Improvements to a Natural Gas Regulation and Measurement Station

Glavin Station is a large natural gas regulation and measurement station that serves a sizeable portion of the Kansas City metropolitan area through two LDCs. The station is fed by three pipelines ranging in size from 20" to 26" in diameter and carrying pressures of up to 500 psig. Over the years, the population of the area had grown greatly, leading to higher gas flows and increasing the demands on the station and it’s aging components. In addition to operational and capacity issues, the urbanization of the area around the facility had also led to an increasing number of gas odor calls and complaints about noise.

Farnsworth Group was tasked with conducting a study and compiling a general overview of the station that would identify operational deficiencies and address the noise and leakage issues. The study required an analysis of the station flows, pressures, regulation and measurement equipment, valves, and other appurtenances. It also included a site visit, discussions with station personnel, the commissioning of a noise quantification effort by a third party, and the measurement of gas presence with leak detection equipment.

Farnsworth Group provided a complete analysis of the station and recommended a number of corrective actions. Some of these corrective actions were quick and simple to implement. For example, Farnsworth Group discovered odorized gas was being continually emitted from the exhaust ports of the actuators on two of the large station valves. By suggesting that the exhaust port mufflers be removed and the ports be plugged (except during actuation of the valves), a significant source of lost and unaccounted for gas was eliminated. Most of the recommended station upgrades were not so simple, however, and Farnsworth Group engineers worked with the client to compile a comprehensive two-year plan for overhauling the station. The plan for the first year, upon which Farnsworth Group immediately began working, included the replacement of the station’s fourteen aging regulators with new control valves. This allowed a new control scheme to be developed to increase control over the flows through the individual regulator runs and settings. Other items included a new 16" valve setting, the placement of acoustically insulated buildings over the regulator settings, and the construction of concrete foundations for these buildings. Additionally, the fabrication of new two brand new regulator and meter settings was required, as was a general cleaning up and re-routing of station piping and the removal of unused odorant injection equipment and underground metering facilities. Farnsworth Group provided design and drafting services for the mechanical, structural, and electrical/controls aspects of the project. Farnsworth Group also developed a sequencing/outage plan and provided project management and engineering support during construction.