360° visit of the RICE laboratories: simulation and modeling spaces (4/4)
Fourth and last episode of our virtual visit in immersion in the R&D facilities of RICE in Villeneuve la Garenne: discover the tertiary spaces where the activities of the POMM (Prospective, Optimization, Measurement & Network Materials) and SPESY (Security and Performance of Systems) laboratories are carried out.
This 1'06'' guided tour is given by Viencent de Laharpe, Head of the Prospective, Optimization, Measurement & Network Equipment lab.
We advise you to switch to full screen, for more comfort. And don't forget to use your mouse to view all of our facilities!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz6X4NI3qYY[/embedyt]
Hydrogen safety training, GRTGAZ and RICE on the front line
With the development of hydrogen projects, it is essential to raise awareness among the gas chain operators regarding the safety issues of this new gas. The subject of staff training is a shared issue. RICE has been mandated by GRTgaz, STORENGY and TEREGA for the development of a hydrogen risk awareness training.
A training course resulting from a collaboration between teams|Theoretical and practical training content providing the necessary background to better understand the specificities of hydrogen risk|Very positive feedback from the FENHYX teams, trained in advance|Prospects for the development of the RICE collaboration with the CNPPThe industrial safety teams of RICE and GRTgaz's Technical Department have worked in close collaboration to build a hydrogen safety awareness training course. The objective is to highlight the differences in properties between Hydrogen, Hydrogen-Natural Gas mixtures and Natural Gas in order to modify the reflexes of the operators when dealing this new gas.|The training takes place over one day and combines theory and practice.
The pedagogical content of the theoretical part covers various notions to provide the trainees with a first background to understand the hydrogen context and its specificities:
- Introduction to the hydrogen context (history, stakes, projects, etc.) ;
- Accident analysis and regulatory context ;
- Review of the characteristics of hydrogen in comparison to blends and Natural Gas;
- Study of leakage and dispersion phenomena;
- ATEX, Fire and Explosion.
||RICE is continuing its collaboration with CNPP in the provision of training to various operators in the gas chain with the aim of having trained more than 60 people by the end of 2021.
Based on this successful collaboration, discussions are also underway to study the possibility of eventually having a network of training resources throughout the country, in order to accelerate the training of personnel and thus better prepare for the arrival of hydrogen in gas infrastructures.||||||||||
In order to make the theoretical contributions more concrete, RICE has joined forces with CNPP, an expert in risk prevention and control, to conduct practical sessions on their technical platform. The present experimental bench allows the study of different types of potential potential leaks specific to the gas chain installations (tubing rupture, flange leak and corrosion leak). As the pure hydrogen flame is invisible to the naked eye, the session also provides training in leak detection using a thermal camera or a dry chemical extinguisher, with trainees working in pairs under the supervision of CNPP's specialist fire safety trainers.
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With the commissioning of the FenHYx facilities in the fall of 2021, it was important to train RICE personnel who would be operating these new hydrogen safety testing facilities. The feedback from this training course is very positive, both in terms of the educational content and the knowledge provided for the safe operation of the facilities.
||https://researchbyrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Banc-de-formation-CNPP.jpg|https://researchbyrice.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Visualisation-flamme.jpg||CNPP training bench used for practical sessions|Visualization of the hydrogen flame using a thermal camera|
DPBE: a small valve "made in RICE" to secure the service lines
The DPBE - for Existing Branch Protection Device - is a small tool that helps secure serivce lines on distribution networks. It is a kind of back valve in the event of an incident, such as the tearing of the connection by a digger. It shut off the gas automatically, thus avoiding discharges and being able to intervene safely. There is no need to search or interrupt the network, the DPBE can be inserted directly from the customer box. Positioned in a cartridge, it will be pushed into the gas network, and be operational in less than half an hour.
|An all-purpose device, carrying the promise of international commercial success.The shutter valve principle does not make the DPBE (Legacy Connection Protection Device) an innovation, since this system already existed. What makes this solution innovative is the way it was packaged to fit directly onto legacy connections. The DPBE is a concrete example of a solution which was research-based, qualified, developed and rolled out industrially within a few years. GRDF installs more than 10,000 units per year on its network.|The DPBE can be attractive to all distributors and is a great success internationally. Developments are currently underway on the Turkish network, trials are taking place on the Romanian network and we have also won a competitive bid in Ireland. Today, we are preparing to offer this solution to North American distributors, which means not only making a sales mission, but also adapting the product. Indeed, the product, developed for the metric system used in Europe, must be adapted to the "imperial" measures - measures in inches - used in North America.
Seven different patents have been filed to ensure full ownership of the DPBE, fully developed by us, which is today one of only two such solutions available on the world market. These patents protect both the device and the method of fitting and testing it.
We are continuing our development efforts to further improve it. Research is being conducted on geometric adaptations to make the DPBE suitable for new network sizes, and studies are looking into other possible uses, under different pressure or flow conditions. The aim is to win new competitive bids in Europe and across the Atlantic.
One of the many advantages of DPBE is that it is completely independent of the type of gas being transported. So, on a distribution network, it works regardless of the percentage of hydrogen or the origin of the gas, whether natural, synthetic or biomethane. A valuable asset in the context of the energy transition.||||||