Uncertainty analysis of energy measurements in natural gas transmission networks

The value of natural gas depends on the energy obtainable from its combustion. Despite this, natural gas measurement and billing are normally performed using volume measurements subsequently converted into base conditions. Thus, to correctly achieve network balancing and accurate billings, both civil and industrial natural gas consumptions should be measured in energy. Unfortunately, energy measurements for natural gas are actually possible only in an indirect way by means of complex measurement chains with a flow-meter, a volume conversion device and a gas chromatograph or gas analyzer. Moreover, for technical and economic reasons, gas quality is often considered as constant and known despite the unavoidable variations due to the mixing of gases from different origins and type (i.e. importations, national productions, liquefied, biogas).In this paper the authors present the results of a detailed metrological experimental analysis of the typical energy measurement plants installed in natural gas networks. Modern networks are characterized by a wide variety of flow-rate measurement principles, constructive technologies and plant configurations. Therefore, flow regimes, thermodynamic conditions and chemical properties of the gas play a crucial role in determining metrological performance of natural gas energy measurements and uncertainties can become critical for inaccurate billing and unaccounted for gas.     

An experimental investigation of system matching in ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding for titanium

This paper presents a fundamental investigation of the system matching mechanisms involved in ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding (UAG) of titanium processing. The effects of system matching on grinding force and surface roughness are studied experimentally. The design of experiments and experimental equipment are described in detail. In this investigation, a five-variable four-level fractional factorial design is used to conduct experiments. The experiments are employed to reveal the main effects as well as the interaction effects of the ultrasonic parameters on the process outputs such as material removal rate (MRR), grinding force, surface topography and surface roughness. Experimental results showing that the application of system matching in UAG can improve the work piece grinding quality.     

单颗磨粒超声辅助磨削SiC陶瓷材料去除机理

为研究不同磨削速度下超声振动作用对SiC陶瓷磨削过程中材料去除机理的影响,采用钎焊单颗金刚石磨粒工具,基于连续变磨削深度试验方法,在SiC陶瓷抛光表面开展了超声辅助磨削与普通磨削对比试验。结果表明,随着单颗磨粒磨削深度的逐渐增大,SiC陶瓷超声辅助磨削与普通磨削时的材料去除机理均经历了“塑性去除→脆-塑转变→大尺寸脆性断裂”的变化;在磨削速度为1 m/s时,相比于普通磨削,单颗磨粒超声辅助磨削可显著增大SiC陶瓷的脆-塑转变临界切厚及相应的磨削划痕横截面积,并减小切向磨削力与磨削比能;而随着磨削速度的增大,超声辅助磨削与普通磨削在单颗磨粒磨削划痕尺寸、磨削力之间的差异逐渐减弱。     

Analysis of Delta In-Out of natural gas distribution networks

In recent years, the estimation of Unaccounted for Gas in natural gas networks has been a very debated topic in the scientific literature and within regulatory authorities. In fact, this issue has broad implications since it can affect the cost of supplying gas, the safety of the service and the environmental impact. Unfortunately, although this issue has been widely focused in transmission networks, large and generalized literature studies for the distribution sector are still lacking. In this paper, a theoretical study of the causes of Delta In-Out in natural gas distribution networks, of the related applied analysis methodologies have been presented, together with an in-depth analysis of the Delta In-Out in Italian distribution networks. To this aim, Delta In-Out of 2904 natural gas distribution networks in Italy in the period 2013–2017 have been analyzed aimed at focusing the relevant aspects of the phenomenon and at identifying appropriate reduction strategies. A national average value of Delta In-Out approximately equal to +1% was found, whereas the standard deviation significantly varies depending on the size of the network (i.e. from about 2% for large networks to 10% in small networks) and on the climatic zone (i.e. from about 3% for networks in center-north Italy to 11% in the southern ones).     

Study on the system matching of ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding for hard and brittle materials processing

Ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding (UAG) is an effective processing method for hard and brittle materials. Compared with common grinding (CG), both of grinding force and workpiece surface quality is improved by UAG, but the principle of improvement is still unclear. In order to reveal the mechanism of grinding force reduction and grinding quality improvement in UAG, this paper presents a mathematical model for system matching in UAG of brittle materials. Assuming that brittle fracture is the primary mechanism of material removal in UAG of brittle materials, the system matching model is developed step by step. On the basis of this mathematical model, the mechanism of grinding force reduction and surface roughness forming are discussed. The advantage of UAG processing brittle materials is pointed out in theory. Using the model developed, influences of input variables on grinding force are predicted. These predicted influences are compared with those determined experimentally. This model can serve as a useful foundation for development of grinding force models in UAG of brittle materials and models to predict surface roughness in UAG.     

Effect of flow-rate measurement accuracy on unaccounted for gas in transmission networks

Unaccounted-for-Gas (UAG) in modern natural gas transmission networks is a very debated topic among researchers and network managers, since UAG significantly affects the physical and commercial balancing of the network itself. On the technical hand, UAG is caused by the unavoidable errors in measuring and estimating gas quantities in the network and it is either positive or negative. However significant and tendentially positive/negative UAG values often occur in modern networks and this can be ascribed to the rise of systematic errors. Furthermore, cyclic trends of UAG are often observed and the correlation with the accuracy of flow-rate measurements has not been adequately investigated, despite this latter is widely recognized as a crucial issue. In this paper, the rangeability faults of flow-meters installed at the interconnections with regional and city networks have been investigated, together with the effect of the drift of the instrument due to the lack of subsequent calibrations. From the analysis carried out, it was found that about 12% of the average daily flow-rates measured in a whole year at the exit points of the Italian network are below the minimum flow-rate of the flow-meter and that a significant correlation between monthly UAG and the number of flow-meter rangeability faults exists.