Pigging Emission Capture and Reinsertion in Natural Gas Pipelines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural gas pipelines' maintenance operations like pigging and blowdown result in significant carbon emissions that are traditionally released into the atmosphere, either directly or through flaring.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a process to capture and filter pigging and blowdown emissions, separating gases and liquids from contaminants, and compressing them for reinsertion into the pipeline or storage, thereby reducing atmospheric release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pigging and blowdown operations are performed to maintain pipeline health and facilitate maintenance, then pipeline reliability and safety are improved, but significant carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures emissions that would normally be vented or flared during pigging and blowdown operations, compresses them, and reinjects them into the pipeline. This converts the harmful emissions into a beneficial resource that maintains pipeline pressure and reduces atmospheric release, effectively turning waste into value.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the gas emissions generated during maintenance operations, the system recovers them through compression and reinjection. This prevents loss of valuable natural gas and eliminates the need for flaring or venting, directly addressing the emissions problem while maintaining operational integrity.
2Ease of operation
If natural gas is released during pigging operations to facilitate pig launching, receiving, and liquid removal, then pigging operation effectiveness is improved, but natural gas loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a feedback loop where gas released during pigging operations is captured, compressed, and fed back into the pipeline downstream. This closed-loop approach ensures that gas used to facilitate pigging operations is not lost but rather recycled, maintaining pressure and enabling continuous operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses compression to change the pressure parameter of the captured gas, transforming it from a low-pressure emission into a high-pressure stream suitable for reinjection into the pipeline. This parameter change enables the gas to fulfill its original function of facilitating pigging operations without loss.
3Ease of operation
If blowdown gas is vented or flared to depressurize pipeline sections for maintenance, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but energy loss and emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the energy that would be wasted through flaring or venting into a useful resource by compressing and reinjecting the blowdown gas into the pipeline. This eliminates energy loss and maintains pipeline pressure, turning a waste stream into a beneficial contribution to system operation.
Solution Approach 2:
By capturing and reinjecting blowdown gas, the system maintains continuous gas flow and pressure in the pipeline, even during maintenance operations. This continuity ensures that the pipeline remains operational and pressurized, minimizing disruption and eliminating the need for complete shutdowns.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces emissions by recombining filtered gases and liquids back into the natural gas pipeline, minimizing venting and flaring, and allowing for the recovery of valuable components.
Implementation Method 1
compressing the blowdown gas using the in-line compressor
Implementation Method 2
filtering and/or separating a product of a pigging system
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are processes, apparatuses, and systems in natural gas pipelines to significantly reduce pigging and blowdown emissions. In an example, a process involves filtering and/or separating pigging or blowdown emissions. The filtered and/or separated pigging/blowdown products can then be stored in a storage, sent back into the natural gas pipeline at a downstream location, or sent to an adjacent pipeline.