Innovative Wellhead Tools for Landfill Gas Management

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Innovative Wellhead Tools for Landfill Gas Management"

Marybeth McKenzie
5 years ago
Views:

1 Innovative Wellhead Tools for Landfill Gas Management September 27, 2012 Brad Peake New Products Manager QED Environmental Systems Inc. Ann Arbor, Michigan - San Leandro, California Copyright QED Environmental Systems, Inc. 2012; all rights reserved. The information contained within this document may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authorization from QED.

2 Today s Webinar Outline Challenges with Typical LFG Wellheads and Well Caps Well Caps o Traditional Gas Well completions o QED s Stabilizer Well Caps Flow Measurement o Traditional Flow Measurement o QED s Flow Measurement Offering Flow Control o Traditional Flow Control o The Precision Fine Tune Control Valve QED s LFG Wellheads

3 LFG Well Field and GCCS Goals Maximize LFG energy content (flow rate and methane concentration) where gas is utilized Avoid NSPS violations for PTO exceedance Compliance with LFG emission regulations Avoid odor complaints from neighbors Reduce time and labor spent for well field management Reduce and simplify well field maintenance and repairs Maximize gas collection efficiency while maintaining regulatory compliance, all at the lowest possible cost

for flow measurement (calculated from differential pressure)

4 Traditional LFG Wellheads PVC gate valve for flow control is most common A Union orifice plate, Pitot tube or venturi used for flow measurement (calculated from differential pressure) Flexible couplings are used to connect the well riser and well head

5 Problems with Traditional Wellheads Flexible rubber couplings (e.g., Fernco couplings) have very little structural strength to support well head and flex hose weight, become brittle, collapse under vacuum, and can be difficult to seal, all resulting in air leaks Pitot tubes, orifice plates and venturi used for flow measurement have limitations with accuracy or are difficult to use, resulting in measurement errors Gate valves were designed for controlling liquids, not for regulating gas flow small adjustments in valve opening can result in large changes in applied vacuum and resultant flow

6 The Problem with Traditional Well Caps

7 Leaking Flexible Coupling

8 Introducing

9 QED Stabilizer Well Caps First engineered LFG Well Cap that aligns and stabilizes the LFG wellhead minimizing air leaks and gas release. Features a unique support ring molded directly into the Well Cap (patent pending) that aligns and stabilizes the wellhead. Takes pressure off the flexible coupling and the flex hose.

10 QED Stabilizer Well Caps Easy access for liquid level measurements faster, safer, no need to shut down the vacuum system. Caps are molded in a highly visible, bright yellow helping identify and protect the entire well from damage. Durable, heavy-walled, polyethylene construction makes it ideal for any climate.

11 QED Stabilizer Well Caps Designed to work with 6 and 8 diameter wells with 2 or 3 wellheads All models provide ports to accommodate a down well pump. Pump fitting kits allow conversion of gas recovery caps to dual extraction

12 Traditional Flow Measurement

13 Common Flow Measurement Methods for Landfill Gas Wellheads Pitot Tube Orifice Plate Venturi New Flow Measurement Method Portable Thermal Mass Flow Meter

14 3/16 Pitot Tube

15 Orifice Plate

16 Venturi

17 Common Flow Measurement Methods Pitot Tube Advantages variety of sizes and configurations for vertical or horizontal pipes Disadvantages tube can clog from moisture and mineralization and give false readings; poor accuracy for flows under 20 SCFM (± 5-10% at best, ± 20% worst) Venturi Advantages can be used for vertical or horizontal applications; promoted as onesize-fits-all Disadvantages fixed size = significant pressure drop (>10 WC) over 90 SCFM; insufficient pressure drop for reliable measurement at flows under 20 SCFM Orifice Plate Advantages proven technology with accurate results, ability to change plate sizes to achieve desired pressure differential with changing flow rates Disadvantages changing plates is cumbersome, requires shutting off gas flow and breaking pipe connection, often takes two people; operator can t even see if a plate is installed or what size it is without opening the union assembly

18 Introducing

down the control valve, breaking pipe connections or rebalancing the well Accessible plate housing allows for easy

19 Quick-Change Orifice Plate Utilizes proven orifice plate technology for accurate and repeatable flow rates Plates can be swapped out by one person in seconds to achieve desired P with changes in gas flow rate No time wasted shutting down the control valve, breaking pipe connections or rebalancing the well Accessible plate housing allows for easy confirmation of plate size and placement reducing reporting errors Durable PVC construction with stainless steel orifice plates

interrupting LFG flow, saving as much as 1 hour of field labor

20 Quick-Change Orifice Plate QED Quick-Change Orifice Plate can be changed in less than 60 seconds by one person without interrupting LFG flow, saving as much as 1 hour of field labor over traditional union orifice plate systems, reducing operating expenses

Insertion-style Meter reads directly in SCFM, not a calculated value.

21 Precision Flow Meter Precision Flow Meter is an extremely accurate portable thermal mass flow meter. Insertion-style Meter reads directly in SCFM, not a calculated value. Measures and logs gas flows through existing ports in headers 1 and larger. Patented self-calibration check.

22 Traditional Flow Control

gate track, and extreme cold and heat all make valve difficult or impossible to adjust or cause the valve stem to break when excessive force

23 Flow Control Using Gate Valves Advantages Lower initial cost Widely available Disadvantages Closed Non-rising stem - operator can t observe valve opening position Plastic threads can strip easily, plastic handle breaks off with age Seals fail, dirt and grit get into threads and gate track, and extreme cold and heat all make valve difficult or impossible to adjust or cause the valve stem to break when excessive force is applied Fully open in 3-4 turns out of 10 - flow adjustment isn t linear and can be difficult to regulate, especially at low flow rates Open

24 Traditional Gate Valve

25 Introducing Precision Fine Tune Control Valve

Precision Fine Tune Control Valve Patented flow-tuned valve design provides precise, linear control of flow from fully closed to maximum flow.

26 Precision Fine Tune Control Valve Patented flow-tuned valve design provides precise, linear control of flow from fully closed to maximum flow. Rising stem design and highly visible metered scale allows easy observation of valve position setting, making it easy to quickly return to the exact setting if the valve must be closed. Rugged stainless steel valve stem and handle makes it durable in harsh outdoor environments.

27 Fine Tune Control Valve

28 QED Precision Control Valve vs. PVC Gate Valve PVC gate valve offers very little control, with maximum flow achieved at just four turns QED Precision Valve has highest resolution at lower flows (under 25 SCFM), with nearly linear flow control across entire range of valve opening

29 Precision Valve Case Study South Texas landfill site Installed three Precision Fine Tune Control Valves on existing LFG well heads in July & Nov Following graphs show LFG flow rate and gas quality data for several months before, and a few months following, Precision Valve installation

30 Case Study South Texas Landfill Well 54

31 Case Study South Texas Landfill Well 78

32 Case Study South Texas Landfill Well 90

33 Case Study South Texas Landfill Well 29 Neighbor to Well 90 Control with gate valve

34 The Value of Improving LFG Gas Flow and Methane Content

35 QED s Wellheads

36 QED s Wellhead Offering Quick-Change Orifice Plate Wellhead Flow Meter Wellhead Traditional Orifice Plate Wellhead

Quick-Change Orifice Plate Wellhead Revolutionary quickchanged orifice plate system (patent pending) for accurate flow measurement Precision

37 Quick-Change Orifice Plate Wellhead Revolutionary quickchanged orifice plate system (patent pending) for accurate flow measurement Precision Fine-Tune Valve for precise flow control over a broad flow range New emphasis on increasing the visibility of the wellhead includes diamond reflector tape

38 Quick-Change Orifice Plate Wellhead Available in 2 and 3 pipe sizes Brass barbs or quick-connects for flow measurement and LFG sampling Orifice plate kits contain a range of plate sizes to match flow range of valve

39 Flow Meter Wellhead For those looking for cutting-edge flow measurement technology and precise flow control.

40 Traditional Orifice Plate Wellhead For those looking for sensitive flow adjustment capability and a lower cost assembly.

41 Wellhead System Drawings Quick-Change Orifice Plate Wellhead

42 Free Wellhead Trial Offer Try a QED Wellhead for 60 days at no charge. At the end of the Trial Offer you may purchase the unit or return it to QED.

43 Questions? Brad Peake QED Environmental Systems, Inc. Ann Arbor, MI and San Leandro, CA Toll-free: Direct:

Engineered Solutions for Landfill Gas Well Field Management

Engineered Solutions for Landfill Gas Well Field Management December 17, 2013 Brad Peake New Products Manager QED Environmental Systems Inc. Ann Arbor, Michigan - San Leandro, California Copyright QED