Linc Energy Blog

Property managers have been challenged over time to recover utility costs from their tenants. Unless the building or facility has a way of measuring each tenant’s natural gas consumption there is no incentive for tenants to conserve energy. Typically, property owners respond by increasing rents but natural gas submetering is offering a reasonable alternative.

Tags: submetering, recover utility costs, energy conservation

A new addition to the Linc Energy Systems product line is the PMD Pressure Monitoring Device which is portable and designed to beef up utility workers’ safety measures in the field.

Tags: utility crew safety, pressure monitor

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