SBIR-STTR Award

A catalytic combustion flow calorimeter for the measurement of natural gas energy content will be developed and tested. This new calorimeter (gas energy meter) will be designed to be a prototype for development of an instrument suitable for remote installation, as accurate as present laboratory calorimeters, operable continuously for precise accounting at custody transfer points, and low in cost. Presently there are no existing instruments capable of making real-time and continuous Btu measurements in a hostile environment at remote sites. This project addresses a very real and significant problem for the gas industry and all consumers of natural gas. The need for a low cost field-deployable gas energy meter has developed from the shift of gas billing from a volume to an energy basis and more recently by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ruling that gas pipelines should be regulated as common carriers. The program objective is to produce a laboratory prototype instrument that will demonstrate the advantages of the energy meter design. To accomplish this objective the following five tasks will be completed: (1) develop a catalytic combustion reactor, (2) design a gas calorimeter flow cell employing the catalytic reactor, (3) design a microprocessor control and data collection system for the calorimeter, (4) test the complete gas calorimeter system and develop appropriate operating and maintenance procedures, and (5) construct a prototype gas calorimeter for testing.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee:The potential commercial applications of the innovation are far reaching and include energy management and control, petroleum refining, synfuels and chemical processing, and the natural gas, steel, and metal production industries.

The concept of using a Catalytic Combustion Flow Calorimeter for the measurement of natural gas energy content was successfully demonstrated during the Phase I project. The objective of the Phase II project will be to develop a marketable gas energy meter (based on the instrument development during Phase I) that will be: suitable for remote installation, as accurate as present laboratory calorimeters, able to operate continuously for precise accounting at custody transfer points, and low in cost. Presently there are no low cost products capable of making real time and continuous BTU measurements at remote sites. Phase II addresses a very real and significant problem for the gas industry. The need for a low cost field-deployable gas energy meter has developed from the shift of gas billing from a volume to an energy basis and from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ruling that gas pipelines should be regulated as common carriers. The Phase II program objective is to produce a manufacturing prototype instrument that will have all of the advantages of the Phase I energy meter and result in a marketable product for the gas industry (producers, distributors, and large consumers of natural gas). To accomplish this objective we will complete the following four tasks: (I) reduce the cost of manufacturing the calorimeter, (2) conduct component lifetime and reliability tests and modify the instrument design to eliminate problem components, (3) conduct extensive field tests to demonstrate satisfactory performance under a variety of field conditions and to obtain ASTM methods approval, and (4) design and test an instrument acceptable for operation in Class I/Division II/Group D environments and conduct safety tests to obtain UL approval.Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: The potential commercial applications are far reaching and include the natural gas, energy management, petroleum, synfuels, chemical, and steel and metal production industries. If the Phase II project is successful, the awardee will plan to have the gas calorimeter in production within 3 months to 6 months. On the basis of a mail-in marketing research survey they would expect to market in excess of 500 units a year within 2 years.Topic 18: Fossil Energy Instrumentation