Gazovaya promyshlennost’ Спецвыпуск № 2 2018

The increase of the level of the gas infrastructure development in the inlands is one of the strategic concerns of increasing welfare of the country, that coincides with one of the major purposes of the “Energy Strategy of Russian Federation for the period until 2020”. Gas reduction control units are important components of gas distribution and gas consumption, but there are the periods of unstable operation of gas pressure regulators in their work. It can lead to consequences as follows: the occurrence of a hydraulic shock; loss of sealing of the flanged and threaded joints; operating irregularity of the gas-using equipment of consumers. The dependence of the flow capacity of the RDNK-400 pressure regulators on the gas inlet pressure and gas density was studied. The interval of steady operation of the regulator decreases with a steady-state input pressure and the increase in gas density. The influence of the considered factors should be taken into account at the stage of development of projects of the gas distribution and gas consumption systems. Gas inlet pressure and gas density can vary within certain limits during operation of the gas supply system, and it should be taken into account when selecting equipment for the gas reduction control unit. Results and conclusions of the study can be recommended for manufacturers of gas equipment.

Improvement of the quality of gas purification from mechanical admixtures is one of the problematic issues in the work of gas equipment used in the modern gas reduction control units. The article considers the basic principles and stages of increasing the efficiency of cylindrical filter cartridges for primary and fine purification of high capacity.
New technical solutions are presented: principle of reducing the material consumption of the filter housing by optimizing the form and developing the corresponding design of a cylindrical filter; principle of increasing the specific throughput by increasing the degree of filling the filter surfaces by forming radial corrugations; evaluation of filter clogging with mechanical admixtures using a new method of actual measurement of the pressure drop across the cylindrical filter cartridge; new design for installation of cartridges of primary and fine purification in one housing to reduce the material consumption.
The form of the cylindrical filter was optimized in order to reduce the material consumption and investment in this unit. The degree of filling the internal volume of the housing with a filtering mesh was improved, and the principles of installation of cylindrical filter cartridges for primary and fine purification in one housing were developed. The reliable method of measuring the pressure drop directly on a cylindrical filter cartridge was developed to determine the degree of filter clogging with mechanical admixtures.
The commercial prototype of the filtering device was manufactured and successfully tested, after that it was included in the projects of construction of gas reduction stations with a high flow capacity of 500 m³/h.

The article considers a complex of modern measures, technologies and equipment designed to reduce the volume of gas losses during the operation of gas distribution systems. Operational gas leaks occur through releasable joints on gas pipelines and equipment in connection with leakage of flanged and threaded joints, as well as glands of valves. Technical features of application of modern composite seals, in particular from thermally expanded graphite on reinforcing basis, are considered. The importance of replacing steel pipelines with plastic ones is underlined. Among the new equipment to minimize gas consumption are remote high-sensitivity devices that allow to determine the presence of methane leakage at considerable distances, the equipment for tie-in without lowering the pressure. The introduction of gas-stop safety valves serves as innovative solution for reducing the accident rate and prompt response to accidents and incidents on gas pipelines. New technological possibilities are considered by the authors in the context of existing and developed national standards and technical requirements of organizations. The integrated approach to the operation of gas distribution systems will increase the level of accident-free gas supply to natural gas consumers, minimize losses and gas emissions to the atmosphere.

The article considers measures for reduction of gas losses during its supply to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, that are taken in the organizations of the Gazprom mezhregiongaz LLC Group. It is proposed to systematize, unify and improve the procedures for the daily generation of the operational balance of gas, increase transparency and promptness in identifying gas balance problems for the reduction of gas losses. Principles and approaches formulated in the Regulation on the Operational Natural Gas Consumption Metering, approved by the Order of Gazprom mezhregiongaz LLC No. 47 from April 17, 2018, are given. The definition of the balance zone is formulated. The methods for obtaining operational data on the volumes of gas supply and distribution are divided into automated and automatic. Three groups of gas consumers are considered: daily monitored, untracked and household. Operative data coming from all groups of gas consumers is processed using the control-analytical functions, which are discussed in detail in the article. The priority measures were taken to bring operational gas consumption metering in regional gas companies in accordance with the requirements of the Regulation: the formation of balance zones; assessment of the volume of daily monitoring in the context of balance zones; development of algorithms and procedures for operational forecasting of gas consumption by untracked consumers and the household; adjustment of automated dispatch control systems regarding to the formation of balance zones, operational forecasting of gas consumption volumes, operational assessment of gas imbalance for each balance zone and generation of reports in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations.

The article suggests methodological approach to study the influence of the gas supply and the gas infrastructure development on the economic growth of regions of the Russian Federation. The author advances the hypothesis that development of the gas supply and the gas infrastructure has statistically significant positive effect on economic growth. Time series of indicators, characterizing the “gas supply and gas infrastructure development – economic growth” dependence, are non-stationary and very short, which required the use of adequate specifications of mathematical models in the study. The methodological approach is based on the cointegration concept and the error correction models. These models allow to take into account the presence of temporary deviations from the long-term equilibrium state in the economy of the regions due to the influence of various shocks and provide for a return to equilibrium by adjusting the nonequilibrium states. The correct specification of regression models and analysis of long-term and short-term aspects of the considered dependence were made with the above-mentioned approach from the econometric point of view. Approbation of the methodical approach was carried out on the basis of panel data, including indicators of social and economic development, gas supply and gas infrastructure development of the regions of the Central Federal District of Russian Federation for 1998–2015. The approbation confirmed the initial hypothesis. The results of the research can be used in assessing the contribution of the gas industry to regional economic dynamics, as well as in planning the development of the domestic gas market. They can also serve as an information basis for working out the ways of improvement of price and tariff policy in the domestic gas market.