Linc Energy Blog

While the majority of thermal mass flow meter manufacturers recommend their meters be returned to the factory every year for calibration, there is one manufacturer that offers the ability to calibrate the meter onsite, or in-situ calibration.

 

Tags: natural gas measurement, meter repair, Sage Metering, in-situ calibration, thermal mass flow meter

Submetering is a metering system implemented in buildings or communities where there are multiple tenants, so the property owner or management company can bill the individual tenants for their utility usage. While submetering was originally invented in the 1920s, it didn’t become popular until the late 80s, because of increasing utility costs and environmental conservation.

Tags: submetering, diaphragm meters, positive displacement meters, natural gas measurement

In “What are carbon credits?” I explained how carbon credits (CERs) are awarded to those parties which reduce their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) below a specified quota. Those tradable credits earned can be sold to companies, countries or organizations that cannot reduce their own emissions, thus making a new income source for landfill and livestock operations. In this post I discuss agricultural and landfill methane emission offsets.

In North America, the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) offers creative mechanisms to promote the reduction of Greenhouse Gases which are linked to global warming. The group offers an emission registry, reduction and trading system and has been trading GHG allowances since 2003 which is before the Kyoto Protocol was empowered. The company was acquired by IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) in 2010 and offers a number of protocols encouraging the reduction of Greenhouse Gas including Agricultural & Landfill Methane Collection and Combustion protocols.

Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas which is emitted naturally through decaying material, such as manure and other landfill waste. According to the EPA methane is “over 20 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2).” For this reason collecting methane and igniting it has become an acceptable and desirable method to reduce emissions. Agricultural and Landfill methane offsets are offered to landfills and livestock operations which include approved gas collection, control systems and comply with monitoring requirements, where thermal mass flow meters are found to provide the precision needed as outlined in the CCX Offset Protocols:

Sage Prime Industrial & Environmental Thermal Mass Flow Meter

• Agricultural Methane Collection and Combustion
• Landfill Methane Collection and Combustion

Landfill Gas (LFG)

Alternatively, according to the EPA there are 400 projects in the United States where landfill gas (LFG) which has a high concentration of methane is captured. These projects destroy the methane and generate renewable energy, which can either be used to energize the site or sell to a local electric grid. As the collection and combustion programs, strict monitoring and measurement is required and thermal mass flow meters meet and exceed the requirements set by the EPA.

More information can be found on Landfill Methane Outreach Program.

Both the CCX Agricultural & Landfill Methane Collection and Combustion Protocols and the Landfill Gas to Energy projects offer an opportunity to agricultural and livestock operations to reduce greenhouse gas, create renewable energy and earn tradable methane emission offsets through agencies like the CCX in North America.

More information can be found on http://www.chicagoclimatex.com/index.jsf.

 

Tags: landfill methane, agricultural methane, methane emission offsets, thermal mass flow meter, natural gas measurement, carbon credits, CERs, greehouse gas

What are carbon credits? Recently a customer inquired about purchasing a thermal mass flow meter. When I asked him what his application was, he said he needed to measure his CERs or carbon credits. It was then I decided carbon credits or CERs would make a good blog topic.

In 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto Japan as protocols to the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). This treaty is aimed at fighting global warming. While it was adopted in 1997 it wasn’t empowered until 2005 and as of May 2011, 194 parties have signed the treaty. When ratifying this agreement, UNFCC members agree to cap emissions according to the Kyoto Protocol, however the treaty is legally non-binding.

As part of the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries have made the commitment to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), specifically carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and sulfur hexafluoride) as well as the gases produced by them.

This treaty employs creative mechanisms which encourages the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, a factor in global warming. One of the flexible mechanisms within the Kyoto Protocol is the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It is this protocol which allows industrialized countries to invest in emission reductions where it is least expensive globally. It also provides the means to sell or trade the CERs (Certified Emission Reductions).

When ratifying the Kyoto Protocol a demand for CERs is produced. CERs are also more commonly known as carbon credits. A carbon credit is essentially a license for the holder of a credit to produce one ton of carbon dioxide. Credits are only awarded to those parties or organizations that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) below a specific quota. Those parties which lower emissions can sell their credits to gas emission emitters which could be countries, large commercial entities or power generators.

An appealing opportunity for businesses (like my customer) is to convert their landfill gas or livestock waste to an alternative energy. By doing so, they’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions and if measured correctly, they could receive tradable greenhouse emission credits. The key of course is to measure it correctly which is why my customer, a manure manufacturer was inquiring about our thermal mass meters which measure and monitor greenhouse reduction projects to verify tradable credits. 
 

Malene Thyssen, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Malene

 

Tags: greehouse gas, CERs, carbon credits, biomass, renewable energy, alternative energy, natural gas measurement, thermal mass flow meter

Having sold gas measurement equipment for decades, I’m often asked, “What is a turndown ratio?" While turndown (turn down) ratio is usually noted in a flow meters specifications, it’s rarely explained in layperson’s language what it actually is.

Turndown ratio is also commonly referred to as rangeability. It indicates the range of flow a meter can accurately measure the natural gas (or whatever is being monitored). In other words, it’s simply the high end of a measurement range compared to the low end, expressed in a ratio and is calculated using a simple formula.

Turndown Ratio = maximum flow / minimum flow

To put this in perspective, if a gas flow is expected to run between 350,000 cubic feet/ day and 3,500,000 cubic feet/day the application would have a turndown ratio of 10:1. Turndown is one of the key parameters used to select the proper flow meter technology for a specific application. Other factors which help select the right flowmeter are: the product being measured, its flow, the price of the equipment, maintenance cost and accuracy.

The chart below includes turndown of various flow technologies.
 

The Sage Metering thermal gas mass meter has a wide turndown of 100:1 (with 1000:1 possible upon request) which is extremely desirable for natural gas applications because of the large swings in demand throughout the course of a day as well as seasonal fluctuations.

What is turndown ratio? One of the first parameters to consider when ascertaining which flow technology to use for your natural gas application.  For more information read "What is a thermal mass flow meter?"

* Please note that these figures are a guideline and referenced on https://controls.engin.umich.edu/wiki/index.php/FlowSensors#Thermal_Flow_meters. They may be different from manufacturer to manufacturer.
 

Tags: natural gas industry, back to basics, thermal mass flow meter, natural gas measurement

There are various styles of flowmeters for natural gas measurement which can be categorized by their operating technologies, such as: vortex shedding, Coriolis technology, differential pressure, positive displacement, turbine, ultrasonic or thermal. While there are pros and cons of using each of these types of flow meters, this entry explains “What is a thermal mass flowmeter?”

A thermal mass flow meter measures gas flow based upon the principal of heat transfer. Essentially heat is introduced into the gas flow stream and then the rate of how the heat dissipates is measured. For this to work, the meter needs a probe or “flow body” containing two sensors (resistance temperature detectors) which will be in contact with natural gas within the pipe.

One of the sensors is heated and serves as a self-heated flow sensor while the other is a reference sensor and measures the gas temperature. As gas flows by the heated sensor (flow sensor), the flowing gas molecules carry heat away from the sensor, so the flow sensor cools and energy is lost. The temperature difference between the flow sensor and the reference sensor has changed and within a second the circuit heats the flow sensor to replace the energy that has been lost. The mass flow is calculated based upon the energy (electricity) required to restore and maintain a constant overheat temperature. 
 

Diagram courtesy of Sage Metering - gas mass flow meters

Among the advantages of thermal mass flow meters is there are no moving parts or orifices which eliminates replacing bearings and prevents undetected shifts in accuracy. They also don’t require temperature or pressure corrections and provide good overall accuracy and repeatability over a wide range of flow rates. This style of meter calculates mass flow rather than volume and is one of the few categories of meters that can measure flow in large pipes.

The thermal mass flow meter is cost effective and accurate making it an excellent choice for most natural gas mass flow applications.
 

Tags: natural gas, natural gas measurement, natural gas industry, thermal mass flow meter, flowmeter

As a stocking distributor of natural gas regulators, I’m often approached by customers seeking alternatives to a specific competitor's natural gas regulators. While there are other manufacturers, there seem to be five which are noteworthy to cross reference.

• Itron (formerly Actaris, Schlumberger and Sprague)
• Fisher (Emerson Process Management)
• Sensus (formerly Invensus, Equimeter and Rockwell)
• Elster American Meter
• Maxitrol
   

For your convenience, here is a competitive comparison chart or a selection guide to help cross reference the major regulator manufacturers.  Remember this is only a reference and feel free to call me if you have questions. 303 - 697 -6701.
 

To learn more about regulators, consider reviewing:

• How to select the correct gas pressure regulator?
• Why are regulators used in natural gas distribution?

 

 

Tags: regulators, back to basics

Continuing my "Back to Basic" series, I thought I'd address sizing natural gas regulators.

As a stocking distributor of natural gas regulators, I’m often asked by my customers which regulator to use for a particular application. I usually ask a few questions and am able to quickly direct the customer to a product. Occasionally a DIY-type (do-it-yourself) will ask, “What’s the secret to selecting the correct product?”

There’s no secret, and I’m happy to share the information which is why I’m posting it here. There are five areas which help me ascertain which regulator to recommend:

• What type of gas are you regulating? While the majority of my customers are inquiring about natural gas, or methane, I can assist in the regulation of other fuel gases.
• What is the inlet pressure? If you don’t have a pressure gauge, you can always call your gas distributor, or inquire about some of the fine gauges (gages) we have available.
• What is the desired outlet pressure?
• What is the flow? 
• What is the desired pipe size?

If you have the answers to these questions, you have the information needed to select the correct regulator. Without a background and knowledge of regulator capabilities however, you may find yourself studying endless sizing charts and graphs. This download will give you an idea what a sizing chart looks like.

While there are some sizing programs available, they’re not foolproof and until they are, I personally still size my customer’s regulators the old-fashioned way.

Before you get the magnifying glass out to pore through those charts, remember I am happy to assist my customers by sizing regulators for their applications.

 

photo: Itron
 

Tags: regulators, back to basics

In this back to basics entry, I discuss why natural gas pressure regulators are used in a delivery system.

After natural gas makes its way out of the well, into gathering and transmission systems, and gate stations, it ultimately enters distribution lines (or “mains”).

B31 residential regulator

While gas is in the distribution system, regulators control the flow from higher pressure to lower pressure. Regulators sense if the pressure in a line drops below a specified set point and opens, allowing more gas to flow. On the other hand, if pressure rises above a set point the regulator will close so that the downstream pressure adjusts.

When natural gas leaves the main, it travels through a “service line” to reach homes or businesses. This service line is likely to be polyethylene, perhaps an inch or less in diameter and ranges from about 60 PSI to ¼ PSI. Once the gas reaches the home or business meter it passes through another regulator to reduced the pressure under ¼ PSI and is measured in water column.

Throughout the gas delivery system, from the well to the stove burner, regulators are used to adjust the pressure to ensure safety.
 

Tags: back to basics, natural gas, regulators, transmission, gathering

Could natural gas be the link to a renewable energy future? Could it be the energy to bridge the gap between fossil fuels and alternative energy?

In my recent blog, Natural Gas: From eternal flames, lamp lights to heating homes, I highlighted some of the milestones from the Natural Gas Industry. Let’s not let recent incidents, like the Marcellus Shale accident deflate our sails. Now is not the time to acquiesce. Sure, we need to do things safer and better, but we need to keep moving forward.

There is no argument we should move toward a future of total renewable energy. No one disputes that fossil fuels harm the environment. But we’re not even close to being able to satisfy our country’s energy needs with just alternative energies. So where does that leave us? If natural gas isn’t the energy of choice, we’re left with coal, which could be an environmental disaster, or we’re left to importing oil from foreign countries – need I say more?

I say, let’s choose natural gas, the cleaner fossil fuel to link to alternative fuels. Let’s learn from our mistakes, make our processes safer, create a few jobs while we’re at it and make this clean energy lead the charge to a total renewable future.

Enjoy this video from the American Natural Gas Alliance.
 

 

Tags: natural gas, energy, alternative energy, renewable energy, Marcellus Shale, clean energy, wind power, currents, green, carbon neutral, wind turbine, environment, planet, renewables, gasland

Let’s face it, the exploration and extraction of fossil fuels have been receiving its fair share of bad press lately. While some situations may warrant it, sometimes it’s difficult for people to remember the good things that have emerged from fossil fuels. For this reason, I thought it was a good time to remind us of the industry’s past and its accomplishments.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin

As early as 1821 we have been drilling for natural gas. In Fredonia, New York, William Hart dug a 27’ deep well. He excavated by hand using shovels to intentionally obtain natural gas. To create a pipeline, he hollowed out logs and sealed them using tar and rags, then transported the gas to light lamps at stores, shops and a mill.

During the 19th century natural gas was used primarily as fuel lamps, but because of the absence of pipelines the fuel was mostly limited to city streets. In the latter half of the century, most cities began replacing their street lamps with electricity and natural gas producers started seeking new ways to market the fuel.

It was Robert Bunsen who brought to light (pun intended) a new application for natural gas. When Bunsen mixed air with natural gas he created the “Bunsen burner,” and a new way to warm structures and cook foods was revealed.

Of course, pipelines were needed to bring the fuel to new markets and the first major line (120 miles) was built in 1891, but it was cost prohibitive and few were built following that, until after WWII. Improvements in welding and pipeline construction were discovered during the war effort, and these breakthroughs became instrumental in making pipelines affordable. So, in the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of miles of pipelines were built.

After WWII, natural gas became the preferred energy source and was incorporated in the housing boom construction at that time. Today, over half the U.S. homes are heated by natural gas. Additionally, natural gas is used to make electricity, is a feedstock in the manufacture of chemicals, fertilizers and plastics, and propels trucks, buses and cars.

In the 1970s natural gas supplies seemed to be dwindling and we entered the energy crisis. We were encouraged by oil embargoes to use other efficient measures to conserve energy, like insulating our homes.

Traditionally, natural gas comes from “permeable sand deposits.” To simplify, getting natural gas from a conventional source would be like drilling a hole, then allowing the gas to escape. In the 1980s, when our easy sources for natural gas started disappearing, drillers set out to recover gas from those unconventional or more challenging deposits which contain tight-gas sands. Using processes we had been using for years to stimulating oil and gas wells, methods like hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling were adapted to explore these alternative sources.

It has taken years to learn how to extract gas from varying mediums like shale, coal, or tight gas sands. Obviously, we’re still learning, and will continue to do so. As these technologies are scrutinized are because of the recent Marcellus Shale incident, let’s remember where we’ve come from. In one century we’ve gone from lamp lights to heating more than half the U.S. homes. We’ve gone from building a 120 mile pipeline to having a network of pipelines that are hundreds of thousands of miles.

Apparently even the ancient gods of Mesopotamia had issues extracting natural gas. It is speculated that the ancient eternal fires were caused when natural gas escaped from the earth and was ignited by lightening. While we still have more to learn about extracting natural gas, taking safety precautions certainly should be our top priority, but you have to admit, we’ve come a long way from the eternal fires and lamp lights, wouldn’t you say?
 

Tags: Robert Bunsen, pipelines, gas extraction, William Hart, horizontal drilling, fracing, hydraulic fracking, fracturing, drilling, Marcellus Shale, alternative energy, fossil fuel, energy, natural gas

With the depletion of our fossil fuels, we are being forced to find new ways to extract natural gas and hydraulic fracking is a technology which has enabled us to extract gas from hard-to-tap shale in many areas of the U.S. including Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Texas and Louisiana.

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.
-Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Hydraulic fracking (a/k/a fracing or fracturing) has been used by the oil & gas industry for more than 60 years. While it has been more commonly used to stimulate the production of older producing wells, the technology has evolved and now allows the extraction of natural gas from shale or sand. This new drilling technology makes extracting gas commercially viable in areas we once thought were impossible. This is one of the reasons natural gas was recently touted the “fuel of the future.” It burns 70% cleaner than coal and its costs have come down. Natural gas could be the fuel to bridge us to new renewable energies, but with the recent blowout at the Marcellus Shale formation, drilling has been put on hold and hydraulic fracking is subject to increasing scrutiny.

During hydraulic fracking a fracturing fluid is injected at high pressure into sand or shale in some cases as deep as 10,000 to 13,000 feet below ground. The intent of fracking is to loosen natural gas which has become trapped in tiny bubbles. A deep well is dug and the fracturing fluid is pumped down under high pressure to fracture the shale and let the gas flow back up to the surface. The fracturing fluid contains a proppant, suspended particles to hold the fractures open.

One of the environmental concerns of fracturing is the leak off from the fracturing fluid. Some fluid is loss in permeable rock and can make its way to a water source. Additionally, air and land contamination were among the concerns that arose during the well blowout at the Marcellus Shale on June 3, 2010. During this incident, 35K gallons of fracturing fluid were sprayed in the air and over the landscape.

The concern of course is the actual compounds used in fracturing fluids are somewhat secretive which makes it difficult to assess environmental concerns. The composition of fracturing fluids varies depending on the basin and needs, but can include toxic substances and carcinogens like: benzene, formaldehyde, kerosene, toluene and xylene. (1)

Recently the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission voted to require full disclosure of the hydraulic fracturing fluids used in natural gas exploration. (2) On the federal level, congress is being urged to repeal an exemption in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which would force the drilling companies to fully disclose the chemicals used in their hydraulic fracking.

There is no doubt that we need natural gas as a resource. The answer isn’t to abandon the premise of extracting natural gas from difficult places. But, if we are to continue down this road, don’t you think we owe it to ourselves and our children to do it safely?
 

(1) http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/ogdsgeischap5.pdf

(2) http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_069139a4-5b9b-51c3-a599-a38f788e8ff4.html

Tags: drilling, Marcellus Shale, alternatives, fracing, fracturing, hydraulic fracking, natural gas, energy, nonrenewable energy, shale extraction

You don’t have to be a tree hugger to recognize that we need to do things differently. It has become clear that we must look to the future and diversify how we fill our energy needs.

"Not only will atomic power be released, but someday we will harness the rise and fall of the tides and imprison the rays of the sun."  --Thomas Alva Edison

 

Energy is considered renewable when its source can be replenished in a short period of time. Biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind and solar are examples of renewable energy, and in 1998 they represented 7.4% of US energy. About 93% of the energy used in the United States is from nonrenewable sources, like petroleum, natural gas, coal or uranium. We’ve named these sources as nonrenewable because their resources are limited. Fossils fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal are formed over millions of years, through chemical reaction from the remains of plants and animals. While we may think these resources are endless, they aren’t and it takes millions of years to produce them.

The simple economic model of supply and demand tells us that as the supply of fossil fuel diminishes, the price of this fuel increases. Without proper diversification into alternative fuels we could set ourselves up for a future energy crisis.

Additionally, it’s no secret that the use of fossil fuels hurt the environment and is linked to the thinning of our ozone layer and global warming. Without exploring alternatives we are promoting climate changes which could lead to unsounded consequences.

It’s clear that as our fossil fuels become depleted, we strive harder to retrieve them which open ourselves to severe, almost unfathomable outcomes:

• We drill the ocean floors and subject ourselves to environmental, ecological and economic devastation.
• We create new technologies to retrieve natural gas from shale and risk polluting our water.
• We build massive natural gas pipelines which rupture and cost lives.

Diversification is no longer a choice - it’s a requirement. While we cannot stop using fossil fuels, we can move forward more cautiously in fossil fuel extraction and expand our sights to alternative and renewable energy.

Let’s become better stewards of the planet.
 

Tags: gulf spill, shale extraction, coal or uranium, petroleum, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, biomass, renewable energy, nonrenewable energy, alternative energy, fossil fuel, energy, natural gas

I’m thrilled to be writing about something that matters to me - our future. I’m Susan Bender, President and CEO of Linc Energy Systems, which is based outside of Denver, Colorado. I’ve been involved in the natural gas industry for 30 years, and I’ve seen many changes over that time.

"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
--Benjamin Franklin

As my commencing blog, I wanted to share a bit about myself and company, Linc Energy Systems. As a manufacturers’ representative and stocking distributor, I’ve represented the finest companies over the years which offer instrumentation, equipment and products, to natural gas transporters and natural gas distributors. I’m also a utility field contractor, and specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of gas flow metering equipment.

At the end of last year, I realized I needed to diversify my business. While part of this was driven by the economy, a larger part was influenced by my corporate vision. Simply put, my vision is to make this world a better place for our children. While the foundation of my business is anchored in selling products to conventional (nonrenewable) energy industries, I realized I needed to look at things differently. The answer was not to remain so rigid in my offerings and to acknowledge that there needs to be some balance in the manner we are energizing our lives.

This year, Linc Energy is shifting.  We've expanded into alternative energy to complement our offerings. Don’t get me wrong, my interest in natural gas hasn’t waned, but I believe we need to explore alternatives as we move forward. The tragic oil spill in the gulf and the recent Marcellus Shale accident confirms that we can’t rely wholly on conventional energy and need to consider doing things differently and diversify.

The intent of this blog is to write about matters in the energy industry, and since much of my experience has been in natural gas – many of my topics will relate to this fossil fuel. But I will, from time-to-time, offer thoughts on alternatives. Blogs aren’t one-sided communication vehicles; they offer a place for readers to convey their thoughts and feelings, so as I make blog entries I encourage you to also post your thoughts.

I hope you enjoy this blog.
 

Tags: natural gas, energy, fossil fuel, alternative energy, nonrenewable energy, renewable energy