India's gas distribution regulator expects a large number of companies including Reliance Industries Ltd. and GAIL India Ltd. to invest 10000 crores of rupees ($21 billion) in the next five years to build pipeline networks connecting cities and industrial hubs. This of course means a lot of jobs.

A natural gas network is called a GAS GRID. It consists of uniting gas suppliers with gas consumers by means of GAS GRID. Constructing and maintaining a grid is a challenge and opportunity for all sections of engineers and technologists. This blog is only to make people understand the unique terms and criteria that guide this sector of industry so that they may try for jobs therein. In India, Gujarat shows the way in energy sufficiency by networking almost the entire state with Natural Gas pipelines. Similar is the case of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and Rajasthan will follow suit since they are forging ahead in gas production. (This blog is meant to make you familiar of the terms and usages in this sector.)

Europe was one of the first to venture into international gas networks. Most of the gas requirement for Europe is supplied by Russia. This way Russia earned a pride of place in Europe as an energy supplier. This is mainly because of large deposits of gas in Russia.

The gas pipelines are usually buried underground except in unpopulated areas where it is over ground. The right of way is acquired from owners of land. Naturally the question arises - What happens if somebody sabotages the pipeline or it breaks due to natural calamities like earthquakes? The defenses are inbuilt into the system. The pipelines are divided into sections by sectionalizing valves which are kept in "valve stations" at definite intervals.

The top portion of the valves will be above ground. If any pipe breaks the upstream and downstream sectionalizing valves close and the leakage of gas will be limited to a certain quantity. Further the SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system will take necessary actions and also alert the operators. The SCADA system essentially consists of computers, telecommunications and onsite instrumentation.

Compressor stations are placed typically when pressure goes below 50 bar whence the compressor raises the pressure of gas to typically 80 to 100 bars. The pipelines should never be over-pressurized. Safety valves are okay only in limited cases where the gas can be disposed off. Otherwise HIPPS (High Integrity Pressure Protection System) is employed to route the gas to other areas or to protect by opening and closing relevant valves.

Gas consumption may increase after construction in which case looping (laying one more line in parallel) of lines can be employed. Software used in the design of dry pipelines is usually Pipeline Studio TGNET or similar software. Dynamic simulation is also done to review the performance at opening and closing valves, venting etc.

Those interested further can consult the very good book "Pipeline Design and Construction" by M. Mohitpour et al. Another book by same author is "Pipeline Operation and Maintenance".

( P.S. IIChE has published a book "Chemical Engineers' Reference Manual". If you need a copy contact the secretary, "suresh kumar p.k" <sureshkumarfact@gmail.com>)

Similar Post :

• My trip to meet CAs Update
• Hyderabad Update - Meeting Hemanth
• Talk at Poornima Institute of Engineering & Technology - Jaipur
• The Punjab Update - From Fatehgarh Sahib!
• EASTERN KNIGHTS..... AN AWESOME MEETING OF CAMPUSS AMBASSADORS AT KOLKATA CITY CENTER ON 24TH OCT

Comments (2) | Views (2488)