Design and Analysis of a Hybrid Power System for a Remote Natural Gas Pipeline Control Station

Abstract

The efficient operation of natural gas pipeline control stations relies on electrical equipment such as data loggers, control systems, surveillance and communication devices etc. These control stations are often located in remote areas, where maintaining reliable, uninterrupted, and continuous power supply poses a significant challenge. In this paper, a hybrid power system (HPS) is proposed to meet the unique requirements of a specific remote natural gas pipeline control station as a case study. Based on the collected site data and load profile for a connected load of 275KW, the proposed system is designed using HOMER Pro software. To ensure continuous and sustainable power supply to the control station, the proposed system combines solar photovoltaic (PV) panels with conventional natural gas generators. The detailed analysis of the capital and energy costs associated with the proposed system reveals that the system is suitable for selected site and can reduce costs substantially.