OTD
Since 2003, OTD has focused on infrastructure needs ranging from simple tools like
the pavement breaker lift assist that helps utility personnel reduce the risk of personal
injury to game-changing technologies like the use of sophisticated GPS devices for
sub-foot tracking and tracing of utility assets and an acoustic pipe locator that is able
to find plastic pipe without the use of tracer wire.
OTD is a not-for-profit corporation led by its 23 members who serve over 38 million
natural gas consumers in the United States and Canada. Through collaborative research
and technology development, OTD member companies pool their resources and leverage available funding to ensure that complex tasks are becoming easier to accomplish, expensive activities are becoming less costly, and risk is becoming more manageable.
One thing that remains constant is change. The energy industry will continue to
evolve, and OTD provides its members the ability to anticipate changes and adapt
their operations through technology improvements.
What follows is a small sample of the many projects that OTD has sponsored on
behalf of the natural gas industry and its customers.
Technology supporting natural gas infrastructure
Operations
Technology
Development
Safe & Secure
As natural gas utilities grapple with an aging infrastructure, new pipeline integrity
regulations, climate change, environmental impacts, alternative sources of supply
and a continuous effort to improve operating efficiencies, OTD’s work has become
increasingly important. Initiatives supported by OTD have successfully addressed
these growing issues for natural gas distribution utilities.
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OTD Technology Highlights
Product Pipeline
“ They are clearly strong in
collaboration. I think their
collaboration model is
unique in our industry and
they manage that well. They
pull together member
companies and collaborate
effectively to accomplish
things these companies
couldn’t do individually. We
rely on them for shared ideas
from all over the country to
make the outcome greater.
They’re very aware of what
the industry faces and
they’re looking at projects
that align with that.”
Hart Gilchrist,
Intermountain Gas
OTD Member
High-Accuracy GPS for Tablets and Smart Phones
An application developed by OTD and GTI as part of the 3-GIS Mobile 2.1 platform
allows users to collect sub-foot accurate GPS data in real time with no need for backoffice processing or data conversion. The application provides disconnected editing and
barcode scanning to automatically populate the GIS with attribute information. It is compatible with Android devices and modular options allow users to select hardware based
on individual needs.
GTI has established LocusView Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary, to provide mobile
mapping and field data collection services, including software configuration, hardware
selection and set-up, cloud hosting, deployment and implementation, training, and
back-office integration. Visit www.locusview.com to learn more.
GPS-Enabled Leak Surveying
Automating the leak surveying and pinpointing process with GPS
eliminates paper records, providing increased efficiency and reliable
compliance documentation. Implementation of the GPS-enabled
system with the VeroTrack AST™ software application is under way
at several utility companies.
Keyhole Pipeline Inspection Camera System
The PRX250K keyhole camera is an internal inspection system designed for visual
assessment of live mains through conventional pits or small keyholes. The system
is easily maneuverable through tight bends, allowing utilities to examine pipe segments without the need to drill additional access holes.
Lift Assists for Pavement Breakers and Rock Drills
These devices, available from Integrated Tool Solutions, provide
two new tools, pavement and rock breakers. They assist workers
in lifting the pavement breaker and rock drill after the bit has broken through the surface of the street or concrete and needs to be
repositioned for the next penetration. By eliminating the need to
manually lift and re-position the heavy tools, these lift assists make
pavement and concrete breaking easier and less physically demanding.
Large-Diameter, Medium-Pressure Inflatable Stoppers
Marketed as the Kleiss MCS Flow Stopping System, this new system is used
to stop the flow of gas in polyethylene, steel, cast-iron, and PVC pipes at
diameters up to 18 inches and pressures up to 60 psig. The system, which
is manufactured in Europe, was investigated through OTD to validate its
operation and potential savings in the U.S. gas industry.
Efficient
Handheld Acoustic Pipe Locator
The acoustic-based pipe locator provides the ability to locate plastic pipes
before excavations and construction. Now commercially available, in tests the
system was shown to be capable of detecting multiple buried plastic pipes at
depths up to five feet. Commercially available from SENSIT Technologies.
Analytical Tools and Reports
RFID Marker Technology Implementation Guidelines
A set of guidelines was developed for the implementation and application of integrated
Global Positioning Systems (GPS), RFID Marker Technology Implementation Guidelines
Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and “Smart Tag” technologies to streamline
public-improvement project planning and prevent damage caused by excavations.
Cross Bores Best Practices Guide & Videos
Significant research was conducted to investigate gas line/
sewer line cross bores. The Guide and “how-to” videos
(available through the OTD website) provide recommendations
and procedures for preventing and detecting cross bores.
Underground Facility Pinpointing
Reports from this project present the results of research conducted on several technologies used by utilities to locate underground pipes and facilities. Researchers
investigated standard electromagnetic locators, ground-penetrating radar, and alternative imaging tools. The reports provide a comparative, technical evaluation of
tools that are currently available.
Polyurea Coating Testing and Assessment for Gas-Industry Use
A Final Report is available on research into field-applied polyurea coatings for gas
industry use. Through a new initiative, long-term field trials will be conducted to
evaluate these additional coatings and determine a cost-effective coating application
method and process.
Inspection Technology Strategy Tool
An on-line software tool was developed to assist pipeline operators in evaluating and
selecting appropriate inspection tools. A website provides a centralized resource for
technical information and expertise related to internal inspection issues and concerns.
Leak-Rupture Boundary Report and Calculator
This report and associated software allows operators to determine the leak-rupture
boundary for a pipe segment based on properties such as the diameter, toughness,
and yield strength. Operators can use the calculator for risk modeling and consequence analysis.
Reliable
Portable Methane Detector (PMD)
The handheld SENSIT ® PMD uses optical-detection technology to
provide sensitivity and cost advantages over conventional techniques employing flame ionization detectors. The PMD improves
the efficiency of leak surveys, is less costly to maintain than other
technologies, and can detect leaks from low ppm to 100% gas.
Software applications and
technical reports can be
found on the OTD website at www.otd-co.org
or are available for
purchase through
Technical Toolboxes at
www.ttoolboxes.com/
products/OTD
“ We wouldn’t be able to be
involved in this level of
R&D if we weren’t a
member of OTD.
I think their technical
expertise and their project
management skills are two
of their strengths. Because
they stay abreast of pipeline
safety regulations and are
very knowledgeable about
the gas industry in general,
they have the ability to
take on many different
types of projects.
They have proven that they
can get projects completed
within a reasonable timeframe and on budget and
have gotten numerous
products put into service.
After the initial R&D, they
have the ability to move a
product through a ‘proof
of concept ’ and have been
successful in finding commercializers to get products
into the marketplace.”
Mike J. Leger,
Entergy
OTD Member
Field-Applied Pipeline Coatings:
Short- and Long-Term Performance
This report presents the culmination of a 10-year research
program to assess more than 80 different commercially available field-applied pipeline-coating products. The goal was to
establish an unbiased, third-party basis for operators to select
the most appropriate coating system for particular applications.field-applied pipelinecoating products.
Evaluation of Guided Wave Technology as a Hydrotest Equivalent
This report details an evaluation conducted to
demonstrate and validate the use of Guided Wave
Ultrasonic Testing as an equivalent to a hydrotest. A
report was developed and incorporated by the National
Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) TG410
committee into the new consensus standard, SP0313Guided Wave Technology for Piping Applications.
Flaw Acceptance Criteria and Repair Options for Low-Stress Natural Gas Pipelines
Researchers partnered with pipeline companies and industry organizations to develop
modified assessment criteria for low-stress pipelines. The goal, as outlined in this report,
was to develop criteria for discriminating flaws that truly affect pipeline integrity from
flaws that have no significant impact.
Tracer Wire for HDD Applications
Extensive research and testing culminated in the release of a report that provides valuable information on the properties and performance of various tracer-wire products
for use in horizontal directional drilling (HDD) operations.
Integrating GPS into Routine Operations
This report provides a set of recommendations and GPS implementation strategies
developed through pilot programs, literature searches, and reviews of existing applications. Operations that were considered included meter reading, leak surveying, new
installations, corrosion monitoring, and valve inspections.
Electrofusion Coupling Evaluation and Best Practices
Researchers investigated techniques used to perform electrofusion joining of plastic
gas pipe in an effort to develop guidelines for the use and operation of electrofusion
coupling. With a detailed set of guidelines, the gas industry can enhance the performance and safety of its plastic piping systems.
Operations Technology
Development, NFP
1700 S. Mount Prospect Rd.
Des Plaines, Illinois 60018
847-544-3400
FAX: 847-544-3401
www.otd-co.org
7/15
First Responders DVDs
To help gas companies better educate first-responding personnel about natural gas emergencies, gas industry
researchers and training experts developed DVD-based
learning modules with realistic scenarios covering a variety
of issues. Designed to enhance public and worker safety,
the training product also serves to improve emergencyresponse effectiveness and coordination.
For More Information
Ron Snedic, OTD President; 847-768-0572; ron.snedic@otd-co.org