Pennsylvania Code › Title 52 - PUBLIC UTILITIES › Part I - Public Utility Commission › Subpart C - Fixed Service Utilities › Chapter 59 - GAS SERVICE › SERVICE AND FACILITIES › Section 59.30 - Heating value and purity of gas

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Testing apparatus.
The accuracy of testing apparatus, as well
					 as the method of making heating-value tests, shall be subject to the approval
					 of the Commission.
(b)
Tests.
Each public utility shall make or obtain the
					 determinations as may be necessary to ascertain the heating value of the gas
					 introduced into its distribution system and shall maintain an average heating
					 value not less than the minimum authorized. If compression, processing or other
					 factors tend to affect the heat content of all or any portion of its gas,
					 determinations of heating value shall be made of gas drawn from different parts
					 of the distribution system at points remote from the point where the gas enters
					 the distribution system, with the frequency and in the manner as may be
					 necessary to assure compliance with this section.
(c)
Records of tests.
Each
					 public utility shall adopt a standard printed form for recording the results of
					 heating value tests. Each determination of heating value shall be recorded
					 originally upon the form adopted for that purpose. If heating value is
					 determined by an approved type of recording calorimeter, the charts removed
					 from a calorimeter shall be sufficient to comply with the requirements of this
					 section. If manufactured or mixed gas is served, the average heating value
					 determined by these tests shall be recorded.
(d)
Heating value.
The
					 heating value of gas shall be as follows:
(1)
Natural gas.
If a public utility supplies natural gas, its
					 heating value may not fall below 950 Btu total heating value per cubic foot,
					 under standard conditions of temperature and pressure.
(2)
Manufactured or mixed
					 gas.
Manufactured or mixed gas shall conform with all of the
					 following:
(i) If a public utility supplies
					 manufactured or mixed gas, its heating value shall have a monthly average of
					 not less than 520 Btu total heating value per cubic foot under standard
					 conditions of temperature and pressure. The minimum heating value of
					 manufactured gas shall never fall below 500 Btu.
(ii) To obtain the heating value of gas, the
					 results of the tests of heating value made under standard practice on each day
					 during the calendar month shall be averaged, and the average of the daily
					 averages shall be taken as the monthly average.
(iii) Each public utility serving
					 manufactured or mixed gas shall provide and maintain a calorimeter with
					 necessary accessories of an approved type for the regular determination of the
					 heating value of the gas sold, unless other provision is made with the approval
					 of the Commission.
(iv) The
					 calorimeter required for measuring manufactured or mixed gas shall be installed
					 in a laboratory or other building so located as to insure that thoroughly
					 mixed, stabilized and representative samples of the gas delivered to customers
					 are used for the tests.
(v) Each
					 public utility serving manufactured or mixed gas shall determine the heating
					 value of the gas distributed to its customers daily or more frequently if
					 necessary, or if required by the Commission.