EMS Pipeline Services Launches TechTools Release 2.0; Upgraded Gas Measurement Software Adds Functionality, Boosts Productivity for Field Technicians
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 2004--EMS Pipeline Services, a business unit of Energy Maintenance Services Group l, LLC (EMS Group), has released an upgraded version of its TechTools software suite for PGAS, the industry's leading gas measurement software system, used by more than 25 major energy companies.
The new version, dubbed TechTools Release 2.0, includes enhancements to existing product modules plus three new modules that provide users with additional tools to assist the field technician with the inspection and operation of natural gas measurement facilities.
TechTools is a laptop-based toolkit that provides an integrated set of software modules to enhance the productivity of the field technician performing their gas measurement functions. The existing TechTools modules include:
Meter Test - provides the field technician with a method to electronically record gas meter inspections. The application
supports inspections for many different meter types such as orifice, turbine, positive displacement, rotary, and ultrasonic meters. Completed reports can be printed, exported
to one of many different file formats, or electronically exported to a central measurement system such as the PGAS
System for automated processing and volume corrections due to
calibration errors.
Meter Change - provides the field technician with a method to electronically record field measurement equipment changes. The
list of items that can be reported through the Meter Change application is fully user-configurable. Completed reports can be printed, exported to one of many different file formats, or electronically exported to a central measurement system such
as the PGAS System for processing.
In addition, Tech Tools was designed with an open XML architecture to export field information to customers' enterprise measurement systems, including EMS Pipeline Services' PGAS software.
The new modules that were added to TechTools Release 2.0 are:
Volume Calculator - enables the technician to calculate natural gas volumes or other variables associated to gas measurement. This calculator module can be used by the field technician to validate the accuracy of a flow computer's calculation, calculate a meter's current flow rate, or back calculate some measurement flow variables such as orifice size, differential pressure or uncorrected volume. The module
supports AGA3 1985 and 1992 equations for orifice meter calculations and AGA7 for turbine, positive displacement, rotary, and ultrasonic calculations and gas compressibility calculations using NX19, AGA8 detailed or gross methods. All
calculation results can be saved to the TechTools database for
later review and reporting.
Gas Quality Calculator - enables user to input lab analysis data and calculate associated variables such as heating value
in BTUs, specific gravity, specific heat ratio, molecular weight and GPM. The applications automatically re-normalizes components and calculates results based on dry, saturated, and as-delivered (water vapor adjusted) components. Useful for checking accuracy of a gas chromatograph or recalculating lab
analysis results for validation.
Gas Loss Calculator - mainly for use by pipeline companies, enables user to calculate gas volume lost associated with the maintenance and operation of a pipeline. Application includes methods to calculate pipe loading, pipe blowdown, pipe purge, or rupture volumes. The technician inputs variables such as pipe size, temperature, length, pressure and other factors to calculate how much gas is lost in pipeline maintenance operations. The tool also calculates gas heater fuel volumes
based on user-entered gas temperatures and heater efficiency.
Meter Test Scheduler - used with the integrated meter configuration database provides a method for the technician to
build and maintain the meter test schedules. The integrated meter configuration database can be used to pre-fill meter
test, meter change, volume calculator and gas quality calculator forms thus reducing data entry requirements each
time the application is used. The meter test scheduler links to the meter configuration records to generate pre-filled meter test reports based on the user defined schedule setup of each meter the technician maintains.
"Our goal in improving TechTools through the addition of these new modules is to incorporate all the tools used in the field for gas measurement into a single application," said Ken Cessac, TechTools product manager. "Using TechTools improves the technician productivity by allowing the user to input data once and using it to perform numerous calculations in the same program. It also minimizes operator errors by pre-filling data fields from its database, eliminating re-keying from the field to the host office and automatically validating data."
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