total gas heating value in the metered gas. A gas sample is taken from a continuously flowing location on the meter and regulator skid. The gas sample is secured at low pressure to minimize lag time utilizing a self-regulating sample probe and routed to the gas chromatograph and moisture analyzer. The moisture analyzer is provided to measure the water content of the gas. Depending on sulphur content of the gas, a sulphur analyzer may be required. Meter Skid Piping The piping configuration on the meter skid should allow for bi-directional gas flow through the station by an appropriate piping and valving manifold. However, the gas flow through the meter and regulator should be in one direction only. The control valve is installed between isolation ball valves to allow maintenance. It is prudent to install a manual bypass valve to allow continued operation during control valve maintenance activities. Automatic Shutdown Valve

An automatic shutdown valve is normally installed at the pipeline connection. This valve should be remotely operated from the main operating system and equipped with local pneumatic controls, a hydraulic manual override and open/close limit switches. Blowdown of the meter station piping is accomplished by a vent stack located on the station inlet piping and vents on the meter skid located downstream of the meter and downstream of the flow control valve. Vent stacks may or may not include silencers, depending on the noise levels at the closest noise sensitive area (NSA). Heaters Natural gas heaters are installed to avoid the formation of hydrates, liquid hydrocarbons, and water as a result of pressure reduction. The gas heater is designed to raise the temperature of the gas so that after pressure reduction, the temperature of the gas will be above the dew point temperature at operating conditions and maximum flow. The heater is a water bath natural circulation type maintained at a temperature between 158-176 degrees F. Where gas cost is high, an alternative is to use high-efficiency or condensing furnaces for the purpose of preheating the gas rather than the water bath heater. Pressure Reduction And Regulation The pressure-reduction system controls the supply pressure to the gas users at a regulated value. Each system consists of at least two trains of pressure reduction - one operating and the other standby. Each train will normally comprise two regulator valves in series. Regulator valves should be sized for the maximum anticipated volumes at the minimum anticipated inlet pressure during those times of maximum volume. For stations serving multiple residential customers or other non-interruptible services, sufficient regulator capacity needs to be provided so the failure of one regulator valve run will not reduce the facility capacity below required demand. Regulator valves in custody transfer stations are typically of the type that fail in the open position. Sound Pressure

Sound pressure levels at all service conditions should be considered. High noise levels (generally defined at greater than 110 dbA) can result in damage to regulators, control valves, control valve accessories, instrumentation and downstream piping. Following are standard measures that can be taken to reduce sound pressure levels or to reduce the effects in the path:

Install noise attenuating trim or diffusers on the regulator, Install heavy wall pipe, Install insulation, Install silencers, Bury the regulators.

Overpressure Protection Stations do not require an overpressure relief device if a monitor regulator is installed in series in each regulator run or if a monitor regulator is installed in series with and common to all regulator runs. Station relief device capacity should be the largest relief capacity requirement determined from the following criteria using the flow and pressures:

Failure of the single or largest capacity run that does not include a monitor regulator, or Failure of all runs in which the regulators would fail to open upon failure of a single common instrument or instrument line.

Minimum relief device capacity for the failed regulator(s) should be the maximum total flow at the differential pressure between the inlet and outlet of the regulator(s), in the case where inlet pressure is the upstream line MAOP or maximum source pressure, whichever is less, and the outlet pressure is the downstream MAOP plus allowed overpressure. Metering System The flow rate of the gas has to be measured at a number of locations for the purpose of monitoring the performance of the pipeline system and more particularly at places where custody transfer takes place. Depending on the purpose for metering, whether for performance monitoring or for sales, the measuring techniques used may vary according to the accuracy demanded.

Potential for future expansion should be considered when sizing the meter skid length. Typically, a custody transfer metering station will comprise one or two runs of pipe with a calibrated metering orifice in each run. Should an ultrasonic meter be required, it should be designed to meet or exceed the requirements established for ultrasonic meters in AGA-9. Typically, the ultrasonic meter will be a multi-path meter and the meter tubes will be equipped with a flow conditioner. The fully assembled meter tubes should be calibrated at line pressure and full-flow conditions prior to use. Normally, the ultrasonic meter tubes will be designed for a minimum 10D upstream length from the flow conditioner to the meter and 5D lengths downstream of the meter. Further, the meter tube should be honed. Pulsation The elimination of pulsation through the use of pulsation control devices is an important step to take. Pulsation has a tendency to introduce meter errors. Computer analogs are used in the design of pulsation-control equipment. There are several methods of determining if levels of pulsation will cause meter errors, but assessment of square-root error remains the best rule of thumb in determining if pulsation-control equipment is needed to improve absolute accuracy. The square-root error is very predictable and is always positive. This error will always indicate a flow that is greater than the actual flow. Instability errors (which are pulsations that change the orifice coefficient) can vary in magnitude and can also be either positive or negative. A system with severe pulsation only needs a slight change in frequency (as little as a few Hz) to result in an error of several percent. Cathodic Protection It is typical to separate the cathodic protection systems of the pipeline and meter station. This is normally done by installing insulation kits at the flange connections at the meter skid. Buried piping within the meter station, either upstream or downstream of the meter skid, should be cathodically protected from the associated pipelines cathodic protection system. Buildings

When conditions or regulations require a building to be utilized, typically a preengineered type building designed in accordance with the International Building Code is used and is mounted on the meter skid to enclose the ultrasonic meter and flow control valve area only. Normally, the building will not be heated or insulated. Buildings are sized to allow use of a meter-sensor removal tool. The EFM and GC buildings are normally two separate buildings mounted on a common skid. As opposed to the meter building, the EFM building should be climate controlled (heated and air conditioned) and sized for the flowcontrol equipment and associated uninterrupted power supply (UPS). The GC building is not required to be climate controlled, but should have a hazardous gas detector with warning strobe light.

Fundamentals of Gas Pipeline Metering Station

Download or Print
Add To Collection

338
READS

1
READCASTS

8
EMBED VIEWS

Published by

sandeepsri9

Follow

Info and Rating

Category: Uncategorized. Rating: Upload Date: 07/12/2011 Copyright: Attribution Non-commercial Tags: This document has no tags.
Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Word Doc (.doc), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Flag document for inapproriate content

Download and print this document

Choose a format to download in

.PDF

.DOC

.TXT

Download

Choose a format to download in

.PDF

.DOC

.TXT

Download

More From This User

18 p.

Independence Movement of India

sandeepsri9 38 Reads

1 p.

hcng
sandeepsri9 49 Reads

1 p.

Test Procedure of Cascade

sandeepsri9 44 Reads

Recommended

3 p.

Fundamentals of Gas Pipeline Metering Stations _ Pipeline & Gas Jou...

azamshafiq 215 Reads

21 p.

List Standards in Flow Metering

bagusindarto 3554 Reads

525 p.

Vol. II Final
mishtinil 2222 Reads Next

Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to leave a comment.
Submit

Characters: 400

About
About Scribd Blog Join our team! Contact Us

Premium
Premium Reader Scribd Store

Advertise with us
Get started AdChoices

Support
Help FAQ Press

Partners
Publishers Developers / API

Legal
Terms Privacy Copyright Copyright 2012 Scribd Inc. Language: English

Individuals Organisations

What we do

Why we do it

Who we are

Take action Insulation Heating and hot water Electricals Generating energy Communities Travel

Home (England)>Electricals>Smart meters

AA

Lighting

Products and appliances

Buying green electricity

Smart meters

The benefits of smart meters

Choose your country:

England|Scotland Northern Ireland|Wales

Smart meters
What are smart meters? Why is the government recommending smart meters? When will I get a smart meter? How will my smart meter be installed? What if I already have a smart meter? More about smart meters Smart meters and accompanying in-home displays will help you keep track of the energy you use in your home, and will cut out the need for meter readings. Smart meters help save energy, and make meter readings automatic. The plan is for everyone in the UK to have a smart meter in their home by the end of 2019...

The display shows a householders gas consumption over the period of a week plus electricity usage using the traffic light system (green, amber, red red indicating the highest electricity consumption)

What are smart meters?

Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters. They collect information about energy use in the home electronically without the need for you or your energy supplier to take meter readings. They measure energy use in the same way as a traditional gas or electricity meter, but also have a communication capability that allows data to be read remotely and displayed on a device inside your home, or transmitted securely externally. Smart meters can also receive information remotely from your energy supplier, such as updates on tariff information. An in-home display (IHD) unit will also be provided along with smart meters as part of the programme. This device will be the most visible part of the smart metering system and provide up-todate real-time information on how much gas and electricity youve used in pounds and pence, as well as units of energy. The display will also present historical information on consumption so that you can compare your current and past use. In the future smart meters will be an important part of smart grids, planned to help manage supply and demand across the electricity system and allow the maximum use of low-carbon technologies.

Why is the government recommending smart meters?

The government recognises that consumers cannot take informed action to reduce their domestic energy consumption (and therefore their bills and their carbon dioxide emissions) unless they have accurate and timely information. The government also recognises the need to improve the efficiency of the energy network. Energy suppliers will be responsible for engaging with their customers to install smart meters in their homes. But the government has stated that as a minimum, every display will need:

current and historical electricity and gas consumption usage in pounds and pence as well as kilowatts and kilowatt hours

ambient feedback that allows consumers to easily distinguish between high and low levels of current consumption account balances.

When will I get a smart meter?

The UK government has decided that every home in England, Wales and Scotland should be offered smart meters by 2019; and in Northern Ireland by 2020. Around 27 million homes (plus smaller nondomestic premises) will be offered the chance to be fitted with smart gas and electricity meters over the next seven years. The government has recently given assurance that it will be voluntary rather than compulsory for households to have a smart meter fitted, so if you have concerns, you will be able to decide whether the installation and the benefits that come with it are right for you. The UK smart meter roll-out is part of an EU programme which will see all member states rolling out intelligent metering systems to at least 80 per cent of domestic electricity consumers. This will follow an assessment of costs and benefits, as well as considering the cost and timetable for installing intelligent gas metering. Energy suppliers are likely to start installing smart meters across the country in 2014, though some have started already. It will take until 2019 for them to provide all their customers with smart meters. Some suppliers may respond to requests for smart meters; others will work through areas one at a time. The UK government's advice is: "If you are interested in getting a smart meter now, you should shop around and contact different energy companies to see what their plans are.

Foundation phase from March 2011

This stage involved suppliers undertaking small-scale installation trials to build and test systems, and to learn what works best for consumers and how to help them get the best from their meters. The UK government is working with industry, consumer groups and others to prepare for the second stage.

Mass rollout from March 2014

Each energy supplier will have its own plans for rolling out smart meters to customers. In accordance with government proposals, all suppliers will be obliged to complete the roll-out in 2019. Under current plans, most customers will receive their new smart meters between 2014 and 2019. Here is our summary of what the big six energy companies have done so far: Supplier National rollout (due 2014) Number of smart meters installed Taking part in trials? Can I get a smart meter fitted now? More information

British Gas

Aims to install 2m by the end of 2012

396,754 (from website 16/3/12)

N/A

No. British Gas is selecting customers from across the country for installation

Details at the British Gas website.

EDF

No

Not known

Says it is taking part in several trials

No

Details at the EDF website.

E.ON

Intends to have installed 1 million smart meters by the go-live date

Has fitted 35,000 already, and fitted another 100,000 in 2011

Yes

Selects customers for trials; if you are interested in taking part register at the E-On website.

Details at the E.ON website.

NPower

No

Not known

Yes, in the Midlands, plans for further trials in Yorkshire and the North East

No see the Npower website.

Details at the NPower website.

Scottish & Southern

No

9,700

Yes

No

Details at the Scottish & Southern website.

Scottish Power

No

Not known

Not known

No

Details at the Scottish Power website.

How will my smart meter be installed?

Once the roll-out begins, your energy company will get in touch to arrange a suitable time and date for your smart meter to be installed. The installation itself will be carried out by a trained installer

from the energy company. A typical smart meter installation takes around 1.5 hours but this will differ from property to property, and depend on where your current meters are located. Your smart meter and in-home display unit will be provided by your energy supplier. There will be no up-front or one-off charge for installation costs will be recouped over time through your bills. As part of the installation, your energy company may offer to carry out an energy-efficiency inspection of your home, but you're not obliged to take up any of its recommendations, or buy any additional products. When your smart meter is installed, it is important that you get advice on how to use it properly, either through your energy provider or an independent organisation, such as the Energy Saving Trust.

What if I already have a smart meter?

The governments technical specification for smart meters is not due to be finalised until the end of 2012. So some smart meters already installed or due to be installed between now and 2012 will not comply (for example, they may not have the capacity to act as export meters). The worst-case scenario is that your energy supplier will have to fit a replacement smart meter in your home (at their cost) before the end of 2019. We suggest that you discuss this with your energy supplier now, if possible before having a smart meter installed.

More about smart meters

Answers to frequently asked questions about smart meters at the DECC website. Read the full National Audit Office Report on Preparations for the roll-out of Smart Meters at the NAO website. Download the Ofgem factsheet Smart metering what it means for Britains homes from Ofgem's website.

The benefits of smart meters

How can a smart meter help you save energy? Are there any risks? Will smart meters affect Feed-in Tariffs (FIT)? We explain how to make the most of your smart meter.

Site map | Accessibility | Privacy and cookies | Terms of use

| Press | Our calculations | Jobs | Contact us Energy Saving Trust 2012