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| Reference Number | NIA2_SGN0043 | |
| Title | Hydrogen MOBs QRA and Testing Phase 3 | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Energy system analysis) 10%; Hydrogen and Fuel Cells (Hydrogen, Hydrogen transport and distribution) 80%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Environmental, social and economic impacts) 10%; |
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| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given SGN |
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| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 October 2023 | |
| End Date | 30 June 2024 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £833,955 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | South East | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , SGN (99.999%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , SGN - Southern England (0.001%) |
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| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , SGN (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA2_SGN0043 |
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| Objectives | This phase of the project will solve the problem detailed above by:1. Expanding the functionality of DNV"s existing CONIFER model from houses and small blocks of flats to all domestic MOB types.Risk predictions will be made for input into the Great Britain Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) and to allow the major risk contributors to be identified. This initial set of risk estimates could be quite high level and include relatively simple assumptions in places, in order to produce preliminary results quickly. DNV has already produced two models for risks posed by natural gas infrastructure in high rise buildings (one fully predictive, another giving relative risks for different configurations) and features of these models will be incorporated into CONIFER as appropriate.A methodology workshop will be completed where all relevant stakeholders will agree the approach to modelling MOBs. This will ensure that the approach will deliver the required outputs, but also highlight any additional information that would improve the modelling.2. Building site surveysSurveys will be carried out for a sample of buildings (up to 25 in total) of various age and construction methods to:a. Identify issues specific to building types/architectures and gas installations that could affect a conversion to hydrogen andb. Collect data that will feed into the development of the QRA, the analysis of network capacity, the assessment of ventilation of enclosures, ducts and dwellings, and the assessment of fittings present in gas installations in MOBs.3. Testing to fill MOBs evidence gapsEvidential work will be completed to fill the evidence gaps identified in the Document Landscape Review completed in Phase 2 of the MOBs project. Testing will fill evidence gaps in:• Network Pipeline Capacity• Ventilation of enclosures, ducts and dwellings• Assessment of fittings• Influence of hydrogen on network installation and maintenance activities• Combined effects of hydrogen and thermal loading on material integrity• Electrical safety• Fire protection measures• Commissioning and decommissioning4. MOB data enhancementAs recommended in the Asset Portfolio Characterisation Report in Phase 2 of the MOBs project, an enhancement of the MOBs data will be completed. This will be done through the purchase of commercial datasets and further analysis of available data. This will support the modelling of the QRA. MOB attributes that will be acquired as part of this data enhancement include:· Premise Age.· Premise Use.· Premise Type.· Premise Floor count· Premise height.· Basement.· Listed Grade.· Wall type.· Substructure type5. Developing a Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) of MOBsThis will be done by improving the modelling relevant to major risk contributors and will take account of any information that becomes available through testing completed as part of this project or other industry projects.The assessment will include MOBs receiving typical natural gas and 100% hydrogen, to allow a direct comparison between the risks posed by the two gases.Risk mitigation measures will be investigated for the hydrogen case. The purpose of this will be to determine the levels of risk reduction achieved based on the current assumptions of effectiveness for each measure. This phase of the project will not recommend any particular measure or combination of measures, although these results can contribute to that decision.The QRA will differentiate between different building configurations, likely based on factors such as· Building type (number of storeys, number of individual flats, presence or absence of basement etc.)· Gas supply (type of main and service to the building)· Gas infrastructure configuration (gas to an energy centre that supplies heat to the whole building, or gas supplies to each flat, the location of riser etc.) The Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) will apply to all MOBs in the UK. For this project a MOB is defined as a building that contains three or more domestic dwellings and/or commercial units with one or more meter points within the building. The QRA will include network pipelines and pipework downstream of the ECV. · Develop a Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) model for 100% hydrogen to compare against natural gas· Enhance MOB data through commercial datasets· Carry out building site surveys for a sample of buildings (up to 25 in total) of various age and construction methods to:a. Identify issues specific to building types/architectures and gas installations that could affect a conversion to hydrogen andb. Collect data that will feed into the development of the QRA, the analysis of network capacity, the assessment of ventilation of enclosures, ducts and dwellings, and the assessment of fittings present in gas installations in MOBs.· Investigate whether the diameter of existing risers and laterals is adequate to supply the energy required with hydrogen.· Investigate the effects of an increased flow rate, velocity, or increased pressure (pipe integrity), should it be required to meet the demand without increasing the diameter of risers and laterals. This will consider the effect of altitude on hydrogen riser systems, the pressure drops from existing fittings and additional safety devices installed (e.g. excess flow valves) and the minimum pressure required to ensure safe operation of hydrogen appliances.· Determine ventilation requirements for meters, risers and laterals inside buildings.· Investigate the feasibility of adding ventilation to buildings which will need to be positioned so as not to compromise fire safety if located in a fire compartment.· Determine ventilation requirements for typical meter banks and energy centres with hydrogen and how they compare with ventilation requirements for natural gas.· Investigate the feasibility of adding ventilation to existing enclosures· Determine ventilation requirements for typical ducts with hydrogen and how they compare with ventilation requirements for natural gas· Investigate the feasibility of adding ventilation to existing ducts.· Confirm compatibility and functionality of materials and fittings typically used in MOBs with hydrogen.· Assess the feasibility of continuing to use the current jointing and repair systems for riser networks if they are repurposed to carry hydrogen· Investigate the effect of hydrogen on material integrity when steel pipe and fittings are subject to thermal loading.· Confirm whether the material, diameter and height limits for approved jointing methods remain acceptable with hydrogen· Confirm whether the minimum allowable wall thickness remains adequate with hydrogen· Confirm whether the standards to which the electrical equipment has been specified related to natural gas or any flammable gases and whether they are affected by the fact hydrogen is a gas group IIC?· Investigate whether the currently required separation distance between natural gas pipes/meter and electrical equipment remains the same with hydrogen.· Check the applicability of the maximum permitted leakage rate of pipework components following a fire test with hydrogen.· Confirm the applicability of the test temperature of 650°C (currently specified in BS EN 1775 and which corresponds to the self-ignition temperature of a natural gas / air mixture) with hydrogen auto-ignition temperature.· Update IGEM work to incorporate latest findings from ongoing work for 100% hydrogen (including test duration, equipment accuracy and allowable leak criteria).· Confirm whether the existing procedure for the direct purging and indirect purging of network pipelines and laterals in MOBs currently used with natural gas are suitable with hydrogen.· Investigate whether hydrogen would affect the potential noise, smell and flammability that may be generated from a purge operation in MOBs.· Identify the risks associated with venting hydrogen including the likelihood and consequence of ignition during purge operation of network pipelines and laterals in MOBs compared to natural gas.· Identify variables which will allow the grouping of MOBs; variables will include both building characteristics (type, architecture, age and height) and gas installations (external vs internal risers and laterals, above vs below ground entry into the building, meter bank, energy centre and gas usage)· Determine for each group risk profile, feasibility and costs of conversion.· Consider the safety of hydrogen in MOBs vs alternatives and provide overall recommendations for the suitability of hydrogen versus alternatives with potential split between different categories of buildings· Identify subsets of MOBs which are unsuitable for hydrogen conversion, or which do not easily fit into generic assessments. | |
| Abstract | There is a requirement for gas distribution network (GDN) operators to understand the cost, safety, and practicality of converting network pipelines from natural gas to hydrogen in Multi-Occupancy Buildings (MOBs). This phase of the project will carry out a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) of domestic MOBs detailing the steps needed to convert a range of different MOB types as well as testing to fill evidence gaps required for the QRA. This will act as part of Phase 3 in the ongoing project to investigate the conversion of MOBs from natural gas to hydrogen use. | |
| Data | No related datasets |
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| Projects | No related projects |
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| Publications | No related publications |
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| Added to Database | 19/09/24 | |
