Briefing on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Automatic Shutdown and Remote Control Valve Study

U.S. Department of Transportation

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Briefing on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Automatic Shutdown and Remote Control Valve Study

Patrick Landon, P.E.Engineer - Office of Pipeline Safety

202-366-3814 [email protected]

Liquid and Gas Pipeline Advisory CommitteesDecember 11 and 13, 2012



Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (ORNL)

Established in 1943 as an integral part of the Manhattan Project

Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory

Managed by a limited liability partnership between the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute known as UT-Battelle

ORNL operates nine user facilities that draw thousands of research scientists and visitors each year

In March 2012 PHMSA contracted ORNL to conduct the automatic shutdown (ASV) and remote controlled (RCV) valve study



Background ORNL’s StudyBackground ORNL’s StudyRequirements of the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011, Section 4 – Automatic/Remote-Controlled Shut-off Valves:

– Requires that the Secretary mandate, by regulation, ASV/RCV be installed on newly constructed or entirely replaced natural gas and hazardous liquid transmission pipelines 2 years after the act was issued

– Requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study on the ability of liquid and gas transmission pipeline operators to respond to a release within an HCA

NTSB Recommendation P-11-11 (San Bruno):

– Directly require that automatic shutoff valves (ASV) or remote control valves (RCV) be installed in high consequence areas and in Class 3 and 4 locations and spaced at intervals that consider population factors listed in regulations for gas transmission pipelines.



Background ORNL’s StudyBackground ORNL’s StudyMarch 28, 2012 Understanding the Application of Automatic Control and Remote Control Valves Workshop conducted

– Federal and State regulators, transmission line operators, and the public discussed the practical considerations involved with installing, operating and maintaining ASV/RCV

– Information obtained through the workshop was used by ORNL within their study

– Meeting Website, including Summary Report: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/MtgHome.mtg?mtg=75

– Comments were submitted in request to address the scope of ORNL’s study

• Federal Register Comments on commissioned valve study PHMSA-2012-0021: http://www.regulations.gov



Background ORNL’s StudyBackground ORNL’s Study

July 18 and 19, 2012 Government/Industry Pipeline Research and Development (R&D) Forum

– Working group indicated a technology gap in the reliability of the operation of ASV

– Based on the R&D forum recommendations a project is sought to study more accurate line break detection systems to minimize unintended valve closures

– Forum Summary Report and Presentations: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/rd/mtg_071812.htm

– Research Announcement: http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/matrix/RfpInfo.rdm?rfp=41

– Solicitation closed, white papers currently being reviewed



Comments on ORNL’s Draft Comments on ORNL’s Draft StudyStudy

On October 5th, 2012 ORNL presented in a webinar their draft study

Comments were received from October 5 to October 26, 2012 on ORNL’s draft report

There were seven commenters

ORNL determined there were 42 technically substantive comments. Some of which resulted in a changes by ORNL to ORNL’s Study

ORNL’s draft final report and comments to the ORNL study can be found on the meeting website: https://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/meetings/DocHome.mtg?Doc=9



Changes Made to ORNL’s StudyChanges Made to ORNL’s StudyComment ORNL’s response

Inadvertent valve closures not addressed in ORNL’s study

Section 4.1.3 of ORNL’s study now discusses these consequences

Hazardous Liquid case studies 7&8 numbers are inaccurate Release after 90 minute shutdown for case study 8a not a realistic number

Model was adjusted to §194.105 Worst case discharge methodology, estimated release volume is now consistent with §194.105 (b)(1) methodology of calculation

Use of the word leak should be changed to rupture where the high rate of mass releases associated with pipeline failure are appropriate

Clarification was added to ORNL’s study in section 1.3



Changes Made to ORNL’s StudyChanges Made to ORNL’s StudyComment ORNL’s response

Use of the word “detect” should expand beyond CPM and SCADA detection

Change made to ORNL’s study in the description of the Detection Phase for both Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquids

Flow rate on hazardous liquid lines can exceed normal pipeline follow immediately following a rupture.

Changes in ORNL’s study’s Analytical Approach and Computational Models have been made to address this comment

The proposed hazard zone model is based on an extremely conservative and inappropriate approach to pipeline outflow estimation and a fire radiation model that ignores significant sources of conservatism inherent in using a point-source radiation model

These models are not intended to be exact solutions to these complex engineering problems. To further address this comment, the text in Section 3.1.2 of ORNL’s study was modified to clarify this concern and to minimize any possible confusion or misunderstanding in the application of these models.



ORNL ASV/RCV StudyORNL ASV/RCV Study

Analyzed the response of rapid block valve closure on

– Gas transmission lines with ignition of product

– Hazardous liquid transmission lines with ignition of product

– Hazardous liquid transmission lines without ignition of product

Technical, operational, and economic feasibility were evaluated for ASV/RCVs

– Fire modeling was used to establish metrics for analyzing response time for transmission lines with ignition

– Basic Oil Spill Cost Estimation Model (BOSCEM) used by EPA on oil spill was used to model response time for HL transmission lines without ignition



ORNL’s Study ObservationsORNL’s Study ObservationsASVs/RCVs installation on newly constructed/fully replaced gas and liquid transmission lines are technically, operationally, and economically feasible (positive cost benefit).

Decreasing the total volume of released product reduces overall impacts on public and environmental safety.

Installing ASVs/RCVs can potentially be an effective strategy to mitigate consequences of unintended pipeline releases.

Block valve closure swiftness is most effective in mitigating damage resulting from a pipeline release (and subsequent fire) when damaged pipeline segment is isolated and thermal radiation produced by fire declines in time to enable emergency responders to safely start fire fighting activities immediately upon arrival.



ORNL’s Study ObservationsORNL’s Study ObservationsPositive effects of rapid block valve closure are only realized through combined efforts of pipeline operators and emergency responders.

Similarly, the avoided cost of socioeconomic and environmental damage for hazardous liquid pipeline releases without ignition increase as time required to isolate the damaged pipeline segment decreases.

The modeling is dependent on a case-by-case analysis of each pipeline system due to complexity of location, response capabilities, pipeline configuration, and resources



Thank youThank you

Briefing on Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Automatic Shutdown and Remote Control Valve Study

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