Alternatives to the venting of natural gas: Adsorbed Natural Gas (ANG) gas capture
Rob Judd A , Martin Brown A , Chiew Yen Law A , You Van Lam A and Ray Hicks A BA GL Noble Denton.
B Presenter Only.
The APPEA Journal 53(2) 431-431 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ12042
Published: 2013
Abstract
With growing concerns about environmental emissions, the natural gas industry is taking the lead in developing greater understanding of leakage and venting from natural gas systems. Emissions of natural gas from gas transmission networks originate from a number of sources including infrastructure failure, operational/process venting and fugitive leakage from pipeline equipment.
Process venting and maintenance operations often result in significant emissions to the atmosphere. National Grid Gas Transmission has developed a project with GL Noble Denton to investigate and develop technological options to reduce venting of natural gas.
One technology developed for gas capture from venting operations is ANG. Here, a storage vessel is filled with a suitable adsorbent material. Activated carbon’s large micropore volume and its ability to form densely packed beds make it a suitable adsorbent. When filled to the same pressure, the energy density will be greater than that of the same vessel without the adsorbent. At 35 bar pipeline pressure, ANG can store about half the amount of compressed natural gas at 200 barg.
The operation of gas transmission network compressor sites means they vent gas in an unpredictable manner, responding to overall system demands and network flows. Techno-economic analysis has shown the lowest carbon footprint and best economic viability is by using ANG technology. Captured gas can be reused in a variety of downstream applications.
Other benefits of ANG include safer, lower operating pressures compared with compressed natural gas (CNG), reduced environmental impact, design flexibility and lower capital and operating costs.
Robert Judd gained a BSc and a PhD (chemistry and physics) from London University. He was a research fellow at Cambridge University before joining the research arm of the British Gas industry more than 20 years ago. In the intervening period, he has maintained a strong focus on innovation across a range of energy technology. His interests have ranged from gas processing and storage to end use and fuel cells. In the past decade, the role that gas can play alongside renewable technologies to transform the energy system for a cleaner future has been central to his work. He has managed large multi-centred projects, been responsible for parts of the innovation portfolio at British Gas and its successors, and has led a team to develop new energy and gas technologies, working in both Europe and the Far East. In July 2012, he became secretary general for the European Gas Research Group, which will involve developing collaborative projects for the European gas industry and helping the members prioritise research requirements in an evolving energy landscape. |
Martin Brown gained a BSc and a PhD (chemistry) from the University of York, specialising in chemical kinetics of oxidation processes. He was supported during the PhD with a British Gas CASE studentship and joined British Gas as a research scientist on graduation. He now has more than 25 years’ expertise within the gas industry, focusing on research and technology development primarily on emissions reduction. He has led EU-funded projects on the co-use of biofuels and natural gas and the development of gas reburn technology. Recently, he has been involved in several energy-efficiency projects and the development of hybrid systems to optimise the use of natural gas alongside renewable energy systems. |
Chiew Yen Law graduated with a BEng (chemical engineering) from the University of Birmingham; she started her career with GL Noble Denton. She has more than four years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Her main areas of expertise include ANG technology and using silica gel for gas dehydration and dewpointing. She is now involved in the ANG technology demonstration. She also works on a range of technical commercial projects covering ANG, CNG and LNG, gas adsorption, gas treatment and availability modelling technologies (RAM). |
You Van Lam graduated from the University of Birmingham with an MEng followed by a PhD (chemical engineering). He joined GL Noble Denton in 2010 and has since been involved in numerous natural gas-related projects. His past and recent experience includes gas-fluidised systems, particle characterisation, gas storage, capture and transport, and emerging gas technologies such as fuel cells. Since the end of 2012, he has been involved in the full-scale ANG trial. |
Ray Hicks is a chartered engineer with extensive sales and business development, account management and broad engineering experience with more than 20 years in the oil and gas and utilities industry. He joined British Gas R&D as a graduate engineer initially researching and developing novel burner technologies for the domestic gas market. He then moved into pipeline engineering and technologies to support owners and operators of gas infrastructure manage their assets safely and efficiently. He has a background in managing and delivering technical consultancy and services to owners and operators of transmission and distribution network assets. Has had exposure to all aspects of the gas business, including sales and account management, initiation, development and implementation of business and marketing strategy and plans, technical delivery, technology and innovation management, financial control, and project management and implementation. He is presently the gas consulting development manager for GL Noble Denton in Brisbane. |
