Expert System for Natural Gas Transportation Network

Jonny Carlos da Silva, D. Eng.

Gilson Simões Porciúncula, M. Eng.

SCGÁS TBG

Partners

Rio Pipeline Conference and Exposition 2003

Overview:

Context

Objectives and contributions

SEGRED Functions

Project development

System Description

System Expansion

Conclusion

Context : Remote Monitoring of process variables according to contract rules

Hundreds of continuous variables (such as pressure, flow, temperature, and discrete variables) are monitored in some points of the pipeline

SEGRED General Information

Period: 2 years (Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2002)

Project Team LASHIP Knowledge Engineering Team - 12 members

including 2 professors, 6 engineers (4 MSc), 4 undergraduate students

Plus Domain Experts from the Partnering Companies

Investment: US$ 220,000

TBG Networks in Brazil

TBG - responsible for operating the largest gas pipeline in Latin America on Brazilian soil.

Its pipeline covers more than 3,000 km, it runs from Santa Cruz, in Bolivia, up to Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil.

Objectives

Development of software to support

operation and maintenance

management of natural gas

transportation networks, integrating

experts systems and dynamic

simulation.

Contributions• reduction of operational costs • increase reliability• improve maintenance and operation• organize part of the corporative memory

Context Pipeline TBG/DVS South Division- Santa Catarina State

First mapped sector

TBG/DVS

Araucária

Joinville

Guaramirim

GasparBrusque

TijucasBiguaçu

Focus on CITY GATE

Analysis of current operational state

Diagnosis – failures detection and maintenance

recommendations.

Prognosis – Capacity to predict the network

behavior based on dynamic simulation.

Generation of reports for maintenance

Acquisition of process variables

SEGRED Functions:

SEGRED Structure

Expert System Environment

USER

AMESimSimulation System

Graphical Interface

AgentModule

Application Domain

Diagnosis Module

Integration between Expert System and Simulator

Configuration scenarios

Validation process

variables

Analysis and prognosis

of failures with generation of suggestions

operational

failures diagnosis and generation of

procedures for maintenance

Agent Maintenance

Module

System development :

Agent Concept-

Expert System and Simulation Software

Two Phase process:

SEGRED system defines parameter for simulation, i.e. different scenarios configurations

it analyzes the simulation data and infers problems that may occur in the networks.

CITY GATE

Consumer

SEGRED- Prognosis based on Dynamic Simulation

Consumer affected

Closing Valve

Distribution Network Model

Prognosis REPORT for different Consumers

Example of Knowledge ModelingDiagnostic Function- FTA

Station delivers gas under unregulated

pressure, and temperature below

limit

Failure of station global function

Heating System water temp below 80°C

Reducing Pressure System Valve lost action

of control

Failure of partial (subsystems) functions

PCV1A Unregulated above of set of the

PCV1Á

Absence of gas of utility or inferior the 35,5 psig .

PCV1A with the valve of relief of camera opened

Failure of Component Function

TC51 unregulated for temperature low

TC51 damaged due to low

temperature

PCV1A Valve with diaphragm of the pilots breached

Prototype DescriptionConfiguration and Evaluation of the operational scenario

Prototype Description

Prognosis Based on DYNAMIC SIMULATION

Analysis Evaluation of current network state.

If upstream pressure in some City Gate (Delivery Station) is lower than a minimum defined by design, that station will not properly deliver gas.

If upstream pressure in some ECOMP (Compressing Station) is below its limit a decrease in the station efficiency will occur.

If gas demand in some City Gate is lower than the specified value a malfunction can take place. Usually, pressure control valves decrease their accuracy.

Prototype Description

Some rules implemented

CityGate Diagnosis

Subsystems Failure

Subsystems Diagnosis

Pressure Control System Possible Failures

FailureModes

Diagnosis Report

SEGRED II Phase

Linebreak Detection

Bottleneck Detection

Composition Module Tracking

Increase of system topology- REPLAN-

GUARAREMA stretch

Based on its successful outcome, the

SEGRED Project will be expanded.

In this second phase, TBG and Petrobras

defined a new scope, including new

functions to be added, such as:

Conclusion

The integration between expert systems and dynamic

simulation is a synergic solution for operation of gas networks.

The SEGRED-TBG system will become an innovative tool in the

area of management of natural gas transportation, able to be

expanded for all network.

REPLAN

Guararema

NEWSector

More Information

SEGRED project Websitewww.laship.ufsc.br/

segred