Jason Vosburgh

We’re pleased to announce that Onboard Dynamics was selected to present their pipeline evacuation technology in the 2023 SHALE INSIGHT^® Conference. This leading conference in American shale energy brings together industry professionals from across the natural gas supply chain, bringing best-in-class technology solutions and innovative strategies designed to optimize shale energy production.

Onboard Dynamics was chosen to introduce their product, the GoVAC® MAX system, during the SHALE INSIGHT^® Technology Showcase on September 27th, 2023. The Technology Showcase includes six companies that were chosen from a competitive field of entries to present their groundbreaking technologies and innovations. These companies’ services will directly address Appalachian Basin shale industry challenges, while benefiting the industry and its stakeholders. Onboard Dynamics’ CEO and Co-founder, Rita Hansen delivered the presentation during the showcase panel.

In addition the Technology Showcase, Onboard Dynamics was among the dozens of companies represented at the SHALE INSIGHT^® Exhibit in booth #423.

The GoVAC^® MAX – Innovative Pipeline Evacuation System 

During the Technology Showcase, Ms. Hansen introduced Onboard Dynamics’ GoVAC® MAX system, which utilizes cross compression technology for pipeline evacuation. The GoVAC^® MAX system connects to a natural gas pipeline, draws it down to near-zero psig, and transfers the natural gas to an adjacent pipeline. The system utilizes the natural gas in the pipeline as its source of power and is based on an industrial V8 engine with half of the engine used for combustion and the other half for compression. The patented crosshead design eliminates side loads on the compression pistons, thereby promoting long system life. The GoVAC^® MAX is designed to operate with a wide range of inlet pressures and delivers increased flow rates. To accomplish this flexibility, a novel stage-skipping design bypasses the first stage of compression and delivers higher pressures into the second stage of compression. Faster flow rates are achieved by designing for the maximum pressure normally found in a gas transmission line. The GoVAC^® MAX system incorporates enhanced filtration that allows for lower quality gas streams where liquid drop out might be present which is often encountered in midstream and upstream applications. The system is also equipped with telematics capability with 2-way communications, enabling data capture and secure storage in the cloud, remote monitoring, and the ability to generate meaningful environmental and operational reports.

About SHALE INSIGHT^® 2023 and the Technology Showcase

SHALE INSIGHT^® 2023 offers participants unprecedented interaction with industry-leading CEOs, elected officials and thought leaders, all of whom play a critical role in crafting the public policy and technical landscape that defines shale gas development around the world. Insightful technical and public affairs sessions, national keynote addresses, and networking receptions will provide attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors unique access to the industry’s most influential leaders and innovators. 

The SHALE INSIGHT^® 2023 12th annual Technology Showcase was held on September 27, 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm. Out of nearly twenty submissions, six companies were selected to present their technologies to the natural gas industry and its service providers. Each selected company delivered an 8-minute presentation followed by a 2-minute Q&A session. The SHALE INSIGHT^® 2023, A Shale Coalition® Conference, was held from Sept. 26 – 28 in Erie, PA.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has chosen Onboard Dynamics to be among the 54 organizations invited to participate in its first-ever Innovation Pitch Fest. The event is an initiative focused on bridging the gap between today’s energy system and California’s electrified and decarbonized future. The new initiative features nearly 70 challenges and opportunities for R&D around six key themes – gas innovations, undergrounding, electric vehicles, integrated grid planning, wildfire innovations, and supply and load management.

Onboard Dynamics was chosen to present their product, the GoVAC® MAX system, in the gas innovations section. This innovative system addresses PG&E’s problem statement to reduce transmission pipeline blowdown methane emissions whereas current technologies to abate blowdown emissions are costly, resource intensive to implement, and require heavy equipment. The GoVAC® MAX system is a mobile, scalable and efficient cross-compression solution with unique automated data collection and reporting of captured and recovered natural gas.

The novel design of the GoVAC® MAX system

The GoVAC® MAX system is a self-contained natural gas capture and recovery solution with a novel integrated engine/compressor design making the system more portable and maneuverable than other natural gas-powered pipeline evacuation systems of comparable throughput. The system is built on patented compression technology that runs on a small portion of the natural gas that is being evacuated in the pipeline. Operating on natural gas reduces the emission profile to a minimum and removes the need for additional equipment and resources during natural gas capture and recovery projects. The system touts a small footprint making it easy to fit into challenging locations and is nimble enough to be pulled by a standard pickup making it highly maneuverable around a job site. With its novel patented stage skipping technology, it is robust enough to offer high flow rates and variable inlet/outlet pressure. Systems can also be pooled together when there is a need to scale for even larger projects.

The GoVAC® MAX control system provides automated data capture, remote monitoring and ensures safe and tamper-proof transmission, data storage and secure access. Accurate and validated environmental and operational reporting on key metrics are available to the operators both on site and remote and have the option of 3^rd party certification. This digitized evacuation capability will enable PG&E to fulfill current and future regulations and environmental initiatives.

About the PG&E Innovation Pitch Fest

PG&E evaluated more than 600 applications to participate in Pitch Fest and selected just 54 organizations to participate. During the Pitch Fest, each organization had 15 minutes to present their respective solution to PG&E decision-makers. Successful pitches have the potential to lead to a range of follow-on engagements with PG&E, including but not limited to direct partnership and grant opportunities.

The Innovation Pitch Fest was held from Sept.12-14, in San Ramon, Calif.

Read the release here>>

This white paper was presented during the 2023 Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management Conference.

Title:  Innovative Pipeline Evacuation Technologies for Reducing Methane Releases to the Environment During Pipeline Maintenance and Pigging Operations

Abstract:

Pipeline operators are showing a growing interest in adopting new technology solutions and operating practices to reduce methane releases during pipeline operations and maintenance. This increasing attention is focused on methane capture and recovery during routine pigging operations. The number of pigging operations, and the fact that they are usually conducted on a predictable schedule suggest that this source of methane release should be a prime target for operators seeking to improve their environmental profile.

This paper will provide an overview of technologies and operating practices that can be implemented to reduce methane releases during pigging operations. We will discuss technology features that are most important in determining project success including natural gas capture time, system set up time, the need for additional equipment and fuel supply, and consideration of equipment physical size. We will go over how these factors all impact the time and cost to capture natural gas. Also discussed is the importance of collecting and securing data to meet regulatory and auditing requirements.

The Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management (PPIM) Conference will be held in Houston, TX from February 6^th – 10^th, 2023.

Onboard Dynamics has been chosen as one of the companies to provide a white paper and presentation at the 2023 PPIM conference. The white paper, titled “Innovative Pipeline Evacuation Technology for Reducing Methane Releases to the Environment During Pipeline Maintenance and Pigging Operations”, will be presented at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, February 8^th, 2023, at the Hilton Americas in Houston.

Jeff Witwer, PhD, PE, will be giving the presentation overview of the paper. He is a technical advisor as well as one of the co-founders of Onboard Dynamics. The presentation, as well as the white paper, will provide an overview of technologies and operating practices that can be implemented to reduce methane releases during pigging operations. It will share technological features that are most important in determining project success including natural gas capture time, system set up time, the need for additional equipment and fuel supply, and consideration of equipment physical size. It will go over how these factors all impact the time and cost to capture natural gas. Also discussed is the importance of collecting and securing data to meet regulatory and auditing requirements.

Onboard Dynamics Exhibiting at the PPIM

In addition, Onboard Dynamics will have exhibit booth #546 located at George R. Brown Convention Center next to the Hilton. At the booth, visitors can learn about the GoVAC® FLEX system. It is a revolutionary tool for minimizing methane releases during pipeline blowdowns and is powered by a small portion of the gas being recovered, so no external power is required. It is compact to easily facilitate transport and positioning at job sites; Remote monitoring ensures reliable operation and responsive service. State-of-the-art telemetry provides accurate and detailed environmental reporting. 

About the PPIM conference

In parallel with the demands for greater pipeline safety, reliability, and efficiency – and the explosive growth in the market for technologies to help meet those demands – PPIM has evolved to become the industry’s primary forum for reporting new developments and field experience, and for showcasing the relevant tools and systems for pipeline inspection, assessment, and repair, as well as regulatory compliance and Integrity Management Programs. It is the place where the needs of pipeline operators and the capabilities of service and equipment suppliers intersect.

Onboard Dynamics has been selected to produce a final paper and presentation for the 2023 Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management (PPIM) Conference. The conference will be held in Houston, Texas from February 6^th – 10^th, 2023.

Titled “Self-contained Compressor Technology Platform That Eliminates the Need for Venting and Flaring During Pipeline Maintenance and Pigging Operations”, the presentation will present solutions on how to address the challenges for pipeline operators in keeping our natural gas pipeline infrastructure well maintained while mitigating methane emissions. This presentation will show how field pipeline operators can efficiently evacuate natural gas from pipelines with a much lower carbon footprint that helps to reduce the environmental impact and makes the process safe, efficient, and more reliable. It will also share new advanced methods for accurately monitoring and reporting on the captured and recovered methane that will help companies stay in compliance with future, aggressive regulations. 

Reliable, safe, and clean solutions to capture and recover methane from natural gas pipelines are a current focus at a time when US and global policies are addressing efforts to limit methane emissions across the entire oil and gas ecosystem. Companies will be required to move away from direct venting and flaring practices to ensure that no natural gas is intentionally released to the atmosphere during natural gas pipeline evacuations associated with the numerous pipeline maintenance, repair, and inspection operations. The need for effective and sustainable solutions that can be deployed quickly and easily with a clean environmental profile is becoming more in demand. Other challenges exist such as public scrutiny, equipment capacity and availability, automated monitoring, and accurate reporting to validate and verify the amount of methane that was captured and recovered for regulatory compliance purposes. Environmental auditing policies that are aimed at precise measurement and reporting of emissions data will only get stricter for technologies used in minimizing methane releases.

Onboard Dynamics has produced and developed innovative technology products for simplifying the capture, compression, transfer, and use of natural gas during pipeline operations.