WGC 2018 Innovation Awards

Category Winner: Optiretail by ENGIE Lab CRIGEN

Inspired by the most recent logistics and operational research publications, and based on its LNG expertise, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN has designed an innovative decision making software for small scale LNG projects: Optiretail. Optiretail designs the optimal LNG supply chain from sourcing to delivery by minimizing the total cost of the project (CAPEX and OPEX). It enables to quickly test new configurations and can be used for project dimensioning and real-time optimization for all small scale LNG market opportunities: LNG-to-Power, LNG-as-fuel for road and marine transportation as well as LNG-for-industrials. The software was tested on the supply of 70 fueling stations in Europe and 19 LNG-to-power plants in Indonesia. Ongoing developments aim at adapting Optiretail to Liquid Hydrogen (LH2).

Frederic Legrand, LNG Research Program Manager, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN

Category Winner: Nano-Enhanced Multifunctional Coating System

Nanto Cleantech Group (NCT) designs, develops and supplies advanced materials based on patented proprietary nanotechnology, pioneering in the world the enhancement of traditional applications of coatings and polymers, such as anticorrosion, fire retardant and reduced friction, among others. Proper modification and incorporation of nanoparticles to polymers provide added functionalities and improved attributes compared to conventional materials, with increased durability in terms of service time, delivering cost-effective and environmental friendly solutions to the oil & gas industry, as well as all the other industrial applications.

Roberto Cafagna, Managing Director, Nanto Cleantech Inc

Category Winner: DPBE: Excess Flow Valve for Existing Service Line in PE

DPBE is used to protect PE service lines for a gas pressure between 400 mbar and 5 bar. Inserted in existing service lines in live conditions through the regulating box, without any excavation, it take less than 30 minutes to secure the service line.

Michel Hardy, R&D Program Manager, GRTgaz

Category Winner: Shale Gas Exploration and Development in China in the past 10 years

Shale gas development in China has made remarkable achievements in the past 10 years. Through technical cooperation and self-innovation it has rapidly established a series of applicable and mature main engineering technology and supporting equipment for shale gas exploration and development with burial depths less than 4000m. The understanding and experience gained in China can be of great reference and has significant impacts to shale gas development around the world.

Hongyan Wang, Professor of Engineering, Research Institute Of Petroleum Exploration Development (RIPED) & China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)

Category Winner: Energy Planning Analysis Tool

The publicly available Energy Planning Analysis Tool (EPAT) software provides regional U.S. estimates of site and full-cycle energy consumption, capital and operating costs for several residential energy applications (e.g. space heating, water heating, cooking, clothes drying and other home energy uses) and full-cycle emissions (e.g. NOx, CO₂, methane and others). The software allows the user to select a wide range of residential technologies for a pair-wise comparison of two home energy use scenarios: baseline and alternative. The pair-wise analysis can be repeated with different assumptions to craft a range of scenarios.

William Liss, Managing Director, Gas Technology Institute

Category Winner: World’s First High-Efficiency SOFC-based Fuel Cell System

Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd have demonstrated the world’s first technology capable of achieving DC 73% power generation efficiency (assumed AC conversion power generation efficiency is 65%) for LHV in a 5kW class small output Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system. “65%” means the value of surpassing the efficiency of the latest large-scale thermal power plants. In addition, “5kW class SOFC systems” can be part of a distributed power system and rapidly installed by business users. The results achieved suggest that this technology has significant potential for expanding natural gas use to sustainably support our daily living and economic activities while also reducing CO2.

Shirai Marie, Research Worker, Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd

Category Winner: The PHANGV™

The Adsorbed Natural Gas Products, Inc. (ANGP) Plug-in Hybrid Natural Gas Vehicle, or PHANGV™ integrated low-pressure natural gas storage system economically enables privately fueled, clean running large-frame light duty vehicles (SUVs, pick-up trucks and service vans). The key to the system is ANGP’s adsorbed natural gas (ANG) storage that uses a highly porous adsorbent material to densely store natural gas molecules at pressures of 900 psi and below. Under controlled depressurization, these molecules release and exit the storage system in response to the demand of the vehicle’s engine. Low-pressure storage enables economical and reliable low-pressure private fueling at home or in a business (fleet depot) application.

Robert Bonelli, President & CEO, Adsorbed Natural Gas Products, Inc

Category Winner: Ground Scanner Enables Virtual Digging

Due to a combination of various innovations, such as machine learning and augmented reality, this 3D ground scanning technology provides a clear image of what is under the ground. The clear user interface ensures that anyone can easily operate the scanner and understand the results. This not only allows us to protect our staff better, we prevent excavation damage and it also benefits the environment in which we work

Wim van Grunderbeek, Project Manager, Gasunie & Gerben Roseboom, Founder & Director, MapXact

Category Winner: Development of a Fast Preselection Tool for Biogas Injection in the Spanish Natural Gas Network

Biomethane is growing in importance as an alternative and ‘green’ fuel in Europe and Spain. In the Smart Green Gas project granted by the Spanish Ministry for Economy and Competitiveness, a hybrid flexible prototype is being designed to upgrade biogas. A new simulation tool was developed to study the potential performances of all available technologies for biogas upgrading based on economic and technical feasibility. Commercial simulation software is expensive and potential users do not have access to the products available on the market. A compromise among licence price and simulation performances has been built to avoid expensive and difficult training.

Angel Guiterrez, R&D Manager, Nortegas Energia Distribución, S.A.U

Category Winner: Rebellion Photonics Gas Cloud Imaging Camera

Rebellion Photonics has developed the Gas Cloud Imaging (GCI) camera, a hyperspectral imaging camera that monitors, quantifies and displays gas leaks in real-time as far as 2 miles away. For confined areas, Rebellion Photonics provides the mini GCI camera that can detect leaks as far away as 100 m. The camera uses infrared absorption spectroscopy and can determine what gases are present by analyzing absorption signatures. The GCI camera operates in the long-wave spectral regions, which allows it to differentiate and quantify gases present. Rebellion Photonics uses algorithms built in house to detect and quantify gas and liquid leaks in real-time. Alert levels are programmed directly into the system allowing for a fully automated process. Alarm options are available for gas detection, liquid leak detection, intrusion detection and security, fire detection, tank level monitoring, flare monitoring and maintenance triage. The leak detection system can detect all hydrocarbons in the 10 ppm to 500 ppm range and is compatible with all major DCS and alarm systems. The self-calibrating hardware is typically 100 times more accurate at detecting leaks than traditional hardware and can estimate the total volume of gas emitted within 10% accuracy. Operators can set thresholds for these alarms depending on the application and gases present. The technology allows operators to identify and prioritize leaks, reducing time spent on investigating false alarms created by steam or heat.

Robert Kester, CEO, Rebellion Photonics