Natural Gas Installations and Networks in Buildings

Alexander V. Dimitrov

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780367536725
• eBook ISBN: 9781000263817
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Energy
• Index: Biological Sciences

This book covers theoretical foundations of the Natural Gas (NG) installations and networks as a part of building logistic system, illustrated with digital examples. It describes the NG oxidation phenomena and appropriate energy converting devices used in the building's energy centres and basic sizing principals of the related pipe networks. Further, it covers usage of NG devices including system for thermal comfort control, building ventilation, indoor air quality, visual comfort, food preparation and conservation, and hygiene maintenance system. A special attention is given to applications of the NG technological equipment, using gas-driven heat pumps, micro heat and power systems. Aimed at professionals and graduate students in the areas of HVAC, Plumbing, Architecture, Electricians, this book:

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• Presents complex, innovative and systematical approach to NG installations in buildings.

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• Reviews efficient and environmentally sustainable dementalization approach to building energy supply, using NGmHps v/s central energy supply systems.

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• Explains pre-designating calculations of the gas piping networks.

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• Illustrates structures, principals of operation and building project implementations of the modern GN energy converters and transformers as fuel cells (SOFC, MOFC, PEFC) and NG driven heat pumps.

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• Discusses calculation methods derived from professional case studies.

1

Introduction

The growing interest of the engineering community to fuel gas applications necessitated a second revised edition of the present book with additions. More specifically, the interest nowadays focuses on fuel gas usage in in-building systems for air conditioning and micro heat and power generators, the latter being intensively applied in countries with increasingly advancing power technologies such as Japan, Korea and Germany – see the additions in Section 2.7, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.5.

1.1 GAS PIPE NETWORKS AND SYSTEMS AS ELEMENTS OF THE BUILDING LOGISTICS

Architecture-construction science reflects the public trend toward the exploitation of cheap, accessible and user-friendly sources of fossil and renewable energy carriers (fuel gas in particular) such as natural gas (NG), gas fractions of oil cracking, methane, shale gas and synthetic gas.

Change in the character of building design started back in the 1970s. It involved not only design philosophy and aesthetics but also the “methodology” of the development of architectural projects. As a result, a building is treated now not only as an occupied volume and depository but also as a complex system. Besides physiology (i.e. the need for air, water, food), an appropriate atmosphere of occupants' safety, devotion and communication should also be guaranteed, and occupants should be able to satisfy their abstract needs for truth and beauty [10].

An integral building project, using this new systematical approach [9], treats the following principle components:

• Technological – fulfillment of the building principal mission;
• Envelope – with aesthetic functions; protects against environmental impacts;
• Structural – guaranteeing building strength and stability;
• Energy – transforming and distributing energy to the end users;
• Building comfort – thermal, air and visual comfort;
• Food preparation and preservation;
• Protection – against intrusion, fire, gas or bio attacks etc.;
• Building monitoring and control (BMC) – process and data regulation and control;
• Logistic – for transport of water, materials and waste and power supply.

Following this systematical description, it is assumed that a logistic system consists of the following subsystems:

• Power supply;
• Gas supply;
• Water supply;
• Sanitary drain – removal of liquid waste;
• Removal of waste;
• Elevators, lifts and pneumatic transport.

These components form a so-called in-building logistic infrastructure, known as “engineering installations”. At the same time, the first two components assist the energy system and serve as its logistic basis of the other building subsystems.

The implementation of the described view to building structure is an innovative designer's methodological tool for synthesis and constructing of their onsite engineering systems and installations. From that point of view, central gas pipelines and power supplying installations constitute one of the two types of internal power installations, being part of the building energy system. They are designed, assembled, regulated and set in operation in conformity with the general requirements for:

• Gas-mechanical compatibility – gas devices often operate in chains subjected to urban pipeline pressure; they can also be connected to systems releasing combustion products – the combustion systems should be of one and the same type;
• Randomization of gas appliances;
• Fire and explosion protection.

However, gas appliances belong to different systems and have different functions (see Chapter 4. for more details)¹. Hence, they should meet general normative requirements and standards. For instance, gas heat generators (steam boilers, water heaters) are components of the building energy system, while devices such as stoves, furnaces, grills and barbecues, as well as gas absorption fridges, are components of a system for food preparation and storage. Other devices, such as convectors, heaters and radiators, belong to a system for thermal comfort (heating/air conditioning system), while capacitive and tankless water heaters and dryers belong to a system for hygiene maintenance and hot water supply.

The characteristic features of gas devices are high power efficiency and low thermal inertness, making them attractive and user-friendly. Due to liberate state policy, the infrastructure for central gas household supply is well developed in Europe. In Bulgaria, the Government supports of centralized electric power supply offering the application of electrical equipment and gas devices are less popular. Yet, regardless of, household end users of fuel gas regularly increase in number, approaching the impressive 1.6 million.

1 Besides their function pursuant to BDS EN 437A1[38], gas devices are classified with respect to fuel gas type and pressure as follows:

• Class I – fuel gas belonging to a single group – see Table P28;
• Class II – having three subclasses (H, L and E); fuel gas belonging to two groups – see Table P28;
• Class III – having three subclasses (3B/P, P and B); fuel gas belonging to three groups – see Table P28.

On the other hand, the spontaneous increase in the number of fuel gas end users carries risks of failures, fire, explosions and destruction and casualties². Hence, gas pipe networks should be strictly monitored and controlled.

The regulations and normative acts concerning gas installations in Bulgaria are [1÷7] and [8]. Their application to the design, installation and exploitation of gas devices and pipe networks is formally a prerogative of the Design Chamber, but it does not bear legal responsibility for eventual damages.

This book, which discusses the described systematical approach to buildings and their structure, can be used as a successful engineering handbook of building designers in their everyday effort.

1.2 FUEL GAS, CURRENT STATE AND PERSPECTIVES

History proves that NG was known, extracted and used far back in 9^th century B.C., but nobody knows when and how methane deposits emerged in prehistoric times³.

A Chinese parchment describes the use of “red-hot coke” gas⁴ in 900 B.C. to extract salt from seawater in an “industrial” installation. Ancient engineers piped 1000 wells and transported gas to a salt extracting installation through a bamboo pipeline. The year 1859 is considered to be the starting year of fuel gas consumption in Europe (England), but later gas extraction was terminated due to logistic and technical problems arising during transportation. In modern times, the first gas installations were built in the early 1960s in Great Britain and the USA, when the installment of central heating in new buildings became mandatory. The first installations conveyed fuel gas to convectors, radiators, stoves, furnaces and water heaters in buildings with central heating.

In the era of the industrial revolution, fuel gas was extracted via coal incineration (at 1000°C) under limited air supply and water steam blowing. Industrial volumes of NG were extracted for the first time in 1825 in Fredonia, USA, but the product did not gain popularity due to its small power density and ineffective transport technologies. It was often treated as an unwanted “coproduct” (see Figure 1.1).

Following the so-called “first oil embargo” during the late 1950s, a new era of fuel gas consumptions on large scale started, and fuel gas became one of the three main power sources – together with coal and oil. Parity between the three classical energy carriers (oil, NG and coal) is typical for the modern economy⁵, but a tendency to the increase in gas output is observed. One of the basic arguments is that the main oil fields would be exhausted in the next 20–30 years, and the oil price would rise.

FIGURE 1.1Structure of earth's crust with locations of natural gas deposits.

Until recently, the available deposits of natural gas in Bulgaria (Southeast Europe) were considered to be moderate (amounting to 2×10⁹ m³). Deposits were localized in the basin of river Kamchia, nearby Chiren, Devetaki, Buganovtsi and Selanovtsi. Local gas extraction amounted to 4×10⁶ m³ in 2012 (see Figure 1.2).

2 Regarding similar accidents (for instance, the 1968 gas explosion in Canning Town, Eastern London, where a 22-storey tower block partly collapsed), draconic measures were taken and voluntary gas units were created such as the Confederation of Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) founded in 1970 in Great Britain.

3 In fact, methane is a coproduct of organic matter decay, but there are no proofs whether the gigantic gas deposits available worldwide result from that process.

4 Consists of hydrogen – 45% and carbon monoxide – 55%.

5 Worldwide, the ratio between oil, natural gas and coal is 32:22:21 pursuant to data from 2001.

For now, fuel gas is extracted near Kavarna and Kaliakra by the Scottish company Melrose Resources, which extracted 0.360×10⁹ m³ in 2014 and sold the fuel to the state at a price of $290/thousand m³.

Results of prospecting performed by “Chevron” and “Direct Petroleum” in the Pleven region and in the so-called “Etropole argelith formation” were made public in 2011–2012. It was proved in 2014 that nearby resources including deposits near Etropole and Lovech amount to about 22×10⁹ m³. They would cover local fuel gas needs in t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• About the Author
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• Chapter 2 Theoretical Foundations of Gas Pipe Networks and Installations
• Chapter 3 Gas Supply of Urbanized Regions
• Chapter 4 Main Building Systems Operating with Fuel Gas
• Chapter 5 Conclusions and Acknowledgment
• Appendix
• References