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| Reference Number | NIA_CAD0097 | |
| Title | Dispersion of Helium Releases in Domestic Properties | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Demographics) 20%; Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal (Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 80%; |
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| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given Cadent Gas |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 September 2023 | |
| End Date | 31 July 2024 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £665,166 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | London | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Cadent Gas (99.996%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , Cadent Eastern (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent North London (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent North West (0.001%) Project Contact , Cadent West Midlands (0.001%) |
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| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (0.000%) Project Contact , SGN (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_CAD0097 |
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| Objectives | This project is a technical research and development project designed to gather real data on the dispersion patterns of a buoyant gas within a variety of domestic properties. The data is required to further develop the gas industry"s current, and largely theoretical, understanding of the effects of building ventilation on gas dispersion in domestic properties after an unexpected escape.The methods that will be used to provide a solution to the problems outlined above can be grouped into 4 key areas:i) Development of the test programme: This will include definition of the size/location of leaks to be undertaken in each property and a robust safety procedure to protect householders and those carrying out the tests from the potential asphyxiant effects of helium.ii) Execution of the test programme: A range of helium releases will be executed in 12 real properties. This will include installation, testing, and decommissioning of all the necessary equipment within each home, as well as measurement of environmental conditions such as temperature and wind speed. Helium measurement equipment will be installed in up to 5 rooms in each property to understand the movement of helium throughout the whole building.iii) Analysis of the test data: Comparisons between a range of parameters, for example, the rate of increase in helium concentration in different spaces, for each helium release will be made to better inform the existing mathematical models and industry position on hydrogen detectors/any additional ventilation requirements within a property running on hydrogen.iv) Reporting and dissemination: All of the above will be captured and reported to the HSE and other key stakeholders at various points throughout the delivery phase of the project.Project delivery will be supported by hiring professional organisations to support Cadent and the other GDNs on the project. Much of the work will involve physical testing in real domestic properties, so it is important that any organisation involved has experience in executing technical test programmes involving the release and measurement of buoyant gas in buildings. Measurement Quality StatementThe project will utilise top of the range helium sensing equipment to measure the various gas releases in the different properties. This equipment will be tested and validated in laboratory conditions before any helium is released into any of the properties. The sensors will also be calibrated in situ once installed in each property to enable the highest possible measurement quality.Data Quality StatementThe project will ensure that all necessary data is of sufficient quality and readily available to meet the objectives of the project. Duplicate sensors will be installed throughout the properties, environmental conditions will be monitored, and real-time logging of the data will ensure any errors in sensing and logging equipment can be quickly corrected.Risk Assessment ScoringThe project does not involve the development of a specific product and so there is no TRL change associated with the project. The external project cost is <£500k and is being delivered by a single external supplier. In terms of the data, general assumptions are already known, however, the selection of the properties for testing and the subsequent test plan will be defined within the project and so a slightly higher risk score is attributed to this area.The assessed risk score is 5 (Low) which allows the project to be governed by an internalassurance approach as set out in NIA Governance and ENIP. This project is undertaken in 7 discrete work packages, with an optional eighth work package, which are:WP1 Development of the detailed experimental procedureThe experimental procedure will involve releases of helium at different locations in each house. These aim to be as representative as possible in terms of potential leak locations. The locations suggested are:1. Under the stairs (a common place for siting gas meters).2. In the lounge (gas fires are often installed and previous work has shown that lounges are commonly more airtight that other rooms).3. In the kitchen (a common place for gas boilers and cookers to be sited).Helium will be released at different rates:- 1.6 m3/h (equivalent to the "adverse" leak rate from IGEM/SR/25).- 6 m3/h (equivalent to the suggested set point for an Excess Flow Valve (EFV) on a spur within a property).- 20 m3/h (the maximum possible leak rate into the property as the meter EFV will stop any gas flow greater than this rate).Measurements of helium concentration will be made in the room where the gas is released and in several adjacent rooms (up to 5 rooms). The measurements will be carried out at three different heights in the rooms (300 mm from the floor, mid-height, and ceiling height). Helium sensors will be installed at 5 heights in the room of release so that more granular data can be collected, and assessment can be made of the gas interface height.The measurements will be made using passive sensors which will respond quickly to the changes in helium concentration. This method is preferred as it does not require samples to be extracted from the rooms and is therefore less intrusive than methods used in previous work. To reduce the uncertainty in the measurements, duplicate sensors will be installed at each sampling point. The results of the two measurements will be compared and the uncertainty in the measurements will be estimated. Careful consideration will be given to sourcing these sensors from competitive manufacturers.The impact of the internal doors being open or closed will also be investigated with the aim to reach equilibrium concentrations of gas in air throughout the house. However, this may not be possible, particularly at the low release rates and this may be adjusted to reaching equilibrium only in the room of release. The decision regarding this will become apparent during the initial testing and the test programme will be limited to two days per house.A detailed test matrix will be drawn up in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, so that data collection can be maximised with minimum disruption to the householder. The disruption will also be reduced by deploying a large team of engineers and technicians to carry out the experiments.The detailed test procedure will be informed by some initial householder engagement to assess what will be acceptable in a house. A detailed health and safety plan will be drawn up in conjunction with the test procedure. The health and safety plan will be based on a Risk Assessment (RA) with mitigations identified to reduce risks and consequences. A Method Statement (MS) will then be written which will detail the procedures to be followed during preparation, experimental measurement, and decommissioning.An important part of the project development and planning phase will be the specification and procurement of the equipment. This will include the selection of appropriate helium sensors and the development of a custom data logging and processing system.Before the system is deployed to the test houses the gas delivery and data collection equipment will be trialled in a controlled environment in a laboratory.WP2 Selection of houses for studyTwelve houses from the initial twenty-four that have been air permeability tested under a previous research project will be selected for further study. The aim will be to have a spread of property ages, sizes, and air permeabilities.The householders will be offered a financial incentive to take part, as the work will be quite disruptive to their usual routine. For example, as large quantities of helium will be released into the properties, people (and pets) will not be allowed in the property during the experimental programme. This will be part of the extensive safety plan for the work developed in WP1.WP3 Carry out experimental releasesThe experimental releases will be carried out following the procedures developed in WP1. It is important that the RAMS procedures are followed completely for installation, testing, and decommissioning. This will ensure consistency of data collection and safety in the operation of the test programme.Environmental conditions such as temperature and wind speed will also be collected from the properties.WP4 Data evaluationThe data collected will be analysed and collated into consistent data files. For each helium release, comparisons will be made using parameters such as:· Rate of increase in helium concentration· Equilibrium helium concentration· Dispersion from room to room· Effect of internal doors being open/closed· Impact of different ventilation ratesWP5 Validating mathematical modelsDifferent mathematical models have been developed which can be used to predict the dispersion of gases within a building. The theory and equations that define the models are complex and are reported on within existing projects.The results from the helium releases will be used to validate the models. Each house will be modelled, and the predicted helium dispersion will be compared to the measured dispersion. If necessary, model parameters may be adjusted to give a better fit to the data.WP6 Reporting and disseminationThe results of the work will be of relevance to a range of stakeholders. As the results of the work will be used to guide policy and technical decisions, it is important that the stakeholders have sufficient time to consider the results and conclusions to enable a robust comment process. Therefore, a relatively long period of time will be allowed for the reporting and dissemination phase.WP7 Project ManagementA detailed project plan will be developed showing dependencies of tasks, the critical path, and project milestones. The plan will include the resources needed to deliver the project (manpower, expenses, purchases etc.).Progress will be measured against the project plan in terms of timings and costs. Regular progress meetings will be held (every 2 weeks) and short progress reports will be prepared for each meeting.A Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be established. The TAC will meet at regular intervals (every 6 weeks). The purpose of the TAC will be to:1) Discuss technical aspects of the work.2) Assess experimental results.3) Guide any changes to the experimental work programme.(Optional) WP8 Air tightness testing of 9 properties at NGN"s Futures CloseIt is suggested that a useful extension to the project would be to undertake similar air tightness testing in the nine properties recently built by NGN at Futures Close in Low Thornley. These properties are designed to represent different eras of typical UK housing stock and so extending the work programme to include this testing will enable a better understanding of how the properties compare to the building regulations of their time, whilst also equipping them with baseline air permeability data which can be used to support any further helium, or hydrogen, release testing on the back of this project. The objectives of the work are as follows:- Measure the dispersion of a lighter than air gas following a range of release rates in domestic properties.- Understand qualitatively and semi-quantitatively how a very light gas moves in complex occupied properties.- Enable this semi-quantitative understanding to identify the precise location and number of hydrogen alarms that are required within any property to ensure that flammable concentrations do not occur before the alarm can reasonably be heard anywhere in the property.- Use these measurements to validate a mathematical model which predicts equilibrium concentrations of the released gas in the room of release and in other rooms in simpler property.- Use the model to predict the concentrations of flammable gas in air to improve the accuracy of ignition consequences modelling from different leaks into properties with different air permeabilities.- Examine the effects of ventilation on the equilibrium concentrations and the differences between hydrogen and natural gas leaks.- Draw qualitative and semi-quantitative conclusions on the implications of this for the village trials of hydrogen conversion and for the wider roll-out of hydrogen for domestic heating and cooking.Provide further data/inputs into ongoing QRA work. | |
| Abstract | The project involves the release, and real time measurement, of helium in twelve real, lived-in domestic properties that will be selected to be closely representative of UK housing stock. The experimental data gathered will help the gas industry better understand the movement of a buoyant gas within a variety of domestic scenarios, as well as validating existing mathematical models and industry recommendations being made by current research. The recommendations that the project aims to validate focus on the safe location of meters and appliances under hydrogen operation, and how different safety measures can be most effectively utilised to support these positions in early hydrogen demonstrations. | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 02/10/24 | |
