Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A major concern for Energex, Australia's largest energy utility in South East Queensland, is the
escape of natural gas out of their reticulation systems. Within many of the older areas in Brisbane,
these networks operate primarily at low and medium pressure with a significant percentage of mains
being cast iron or steel. Over many years pipes in these networks have been replaced, yet reports
show that unaccounted for gas from the same networks remain high. Furthermore, operation and
maintenance budgets for these networks are high with many of these pipes close to the end of their
economic life.
When operation and maintenance costs exceed the costs of replacement, the Energex gas utility
initiates projects to renew reticulation networks with polyethylene pipes. Making decisions about
pipe renewal requires an evaluation of historical records from a number of sources, namely:
• gas consumption figures,
• history of leaks,
• maintenance and other related cost, and
• the loss of revenue contributed by unaccounted for gas.
Financial justification of capital expenditure has always been a requirement for renewal projects at
the Energex gas utility, however the impact of a deregulation in the energy utility market has
necessitated a review of their financial assessment for capital projects. The Energex gas utility has
developed an application that evaluates the financial viability of renewal projects. This research
will demonstrate the role of GIS integration with the Energex financial application.
The results of this study showed that a GIS integrated renewal planning approach incorporates
significant benefits including:
• Efficient selection of a sub-network based on pipe connectivity,
• Discovery of hidden relationships between spatially enabled alphanumeric data and
environmental information that improves decision making, and
• Enhanced testing of proposed renewal design options by scrutinizing the attributes of spatial
data. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Groot bron van kommer vir Energex, Australië se grootste energieverskaffer in Suidoos-
Queensland, is die verlies van natuurlike gas uit hul gasdistribusie netwerke. In 'n groot deel van
ouer Brisbane opereer hierdie netwerke hoofsaaklik teen lae en medium druk, met 'n aansienlike
persentasie van hoofpyplyne wat uit gietyster of staal bestaan. Al is sommige pyplyne in hierdie
netwerke met verloop van tyd vervang, maak verslae dit duidelik dat 'n groot deel van die gas in
hierdie netwerke steeds langs die pad verlore gaan. Die operasionele - en onderhoudsbegrotings vir
hierdie netwerke is boonop hoog, met 'n groot persentasie van die pyplyne wat binnekort aan die
einde van hulle ekonomiese leeftyd kom.
Wanneer operasionele- en onderhoudsonkostes die koste van vervanging oorskry, beplan Energex se
gasvoorsienings-afdeling projekte om verspreidingsnetwerke te hernu met poli-etileen pype. Om
sinvolle besluite te neem tydens pyplynhernuwings, word verskeie historiese verslae geraadpleeg,
insluitend: gasverbruikvlakke, lekplek geskiedenis rekords, onderhoud- en ander verwante onkostes,
asook die verlies van inkomste weens verlore gas.
Alhoewel finansiële stawing van kapitale uitgawes nog altyd 'n voorvereiste was tydens
hernuwingsprojekte by Energex, het die impak van privatisering op die energieverskaffingsmark dit
noodsaaklik gemaak om hulle finansiële goedkeuringsproses vir kapitaalprojekte te hersien.
Energex het dus 'n sagteware toepassing ontwikkel wat die finansiële gangbaarheid van
hernuwingsprojekte evalueer. Hierdie navorsing sal die moontlike integrasie van geografiese
inligtingstelsels (GIS) met dié van Energex se finansiële evalueringspakket demonstreer.
Die resultate van hierdie studie toon dat die integrasie van GIS in die hernuwingsproses aansienlike
voordele inhou, insluitende:
• die effektiewe seleksie van sub-netwerke, gebaseer op pyp konnektiwiteit,
• die ontdekking van verskuilde verwantskappe tussen geografies-ruimtelike alfanumeriese data
en omgewingsinligting, wat besluitneming vergemaklik, en
• verbeterde toetsing van voorgestelde hernuwingsopsies deur die indiepte-nagaan van geografiesruimtelike
elemente.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52980 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Hobson, Alan George Cawood |
| Contributors | Zietsman, H. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 62 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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