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Improvements in Coriolis flow measurement technology

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White Paper
Crude Oil separation process

Improvements in Coriolis flow measurement technology

Mass flow measurement based on Coriolis principle has been expanding its presence in diverse applications
throughout several industries. This technology has shown its outstanding performance in terms of low
uncertainty, high repeatability and long-term stability. However, new improvements for this technology have
upgraded its results under specific process conditions usually considered as limiting. In this paper a
summary of the newest developments for Coriolis meter from Endress+Hauser appeared in previous
publications are discussed, including Reynolds number compensation allows to dynamically compensate the
effect of low Reynolds number applications in the measurement results, as well as Multi-Frequency
Technology (MFT) intended to compensate the meter errors introduced under entrained gas conditions.
Finally, direct viscosity measurement feature obtained with a straight pipe Coriolis meter is also discussed.
Field of application for each new feature is also presented.

O. Reyes Vaillant1 ; E.H. Doorenspleet2

1 Endress+Hauser Instrument International AG (LASC, Panama); 2Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Reinach)

Keywords: Reynolds number, entrained gas, viscosity measurement, crude oil production, produced water, natural gas

1. Introduction
Mass Coriolis flowmeters have been one of the
most attractive and consistent flow measurement
choices during the last thirty years. Even though,
its acceptance has been increasing gradually
though all these years. But now a day there is a
consensus about their reliability in quite different
industrial, form crude oil after the primary phase
separation up to hygienic food and beverage
applications. A summary of this principle of
operation will be presented in Section 2.
Probably, one most valuable features of the Coriolis
technology are those related to its capability to
maintain low measurement uncertainty even under
changing fluid properties Error! Reference source
not found.. These property changes include not
only fluid density, which is also measured by the
meter, but also the viscosity.
However, further researches 0, [3] and [4] have
discussed the real effect of low Reynolds number
condition in Coriolis meter. Low Reynolds regime in
transport applications uses to be related to high
viscosity conditions. Compensations to the meter
factor shift occurred under low Reynolds conditions
will be discussed in Section 3.
Coriolis flow meters are designed to measure a
single-phase fluid. Multi-phase behavior, such as
that produced by entrained gas in a liquid stream,
clearly affects the meter accuracy. Endress+Hauser
has also developed improvements in their Coriolis
sensors that allows to compensate errors
associated to increased fluid compressibility when
an entrained gas is present. This topic will be
discussed with more details in Section 4.
Viscosity measurement is also one of the most
important contributions of Endress+Hauser to the
multivariable nature of Coriolis flow meters.
Depending on the way that the driving force is
exerted to the oscillating system of the flow meter,
consistent information of the fluid viscosity can be
obtained. This final topic will be discussed in
Section 5Error! Reference source not found..
2. Coriolis principle of operation for mass flow
measurement
A Coriolis mass flowmeter is probably one of the
most known applications of the Coriolis force
(named in honor to its discover Gustave Coriolis).
These flowmeters are basically conformed by an
oscillating system with one, two or four pipes, like
Promass X shown in Figure 2, and an array of
driver and pick up coils, capable to impose a
vibrating frequency to the system close to its
natural frequency, and to detect the phase shift of
the anti-symmetric oscillation, appeared and
detected between A and C, when a fluid flows
though the oscillating tubes, respectively, see
Figure 1.
White Paper
Crude Oil separation process
A C
B
Figure 1. Oscillating tube in a Coriolis flowmeter. A and C pick up coils, C driver
This phase shift is a direct function of the mass
flow flowing through the oscillating tubes. But in
addition to the mass flow, the density is also
measured by the relation between this variable and
the frequency of the oscillating system.
3. Low Reynolds number application: inertial
forces vs viscous forces
Reynolds number (Re) is one of the most important
dimensionless numbers of fluid mechanics.
Basically, it account for the relation between the
major groups of forces acting in a fluid transport
applications: inertial and viscous forces.
Re = Vd/ (1)
Where V is the average velocity of the fluid stream;
d is the internal diameter of the pipe;  is the mass
density of the fluid and  is the fluid dynamic
viscosity. One of the bigger influencer of Re in a
fluid transport application in a pipeline is the fluid
viscosity.
The effect of the viscosity changes, and
consequently of Re in the flow meter accuracy is a
fact recognized by the Coriolis meter developers
and manufacturers. The Reynolds number of the
fluid flow stream obtained inside the meter is
relevant to detect and also to compensate this
effect.
Figure 2. Promass X: four tubes mass Coriolis
meter, with low uncertainty, high usable turndown
ratio and low pressure drop.
TÜV/NEL conducted several independent
experiments to analyze this behavior in Coriolis
meters [3]. Tests were carried out up to 300 cSt.
The higher the viscosity (and consequently the
Reynolds number), the higher the negative
deviations found during these tests. This result was
consistent for all the type of meters employed.
This effect is quite related to the interaction
between the oscillating Coriolis forces and the
oscillating sheer forces acting on the fluid. The
lower the Re is (basically the higher the viscosity
is), the higher the influence of this.
3.1 The mechanism
The mechanism acting in the effect is described in
[5] as result of the axial flow profile as a result of
an interaction between a) the oscillatory shear
force and b) the inertial Coriolis force in the
measuring tube, leading to an oscillatory secondary
force. This secondary force moves in opposite
directions in either side of the axial center of the
tube but disappear at the center of the tube. The
ratio between this two forces a) and b) is directly
proportional to Re.
Figure 3 shows the alternating secondary force
appeared at low Re and expressed in the outer
layer close to the tube wall. This effect is totally
connected with the existence of the thin layer or
boundary-layer [6], where the viscous forces are
preponderant compared to the inertial forces. In
this condition, the Coriolis force (that one who
produces the phase shift) must overcome the
oscillatory shear force and for that reason part of
its energy does not contribute to the deflection of
the tube and consequently to the phase shift. That
is the reason behind the under reading of the
actual mass flow rate. The magnitude of the
secondary circulation is proportionally inverse to
Reynolds number, thus this effect becomes
negligible at high Re.
2
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Coriolis mass flow measurement

A B

Figure 3. A secondary force (arrows on the right side of the oscillating tube in A, and in the left side in B),
opposed to the tube deflection is shown under low Reynolds regime (where the viscous forces are
preponderant) producing readings below the actual mass flow rate
3.2 Real time measurement correction based on
Re
According to (1) the only missing element to Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the results obtained in
calculate the Re of the application is the fluid witnessed measurements performed in TÜV/NEL
viscosity at actual conditions. Endress+Hauser (3” - 6”) and SPSE (10”-14”) with totally different
mass Coriolis flowmeters can measure the fluid fluid viscosities, ranging from 0.7 to 1000 cSt.
viscosity in addition to density and mass flow rate Tests were developed under quite distant Reynolds
measurements. numbers ranging from 100 to 5 million, this spread
of values were obtained by changing the flow rate
With this information, a correction algorithm is
and the fluid viscosity.
implemented to compensate the deviations
described above. This patented feature allows to Both results are consistent with the expected
obtain the mass flow rate corrected value through a values and no deviations are observed at low
real-time compensation based on the Reynolds Reynolds number.
number.

Figure 4. Error of mass Coriolis meters with Reynolds number compensation algorithm, plotted against
viscosity and with different flow meter diameters. Error values kept in the band of 0.2%. [5]

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Crude Oil separation process
Figure 5. Error of mass Coriolis meters with Reynolds number compensation algorithm, plotted against
Reynolds number and with different flow meter diameters. Error values kept in the band of 0.2% [5]
The Reynolds number compensation is standard on
Promass flow meter from Endress+Hauser. With
this feature those instruments can fulfill the
maximum permissible error stablished in OIML-
117-1 class 0.3 for a wide range of process
conditions.
This feature also guarantees to maintain the same
metrological performance of the meter even under
low Reynolds application and changing flow and
fluid properties.
4. Improving the Coriolis meter accuracy under
entrained gas conditions
The existence of a second phase in the fluid stream
to be measured by a Coriolis meter has been a
concerning topic for both manufacturer and end
users. Mainly, for Custody Transfer for liquid
applications entrained gas in the measured stream
could represent an additional source of errors for
the measurement system. The increased
compressibility of the fluid in presence of entrained
gas is directly associated to this undesired but real
and frequent condition.
Literature reports at least two main sources of error
associated to a multi-phase condition in liquid fluid,
the bubble effect and the resonator effect (which is
more commonly named as compressibility effect).
Bubble effect can be summarized as the distortion
or deviation from the oscillating system (tube and
liquid fluid) generated by the bubbles, which is a
portion of fluid with a density value hundreds of
times less than the liquid. Thus, a relative motion
between the bubble and the liquid is generated,
since the liquid cannot totally “hold” the bubble. A
secondary flow is induced around the bubble and as
result its inertial effect finally affects the phase
shift, which is sensed to measure the mass flow rate.
The resultant consequence is an underestimation in
mass flow rate and density.
In ideal condition of free bubbles, there is no any
“holding” effect from the liquid fluid. However, fluid
viscosity and the presence of small size bubbles
deviate the field conditions from free bubble
conditions. The ratio of the bubble and liquid
oscillation amplitude quantifies the contribution of
the bubble effect to the measurement error.
Resonator effect, in addition to free bubbles there
also suspended bubbles; they will oscillate together
with the liquid fluid (amplitude and phase) so no
bubble effect is generated. However, they will
radically increase the fluid compressibility leading
again to mass and density error. This mechanism
can be briefly described as the radical reduction of
the resonance frequency of the fluid in presence of
suspended bubble of gas, driving the system out of
resonance and leading the flowmeter to again
underestimate density and mass flow rate. However,
if the acoustic resonance frequency of the system is
known is possible to calculate the resonator effect
on the mass Coriolis flowmeter.
4
4.1 Multi Frequency Technology
Endress+Hauser has developed the Multi Frequency
Technology (MFT), which allows to compensate the
measurement error caused by the resonator error on
both, density and mass flow rate. This technology
has been implemented in new Coriolis flow meter
Promass Q, see
With this technology, the measuring tubes are
excited simultaneously in two different oscillation
modes using the same driver. In this case the first
and the third natural mode frequency were selected.
The difference of frequencies between these two
modes use to be typically by a factor of 5 or 6.
The meter, now excited at two different frequencies,
can process the combined signal and simultaneously Figure 6. Promass Q: improvements to liquid flow
obtain the two independent vibrational properties of measurement under entrained gas using MFT
the two modes. approach.
Since the ratio between the two resonance MFT has recently been tested measuring WC and
frequencies is known, as well as its deviation due to GVF in an independent laboratory, DNV GL. In this
the presence of entrained gas, there is also a way to case entrained gas was introduced as a third phase,
calculate the correction factor associated to this in addition to water volume fraction in oil.
change of frequencies. This correction factor
compensates the deviation generated by the DNV GL provided a highly reliable reference for
presence of entrained gas in the liquid stream. WCs. Several WCs values were generated. A
comparison between the WC values obtained with
More details about the MFT could be found in [7]. and without MFT is shown in Figure 8 (right).
Promass Q have been developed to perform very Drastic deterioration related to the GVF increasing is
well in applications such as crude oil or heavy oil no longer present. Deviations are kept from 0 to -
where due to the fluid high viscosity, bubbles are 4%, which is very a consistent value for this
hold by the liquid and consequently the resonator application.
effect is strongly generated.

Figure 7. First (left) and third (right) oscillation mode shape of the Promass Q oscillating tube in numerical
simulation [7]

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Coriolis mass flow measurement

Figure 8. GVF calculated from Coriolis density measurement vs. MFT (left); WC measurements by MFT
corrected with GVF (right) [7]
5. Direct viscosity measurement with Coriolis
flow meters
Direct viscosity measurement is an important
variable for different applications. Viscosity
measurement is a valuable approach to simplify
control loops for product quality.
Online viscosity measurement included as part of
the measured variables for a Coriolis meter is
available in Promass I.
Figure 10. Torsional vibration model on a straight
5.1 The mechanism pipe oscillating tube Error! Reference source not
Viscosity measurement implemented in a straight found..
pipe oscillating tube design, as shown in Figure 9 is The result of this combination of excitation
not exactly a recent development, but worth to conditions are two truly independent
mention this capability, considering that it also measurements of viscosity and mass flow without
represents an important enhancement to the mass any cross influence.
Coriolis meters.
Measurement performance in mass flow and
The required power to maintain the oscillating tube viscosity, as well as mass density, fulfills the
with a steady torsional oscillation in amplitude and requirements specified in process applications with
frequency will be affected by the fluid viscosity. high repeatability and long-term stability. Viscosity
The oscillating tube is simultaneously driven by measurement has shown to be consistent with
two resonance frequencies, the standard lateral laboratories results, see Figure 11, but differently
mode at 600-700 Hz and by the new torsional from a discrete measurement the variable is always
mode at 900 Hz, Figure 10. These oscillations are available.
geometrically orthogonal, thus no interference
between these two oscillations occurs.

Figure 9. Promass I: in-line viscosity and mass flow Figure 11. Comparison between laboratory results
measurement is a straight tube design and Promass I measurements
6
 5.2 The benefits
Online viscosity measurement represents a direct
way to control blending process, fuel combustion
and product quality. In this case the benefit is not
only the knowledge of the variable, but also to get
that information continuously. This continuous
approach will also prevent any consequence
derived from undesired deviation to occur.
Applications such as heavy fuel oil preparation or
combustion control in a burner are two typical
examples where direct viscosity measurement
represents important saving and improving in
safety.
The combination of mass flow, density and
viscosity and temperature, results an effective way
two control in only one instrument basic process
variables with low uncertainty and high reliability.
6. Conclusion
Coriolis principle of operation for mass flow
measurement has been evolving to improve their
primary results.
Current improvements for this technology expand
the range of conditions and applications where
these types of flowmeters could be used fulfilling
the process requirements.
Online correction of the low Reynolds number
effect allows maintaining the meter accuracy
obtained in reference conditions also under high
viscosity fluid condition. This capability has been
test on international calibration facilities with
consistent results.
Multi Frequency Technology application provides a
reliable tool to compensate the error associated to
the presence of entrained gas in a liquid fluid
stream. Water-Cut as well as GVF calculations are
also improved using this technology.
Direct viscosity measurement extends the
multivariable nature of the Coriolis meters family
and provide online information of an important
process variable. Results obtained for this variable
are totally consistent with the laboratory results.
References
[1]Cheeseright, R; Tombs. M. S. Editorial. Flow
Measurement and Instrumentation 17 (2006)
315- 316
View publication stats
[2]J. Kutin; G. Bobovnik; J. Hemp; I. Bajsić. Velocity
profile effects in Coriolis mass flowmeters:
Recent findings and open questions, Flow
Measurement and Instrumentation. Volume
17, Issue 6, December 2006, Pages 349-358
[3]Miller, G; Belshaw, B. An Investigation into the
performance of Coriolis and ultrasonic meters at
liquid viscosities up to 300 cSt, 28th
International North Sea Flow Measurement
Workshop - TUV NEL, Glasgow, 2008
[4]Kumar, V; Tschabold, P; M, Anklin. Fluid
Structure Interaction (FSI) simulations on the
sensitivity of Coriolis flow meter under low
Reynolds flow, - 15th Flow Measurment
Conference (FLOMEKO), Taipei, Taiwan, 2010
[5]Huber, C; Nuber, M; Anklin, M. Effect of
Reynolds number in Coriolis flow
measurement. Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG,
KägenStr, Reinach, 2013.
[6]Schlichting, H; Gersten, K. Boundary-Layer
Theory. Springer ISBN 978-3-662-52919-5
[7]Zhu, H; Rieder, A. An innovative technology
for Coriolis metering under entrained gas
conditions. Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG,
KägenStr, Reinach, 2016.
About the authors
Osmel Reyes Vaillant, Regional Industry Manager
for Oil and Gas Market in Endress+Hauser Latin
America Support Center, Panama. More than
twenty years in Oil and Gas Industry as application
engineer, project manager and researcher. Before
joining Endress+Hauser he worked for CUPET
(Cuba) and as researcher for USP/Petrobras
(Brazil). He holds a BS in Automation Engineer
from ISPJAE, Cuba, a MSc Degree in Electrical
Engineer from São Paulo University, Brazil and a
PhD in Electrical Engineering from ISPJAE,
Cuba/IPT, Brazil.
Erwin H. Doorenspleet, Business Development
Manager Oil and Gas/Coriolis in Endress+Hauser
Flowtec AG, Reinach, Switzerland. More than
twenty years of experience with industrial
measuring technology, from which 13 years
specifically active in flow measurement technology.
He holds degrees in Electronics, Marketing and
Business Administration from Netherland System
University, Holland.