Through the mid-1990s the turbocharger remained a fairly simple solution to provide sufficient air needed to either increase engine power or lower emissions on the large-bore slow-speed reciprocating engines used in the natural gas transmission industry. Because emission regulations were not as stringent and thus operating envelopes not as tight, operators and engineers viewed the turbocharger as a work horse that needed little attention. They enjoyed a great deal of latitude in turbocharger selection since with just a few adjustments of internal parts a mechanic easily could have a turbocharger operating on an engine.

As the environmental and competitive field began to change and with R&D programs at pipeline companies curtailed, the industry chose to develop an independent research facility to address turbocharger/engine system performance interactions. With financial assistance from Kansas State University, industry associations, vendors and the State of Kansas, the National Gas Machinery Laboratory was developed to provide the industry with independent testing, analysis, and research of turbochargers used in the natural gas transmission industry.

NGML Mission
The National Gas Machinery Laboratory at Kansas State University will maintain a center of expertise to reduce the lifecycle costs of prime mover operations and be a focal point for industry education, research and application, and outreach.

Developed in 1996 as a research facility to focus on turbochargers used in the natural gas transmission industry, NGML collaborates with industry stakeholders to:

- Develop previously unavailable turbocharger performance maps that can be used to determine, prior to field installation, whether a performance specification can be met
- Educate pipeline engineers to better understand how engine air flow impacts emissions and what engineers can do to decrease emissions
- Determine the means by which to measure, calculate, and forecast turbocharger performance and engine emissions from field test data
- Provide well-trained engineers to the industry upon graduation

While the NGML contributions to the natural gas transmission industry are significant and hold great promise for the future, these are indeed a collaborative effort with the industry. Such accomplishments are only possible through visionary leadership, such as that provided by the Pipeline Research Council International, Inc. and K-State administration.

The National Gas Machinery Laboratory at Kansas State University helps today’s pipeline industry supply the country with fuel — safely, reliably and cost-effectively. Home to the Turbocharger Test and Research Facility, NGML works with industry to find practical, cost-efficient solutions to engineering problems in the natural gas pipeline business.

The thousands of reciprocating engines that power natural gas pipelines across the country were built during a time when emissions were not a national concern. Replacing these engines would cost the industry billions of dollars. The NGML’s mission is to aid industry in preserving and retrofitting these original engines to meet today’s standards more efficiently and at a lower cost.
We are proud of the collaborative effort we have built at NGML, and value the working relationship we have with the segments of the pipeline industry. Through partnerships, our cutting-edge research will continue to make a significant difference in the efficiency of transporting natural gas and, ultimately, in the cost of doing business in the pipeline industry.

Dr. Kirby S. Chapman is professor of mechanical engineering and director of the NGML. He researches methods and technologies to monitor and reduce pollutant emissions in turbochargers and internal combustion engines. He also serves as advisor to the Gas Machinery Conference (GMC), teaches turbomachinery courses to industry professionals and K-State students, and mentors graduate students.

Chapman earned a doctorate in radiant heat transfer, modeling of nitrogen oxide emissions, and computational fluid dynamics from Purdue University. He received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and his master’s from Michigan Technological University. He joined the K-State faculty as an assistant professor in 1990.

The NGML Industry Advisory Committee includes representatives from:

- AETC
- Cameron Energy Services
- El Paso Pipeline Group
- Enginuity
- Exterran
- Globe Turbocharger Specialties
- Hoerbiger
- Hoerbiger Engineering Services
- Kansas State University College of Engineering
- Kansas Technology Enterprises Corporation
- Magellan Pipeline Company
- Northern Natural Gas
- Panhandle Energy
- Pipeline Research Council International, Inc.
- Southern California Gas Company
- Spectra Energy
- Williams Pipeline

For comments or questions about this section, please contact Jon Tice, MSME, JTice@Dresser-Rand.com