Intro
Swinton Technology installed bespoke flow computer metering systems for Northern Gas Networks across several UK sites in the North of England.
Northern Gas Networks deliver gas to 2.7 million homes and businesses through a vast network of underground pipes and required an upgrade metering solution capable of delivering outstanding performance for their Flow Weighted Average (FWA) computer racks at five site locations.
During the project implementation, the Gas Chromatograph specification from Northern Gas Networks changed which necessitated a system redesign to ensure successful integration.
Overview
Swinton Technology was tasked with designing and delivering a bespoke measurement system featuring a FWA CV metering panel and IS barrier enclosure for an above ground gas installation project.
A new single bay metering panel was supplied at each Northern Gas Networks site to house new state of the art system equipment.
Midway through system development, Swinton Technology were briefed to redesign the system to account for a Gas Chromatograph alteration from a field mount Daniel model 500 (with associated panel mounted controller) to a field mount Emerson Model 370XA (with integrated controller).
Products used
Northern Gas Networks sites at Asslby, Ganstead, Little Burdon and Towton were each supplied with one Flow-X/P4 flow computer, one SIMATIC Microbox PC (installed with GL Dannit software), one Daniel 2350A Chromatograph Controller plus two ST103A Data Acquisition Modules.
An identical system was also provided at the customers’ Saltwick location but with an OMNI 6000 flow computer supplied instead of the Flow-X/P4 to meet the specific requirements of the site.
Swinton Technology supplied Rittal manufactured metering panels complete with a panel-mount monitor, pull out keyboard and mouse, MOXA ethernet switches and MOXA terminal servers. A separate wall-mount enclosure was also supplied for each site for marshalling of field signals which included the installation of Intrinsic Safety Barriers (IS barriers).
At each Northern Gas Networks location, a new Flow-X flow computer was configured as a dual stream meter, run with pay and check Ultrasonic Meters (USM’s). Swinton Technology’s system implementation ensured all field signals were brought into the panel via a connection to the wall mounted IS barrier enclosure.
The flow computer supplied by Swinton Technology to each site was designed with a multi-stream application, capable of continuously cross-checking the meter’s results and verifying performance against the expected velocity of sound.
Station signals required for sample and calibration gas pressure and temperature were incorporated into the new FWA racks. These signals were interfaced with the two ST103A data acquisition modules which in turn provide an interface to the Flow-X and Microbox PC via dedicated Modbus RS485 serial links.
Outcomes
Tasked with re-designing our system to accommodate the integration of new gas chromatograph midway through the installation was a significant challenge overcome during the project.
Effectively liaising with Northern Gas Networks, the gas sample supplier, the site control and instrumentation designers enabled the system redesign to allow for the integration of the new gas chromatograph.
This change of scope resulted in the Microbox PC configuration having to be revised to interface to the 370XA Gas Chromatograph using Modbus TCP via Westermo DDW-120 Industrial Ethernet Extenders.
Alterations were also made to the functional design specification, test documentation, general arrangement mechanical drawings, instrument loop drawings, control panel electrical drawings and G17 work pack in order to swiftly meet all the requirements specified from Northern Gas Networks who have received training support to ensure a seamless system migration.
“All aspects of the FAT have met and exceeded normal industry standards. We were very impressed by the level of attention to detail, knowledge of product as well as the level of service.”
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