Flow Measurement: metering

Week 2
Dr. Abubakar J. Abbas
Typical Meters: Emerson Vortex Meters
Vortex Flow Meter

Principle: This measures the frequency of release of swirls generated by

a bluff body introduced into the pipe.
Q = Const * frequency.

Application: It is the recommended type for general application. Easy

installation and economical.
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Typical Meters:
Vortex Flow Meter

Following is typical data for Vortex flowmeters. Limits and accuracy can be
modified by the User.
Typical limits:Fluid: Gas, liquid, steam
Bidirectional flow not possible
Pulsed flow not possible
Liquid should be degassed
Fluid can have SOME solids
Temperature: -200 to 400 °C
Pressure: < 300 bara
Pipe bore: 10 to 400 mm
Straight pipe length: 20D
Pipe orientation: Any
Viscosity: < 25 cSt
Pipe Reynolds number: > 20,000
Pipe velocity, liquid: 0.4 to 10 m/s
Pipe velocity, gas: 2 to 90 m/s
Typical accuracy: 0.75 % of reading.

3
Typical Meters:
Turbine Meter

Principle: The rotation speed of a turbine introduced in a pipe is

proportional to the flow rate.

Q = Const * rotation speed

Application: For the measurement of an accurate volume flow.

4
Typical Meters:

Turbine Meter

Principle: Following is typical data for turbine flowmeters. Limits and

accuracy can be modified by the User.
Typical limits:Fluid: Gas, liquid, steam
Bidirectional flow not possible
Pulsed flow not possible
Liquid should be degassed
Fluid can have SOME solids
Temperature: -269 to 500 °C
Pressure: < 600 bara
Pipe bore: 1.25 to 2,000 mm
Straight pipe length: 13D
Pipe orientation: Horizontal
Viscosity: < 20 cSt
Pipe velocity, liquid: 0.15 to 12 m/s
Typical accuracy: Liquid 0.15 to 1 % of reading.
Gas 1 % of reading.
5
Typical Meters:
Magnetic Flow Meter
Emerson Magnetic Flowmeter

Principle Flowmeter which creates a magnetic field perpendicular to the

flow, so enabling the flow rate to be deduced from the induced
electromotive force (emf) produced by the motion of a conducting fluid in the
magnetic field.

Q = Const * induced voltage

Application: For abrasive fluids and slurries.

Following is typical data for electromagnetic flowmeters.

6
Typical Meters:
Magnetic Flow Meter

Typical limits: Fluid: Liquid

Bidirectional flow possible
Pulsed flow possible
Liquid should be degassed
Fluid can have MANY solids
Temperature: -60 to 180 °C
Pressure: < 250 bara
Pipe bore: 1 to 3,000 mm
Straight pipe length: 4D
Pipe orientation: Any
Viscosity: 0.3 to 1,000 cSt
Conductivity: > 1 µS/cm
Pipe velocity, liquid: 0.03 to 10 m/s
Typical accuracy: 0.2 % of reading.

7
Typical Meters:
Ultrasonic Flow Meter

Principle: This is the difference in the transit time of an ultrasonic

wave between two points placed opposite each other and offset in
relation to the pipe axis.

Q = Const * difference in transit time

Application: Large pipe sizes.

8
Typical Meters:
Ultrasonic Flow Meter:

Following is typical data for ultrasonic flowmeters.

Typical limits:Fluid: Gas, liquid

Bidirectional flow possible
Pulsed flow possible
Liquid should be degassed
Fluid can have SOME solids
Temperature: -200 to 200 °C
Pressure: < 300 bara
Pipe bore: 3 to 9,000 mm
Straight pipe length: 20D
Pipe orientation: Any
Pipe ReD, gas: > 5,000
Pipe velocity, liquid: 0.01 to 10 m/s
Pipe velocity, gas: 0.1 to 60 m/s
Typical accuracy: 1 % of reading.

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Meter Selection:

10
Meter Selection:

11
A Typical oil metering skid: Prover Loop

This skid is made up of

The following:

4 x 33% 12” turbine meter

streams

1 x 30” bidirectional Prover

1 Fast loop sampling and

density system

Complete oil metering package utilizing Turbine meters

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A Typical Gas Metering skid:

This skid is made up of

The following:

3 x 33%, 10”x 1500# orifice

Meter assembly streams

1 Gas chromatograph

1 Dew point analyser

1 Sampling and conditioning

system

Complete gas metering package utilizing square edge Orifice metering system

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Meter Proving: A Typical Prover with
Meters
The purpose of proving a turbine or PD meters is to
Establish a factor which when multiplied by the meter
Pulses and divided by the nominal K-factor, will give
an accurate, corrected meter volume. Compensation
for meter factors can be accomplished external to the
meter either mathematically or electronic means. The
Meter factor may be defined as a number which
corrects meter registration to actual volume. A meter
factor is applicable to only one set of operating
Conditions. To establish a meter factor, the meter
must be compared to a known prover volume.
By applying the necessary temperature and pressure
Factors to the prover volume and by dividing by the
change in the meter reading, meter factor is established.
Volume of liquid in prover corrected to standard condition
MF = Change in meter reading corrected to standard conditions

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Meter Proving:
Standard
. conditions in liquid measurement are 60OF and the equilibrium vapour
pressure of the liquid at 60OF (or atmospheric pressure for liquid with a vapour
Pressure of less than zero psig)

Meter Proving System:

Meter proving systems should include the following considerations:

All proving vessels shall be calibrated by qualified personnel using test measures
certified by the U.S. Bureau of Standards and be issued a certificate of calibration.

All meter proving systems should be equipped with a thermometer and pressure
Gauge located near the meter. Proving vessels shall have pressure gauges and
Thermometers on the inlet and outlet. Gauges and thermometers should be
checked periodically against a deadweight tester and certified thermometer to
verify accuracy.

All valves in the proving systems which affect the accuracy of the proving should
provide for observation of valve integrity, e.g. double block and bleed valves
15
Meter Proving:
.
Proving condition should approximate operating condition

For best performance and accuracy, the meter factor should be very close to unity.

If it is much less than unity, the person transferring to a buyer/third party is

gaining as his meter must be registering more than the actual volume delivered.
The opposite is the case if the meter factor is more than unity.

Typical Meter Factor is 1≥ MF≥ 0.995

16
Prover Certification:
.
Provers are a piece of metallic pipe with a specific volume. They are made of
special metal and coated internally to reduce corrosion and expansion due to
temperature change.

However to certify that the volume remains constant, they are calibrated regularly.
They ate calibrated using Master meter. The Master meter is calibrated against
standard measure before using it to calibrate a prover. This is like proving the
prover.
.
All the variables required for proving meters are also required for prover calibration

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Meter Proving:
A Typical bi-directional Prover

18
A Typical Turbine Metering System:

A Typical 4-meters and a master meter prover isometric

19
A Typical Turbine Metering System P&ID:

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References:

API MPMS 4.1 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -

Proving Systems Section 1 – Introduction.
API MPMS 4.2 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -
Proving Systems Section 2 - Displacement Provers.
API MPMS 4.4 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -
Proving Systems Section 4 - Tank Provers.
API MPMS 4.5 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -
Proving Systems Section 5 - Master-Meter Provers.
API MPMS 4.6 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -
Proving Systems Section 6 - Pulse Interpolation.
API MPMS 4.7 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -
Proving Systems Section 7 - Field - Standard Test =
Measures.
API MPMS 4.8 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 4 -
Proving Systems Section 8 - Operation of Proving Systems.

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References

API MPMS 8.2 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 8

Sampling Section 2 - Standard Practice for Automatic Sampling
of Liquid Petroleum and Petroleum Products
API MPMS 14.1 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 14 –
Natural Gas Fluids Measurement Section 1 - Collecting and
Handling of Natural Gas Samples for Custody Transfer
API MPMS 20.1 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 20 -
Allocation Measurement Section 1 - Allocation Measurement
API MPMS 21.1 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 21 -
Flow Measurement Using Electronic Metering Systems Section
1 - Electronic Gas Measurement
API MPMS 21.2 Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 21 -
Flow Measurement Using Electronic Metering Systems Section
2 - Flow Measurement using Electronic Metering Systems,
Inferred Mass

22
References

ASME–American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASME B16.5 Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings NPS 1/2 Through NPS 24
Metric/Inch StandardASME B16.34Valves - Flanged, Threaded,
and Welding EndASME B16.36Orifice Flanges.
ASME B31.3 Process Piping

ISO–International Organization for Standardization

ISO 3170 Petroleum Liquids - Manual SamplingISO 3171Petroleum

Liquids - Automatic Pipeline Sampling Second EditionISO
10715Natural Gas - Sampling Guidelines

23
Summary
Pressure diferental devices: introducton

• Rely on relatng pressure variaton in an

obstructed fow with the resultng change in
pressure
• Make use of Bernouilli equaton directly or
indirectly
• Oldest, well established low cost devices with
comprehensive Internatonal standards on
constructon and use
 Orifce Plates - I

• USED ON:-
• 1. CUSTODY
TRANSFER
• 2. FISCAL
METERING
• 3. LARGEST
GAS SALES TO
INDUSTRY
 Orifce Plates - II

• DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
• Simple
Low rangeability
and robust3 primary
to 4:1 element
• Well established
Performance changes
with comprehensive
if plate damagedstandards
• Calibraton
Afected by not
swirl
needed
and poorfor fow
standard
profles
designs
• Low purchase
Output not linearly
price related
of platetoalone
fow rate
• Can installaton
Full be used on liquids
and secondary
and gases.
costs may be high partcularly
for high accuracy.
 Nozzles and venturis

ORIFICE AND  VENTURI CD  = 0.6 CD  = 0.99

Best known and most used as critical (sonic) nozzles in calibration
Qm  (Max Flow) = C (Vel. Of Sound) * A (Throat Area) 
Pu  = upstream static pressure only changing Pu  can change flow rate. 
FOR LARGE FLOWS USE A NUMBER IN PARALLEL TO PROVE SPECIAL 
TURBINE METERS – THESE THEN PROVE THE METER UNDER TEST 
 Pitot tubes

USED FOR TEMPORARY MEASUREMENTS. MEASURES 
VELOCITY AT A POINT. A PIPE TRAVERSE GIVES VOLUME 
FLOWING USED ON:- GAS NETWORKS, FURNACES 
 Rotameters (foat in tube)

• CONSTANT PRESSURE
DIFFERENCE. FLOW
MEASURED BY VARIATION
OF CROSS SECTIONAL AREA
OF
THE FLOW.
• USED IN:-
• LABORATORIES
• DEVELOPMENT WORK
• FURNACE AND BURNER
WORK
 Positve displacement meters

WELL ESTABLISHED FOR LARGE FLOWS FOR CONTROL AND SALES 
PURPOSES.  SIZE RANGE  DOMESTIC 6 m3 /hr; INDUSTRIAL 6500 m3 /hr
up To 8.5 BAR, H.P. TYPES up To 100 BAR and ABOUT 30, 000 m3 /hr
 Diaphragm meters
• MANY MILLIONS IN USE
WORLDWISE
• (17M.DOMESTIC U.K.)
• THEY ARE APPROVED FOR
GAS SALES AND ARE SUBJECT
TO NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
• SIZES: U6 to U160
• + STEEL UNIT CONSTRUCTION
• FOR FLOW MEASUREMENT
FOR BILLING PURPOSES UP
TO 1600 m3 /hr METERS
MUST BEBADGED
• FOR DIAPHRAGM METERS
MAXIMUM ERROR IS + OR –
2% OVER A RANGE OF QMAX
TO 1/50 QMAX
 Turbine meters

  AXIAL (IN-LNE) TYPE (ABOVE) and INSERTION TYPE: WIDELY USED IN 
GAS INDUSTRIES; SIZES:- L.P. 50mm RANGE 14-113 m3 /hr 
1015mm RANGE 45,300 m3 /hr PRESSURE RATINGS FROM 2.5 BAR TO 100 
BAR 
USED TO MONITOR RATE AND DIRECTION OF GAS FLOW IN MAINS. 
VALIDATION OF NETWORK ANALYSIS 
 Oscillatng types

FLUIDIC (left) and VORTEX METER (right)

ADVANTAGE: no moving parts
 Ultrasonic

Time-of-flight method uses different velocities of sound pulses

moving with and against the flow.
Siemens and Eurometers
 Other techniques

• Coriolis efect mass meters

• Thermal meters: hot wire or hot flm
probes
• Cross-correlaton of sound or other signals
from two positons in pipe
• Tracer injecton techniques
• Electromagnetc (liquids only)