1. for Commercial and Industrial Applications
Natural Gas System Design
for Commercial and Industrial Applications
March 16th 2006

2. Agenda: Supply – From the Wellhead to the Meter
Properties of Natural Gas
Service
Fuel Piping
Materials
Pipe Sizing
Pressure Regulation
Venting
IFGC Code Updates

3. Supply From the Wellhead to the Meter

4. What Is Natural Gas? Combustible hydrocarbon gasses
Primarily methane (CH4)
Found in underground and undersea reservoirs – sometimes with crude oil wells
Result of long-time bacterial decomposition of plant and animal matter

6. Natural Gas Advantages
North American resource
Abundant worldwide
Wellhead Deregulated
Low impact underground infrastructure

7. Natural Gas Accounts for Roughly One-Fourth
of U.S. Primary Energy Consumption

9. Sources of U.S. Gas Supply
Canada
15%
Liquified Natural Gas 1%
U.S.
84%

10. The Impact of Severe Weather

12. Commodity Price Volatility

13. Natural Gas Drilling Activity Responds to Market Price

14. Major Portions of the Gas Resource Base are Not Accessible
346
TCF 21
TCF 31
TCF
40%
100%
100% 43
TCF
Restricted Percentage
56%
Approximately 29 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of the Rockies gas resources are closed to development and 108 TCF are available with restrictions.

15. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Vapor is refrigerated to – 260 degrees Fahrenheit into a liquid form.
Reduces volume 600 times
Freighted to a LNG port and injected as a vapor back into the supply system.
Existing World LNG infrastructure moves about 6 Tcf/Year (40 Terminals and 128 ships mainly serving Japan, South Korea and Europe)

16. Natural Gas Transportation System Distribution Mains (Lines)
Producing Wells
Natural Gas Transportation System
Transmission Lines
Gathering Lines
Processing Plant
Compressor
Stations
LNG
or Propane/Air Plant
Underground
Storage
City Gate
(Regulators/Meters)
Large Volume
Customer
Regulator/Meter
Residential
Customers
Distribution Mains (Lines)
Commercial
Customer

18. Gas Market Sectors Residential 25% Commercial 15% Industrial 35%
Power Generation 25%

19. Piedmont Natural Gas

20. Properties of Natural Gas
Natural gas is 96% Methane gas - CH4
Also contains small percentages of:
Ethane 2.1%
Propane <1%
Butane <1%
Pentane <1%
Hexane <1%
Heptane <1%

21. Properties of Natural Gas
Flammability range
Requires between 4% - 14.% natural gas in air for combustion.
Less than 4% not enough fuel (Too Lean)
More than 14% too much fuel (Too Rich)
Peak burn is a 10% gas to air ratio

22. Properties of Natural Gas
Ignition Temperature
Above 1100º º
Pilot Lights
Sparks
Cigarettes
Static Electricity

23. Properties of Natural Gas
Lighter than air, always rises
Air has a specific gravity of 1.0
Natural gas has a specific gravity of 0.6
Propane 1.54
Specific gravity is the weight of a substance compared to the weight of some referenced substance.

24. Propane Butane Natural Gas (Methane)
Chemical Formula
C3H8
C4H10
CH4
Specific Gravity (Liquid)
.509
.582 .3
Specific Gravity (Vapor)
1.52
2.01
Weight Per Gallon
4.24 LBS.
4.84 LBS.
LNG 4 +/- LBS.
Boiling Point (Atmospheric)
- 44° F
31° F
-260° F
Ignition Temperature
950° – 1050°
900° °
1100° °
Maximum Flame Temperature
3595° F
3615° F
3400° F
* Flammability Limits (Upper)
9.60 %
8.60 %
15 %
* Flammability Limits (Lower)
2.15 %
1.55 %
4 %
Ideal Combustion Ratio (Air to Gas)
24 to 1
31 to 1
10 to 1
Heat Value Per Cubic Foot (Vapor)
2,516 BTU
3,280 BTU
1,035 BTU
Heat Value Per Pound (Liquid)
21,591 BTU
21,221 BTU
20,833 BTU

25. Properties of Natural Gas
Natural gas is:
Odorless
Colorless
Non-Toxic
Only through the displacement of oxygen can it pose an asphyxia hazard
Non-Poisonous

26. Properties of Natural Gas
Add Mercaptan as an odorant to aid in leak detection.
Requirements:
Non-poisonous
Non-corrosive
Has to be retained by the gas
Has to burn completely
Not absorbed by pipe or containers
No harmful products from combustion
½ lb.per million cubic feet of natural gas

27. Properties of Natural Gas
Environmentally friendly
Blue flame indicates proper & complete combustion
By-products of complete combustion
Carbon Dioxide
Water Vapor
Both are the same substances produced when you exhale.
    

28. Properties of Natural Gas
Incomplete combustion of produces a yellow/orange flame. Carbon Monoxide (CH) is a product of incomplete combustion, which is:
Toxic
Poisonous
Explosive

29. Delivery of Natural Gas Service

30. Service Tap on Gas Main Saddle Fusion Joint

31. Service Tracer Wire

32. Natural Gas Service
Customer Piping starts
at meter outlet

33. Standard Delivery Pressures
7 inches Water Column (0.25Psi)
2 Pounds per Square Inch
5 Pounds per Square Inch
Elevated delivery pressures require equipment requirement documentation and engineering approval. Not allowed to reduce pipe size.

34. Why designing with Natural Gas is good for everyone
Facts
Virtually all electric power plants built in the US in the last 10 years are fueled with Natural Gas
Natural Gas power plants are expected to supply 90% of added electric loads in the US for the next 20 years

35. Delivering Energy to the Site
Electricity
Delivered
To Customer
100%
92%
28%
28%
91 %
Natural Gas
100%
92% 0% 1%
Extraction,
Processing, &
Transportation
Losses In
Ground
Conversion
Losses
Distribution
Losses

36. Natural Gas Power Plant Consumption
Natural Gas Power Plants often can consume as much natural gas on and hourly basis as an entire metropolitan city’s direct connected gas load
Wonder why Gas Prices have been volatile lately?

37. What can we do to conserve our Natural Resource?
Design with Natural Gas !

38. When you Drink the Water Remember the Spring Chinese Proverb